Access keys (i.e., keyboard shortcuts) can be defined for common
features.  Something like the following:

* 1 - Homepage
* 2 - Search box
* E - Edit
* R - RecentChanges
* H - History
* P - Preferences
* D - Discussion
* S - Save the current page (when editing)
* C - Cancel the current edit
* V - Preview the current page

Then, for example, in Firefox one could press Alt+Shift+E to edit the
page.

For links, this is implemented as:

    <a href="recentchanges/" accesskey="r">RecentChanges</a>

and for forms buttons:

    <input type="submit" value="Submit" accesskey="s"/>

--[[JasonBlevins]], March 21, 2008 18:05 EDT

- - - 

There were also a few thoughts about access keys on the
[[main_discussion_page|index/discussion]]. Now moved to here:

> Would anyone else find this a valuable addition.  In oddmuse and instiki (the only other
> wiki engines I am currently using, the edit, home, and submit link tags have an
> accesskey attribute.  I find it nice not to have to resort to the mouse for those
> actions.  However, it may not be something everyone appreciates.  Any thoughts?
> --[Mazirian](http://mazirian.com)
> 
> > Maybe, although it would need to take the critisism at
> > <http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/accesskey.html> into account.
> 
> >> Thank you for that link. Given that the edit link is the first thing you tab to
> >> in the current layout, I guess it isn't all that necessary. I have had a 
> >> a user complaint recently that Alt-e in oddmuse was overriding his access
> >> to the browser menu.

----

The main criticism there it
seems is that some browsers implement access keys in a way (via the Alt
key) that allows them to override built-in keyboard shortcuts.  I
believe this is not a problem any longer in Firefox (which uses the
Shift+Alt prefix) but I suppose it could still be a problem in other
browsers.

Another criticism is that most browsers do not display the access keys
that are defined.  The [article][] cited on the main discussion page
suggests underlining the relevant mnemonic.  I think it would be
sufficient to just list them in the basewiki documentation somewhere.

  [article]: http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/accesskey.html

It's an unfortunate situation&mdash;I'd like an alternative to the
rodent but there are quite a few downsides to using access keys.
Tabbing isn't quite the same as a nice shortcut key.  There's always
Conkeror...

--[[JasonBlevins]], March 22, 2008 10:35 EDT
