New LCL shortcut system

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This page collects ideas about improving system of shortcuts in LCL.

Current state

TShortCut = Low(Word)..High(Word); // in classes.pp unit
 
// virtual key codes VK_*
Key := ShortCut and $FF; 
 
// key modifiers
Meta    := ShortCut and $1000; // scMeta
Shift   := ShortCut and $2000; // scShift
Control := ShortCut and $4000; // scControl
Alt     := ShortCut and $8000; // scAlt

Unused bits in TShortCut: $0F00

Requirements

  1. backward compatibility
    • accept current TShortCut format
    • new format can use only unused bits in current TShortCut format
  2. secondary, ternary shortcuts
  3. platform-specific shortcuts (E.g. Ctrl+C under Windows, Cmd+C under Mac OS X)
  4. shortcuts also with characters (E.g. Cmd+?)

Conclusion

  • create list of extra shortcut data under TApplication (TLCLShortCutList)
  • the TShortCut value would be "an index" to one item in this list, unused bits can distinguish different shortcuts with same key code (0 will be reserved for old version)
  • modify shortcut handling in TApplication, TForm, TAction and TMenuItem
    • check for character shortcuts in IntfUTF8KeyPress
  • add functions like ShortCutToText to TApplication
  • modify TShortCut component editor

TLCLShortCut class

  • index - TShortCut with modified unused bits
  • priority list of TLCLShortCutItem
    • key modifiers
    • platform modifiers
    • key or UTF-8 character