Keyboard options for all frequent tasks e.g. add new item

Gavin Ryan-Keenor
Gavin Ryan-Keenor Business Analyst
(This may have already been logged)
We would really benefit from the ability to purely use the keyboard when entering new items through the UI. 

Fine to click on 'add', although a keyboard shortcut would be better, but when the add item window displays the ability to completely add a new item using the keyboard would reduce time to create new items. Tabbing works for most of the entry but the process would be improved with the changes below (there may be more - welcome comments on items I've missed):

* Keyboard shortcut to open the 'Add' drop-down menu with keyboard selection of required item (currently, both adding with one click or selecting from the 'add' drop down list has to be done with the mouse)

* Defined shortcut keys for the 'add item' window completion options (notify, add another, save, save and create/close, cancel etc) to remove need to tab through - user will then be able to enter required data then in 1-2 key strokes save and close or create another item.

* Fields requiring search (e.g. 'Assigned') cannot be entered/selected using the keyboard. Users can tab into the field but cannot enter text, a second tab moves to the next field.  Mouse is required to both click on the search icon and then select the item from the displayed list.  Either allow text to be entered into the field with 'enter' to search the list of items or tab onto the search icon and 'space' to open the list of items. Though again, keyboard only to select item from the pop-up list with keyboard shortcut to 'select user' (for 'Assigned' example) and return to the add item screen

* Tabbing through the add item fields needs to cycle back to 'Name' after 'cancel' rather than going to items in the browser behind the add item screen

Comments

  • Totally agree with this request. Additionally, if a test case is highlighted, a shortcut key to edit would be nice.
  • Todd Lemoine
    Todd Lemoine Senior Front-end Engineer
    Thank you, Gavin and Cynthia, for taking the time to post about the keyboard navigability. Even if it's been posted about before, it doesn't hurt to add your voice to the discussion, particularly this one. 

    Over the past several months, we* have been making accessibility a top priority in Jama. Critical to that effort is its keyboardability and what we call "focus management." I can't give any timelines, but you should absolutely expect to see core pieces of UI such as the dropdowns, buttons, toggles, modal windows, and other menus be (more) keyboard navigable with the tab, enter, space, and Esc keys, and smarter about returning keyboard focus when interacting with them, opening and closing them, etc. 

    There's another other aspect of keyboardability, which Gavin identified, which is having contextual keyboard shortcuts to help streamline common tasks. This has been a topic of recent conversations between the dev and UX teams. As we continue to work on improvements to some of the authoring parts of Jama, we'll keep posts like this in mind. I personally would climb to the tops of mountains to sing songs about this sort of keyboardability in things like the Add Item dialog.

    Cheers,
    -t

    * (mainly the Product and Development teams in this case, but also the company at large)
  • Martin Bryant
    Martin Bryant Freelance Business Analyst - Risk IT
    edited October 2018
    I too find it slow when having to use the mouse to complete many regular actions. Keyboard shortcuts on all buttons would be a big help to productivity.

    Currently the Save, Save & Close, Cancel, Commit and other similar buttons on the editing of items are my biggest concern.