Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Can anyone shed any light on this announcement on the allfeatures list? (emphasis mine)

...
*Description*
-------------
Due to Mod1-Space (used for "Insert->Formatting Mark->nonbreaking
space" resp. "select column" in calc) conflicting with input method
switching on multiple platforms, Mod1-Space moves to Mod1-Shift-Space.
This unfortunately was up to now "Default Formatting" for all apps, so
this will move to "Mod1-M".

*Specification URL*
-------------------
http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=88582
...

I can't really make much sense of the discussion attached to the issue, is this change specific to MacOS?

Maybe there's an overwhelming need to make this change, but I've personally never seen or needed a keyboard shortcut to switch input methods, whereas I use the Ctrl+Space and Ctrl+Shift+Space shortcuts a lot.

This seems like a big impact to accommodate a less-used feature, but I've probably just misunderstood something.

Seems strange that they would move something as like Default-Formatting to a different key combination on one OS.

It could also confuse Mac owners if they have done a search and read an old thread talking about how to revert a selection to default formatting.

Yep. I just don't get the logic: does this mean that everyone who knows/expects Ctrl+Space to insert a non-breaking space is now instead going to get a) no character inserted, and b) a new input mode of some kind?

I just have no experience working with input mode switching, so maybe the input mode should be the higher priority, but it sounds like it's going to be a big disruption for many experienced users.

So far, the keybindings have not change in the snapshots (m22), and the CWS http://eis.services.openoffice.org/EIS2 ... lerators01 is marked as "no UI impact" and "no documentation impact", so I've probably missed something important.

Mac OS uses Command-Space for two things: to call up Spotlight (the OS search feature) and to switch input methods. I think the input methods one may be turned off initially by default, since you can't have two commands mapped to the same keyboard, and most Mac references to command-Space are for Spotlight. I only recently discovered that it is also the default for the input method. I've always used it for Spotlight.

It is possible to change those keyboard shortcuts to something else, but Command-space is such an integral part of the Mac OS design (as the shortcut for Spotlight) that I can see changing that keyboard command. On the other hand, if it's just a Mac issue, it might be just as easy to let users change the default in OpenOffice.org and leave it be for everyone else....assuming a nonbreaking space appears in the Tools>Customize menu.

kabing

Ok, it seems this change has shown up in OO3, at least as of the m4 snapshot.

Here's how it looks to me so far:

• Function                      OOo <3              OOo >= 3
  ---------------------------   ------------------  ----------
  Format > Default Formatting   Ctrl+Shift+Space    Ctrl+M
  
  Insert > Formatting Mark >
  Nonbreaking space             Ctrl+Space          Ctrl+Shift+Space
  
  (System defined)	      ---		  Ctrl+Space