Menu underlining not showing in UE v20.00 (fixed)

Menu underlining not showing in UE v20.00 (fixed)

32
Basic UserBasic User
32

    Oct 02, 2013#1

    In UltraEdit's menu, I never see the underscore characters that are usually seen within menu items. For example, if I click the File menu, NONE of the entries in the menu that pulls down have underscores showing which single-key entry will invoke that option. For example "Save As..." appears that way, not as "Save As..." Similarly, within submenus, no underscores are shown. Plus, even on the main menu itself, if I press the Alt key all alone, most programs will activate the menu and show the underscores under each menu item. In UE, all that happens is that the menu activates, but I still see no underscores and kind of have to guess.

    This seems odd because when I call up the Menu customization screen and the Help for it, it shows the underscores. But I see no mechanism for turning the underscores on or off (cannot imagine why anyone would want them off).

    Any help would be appreciated. I am using version 20.00.0.1046. I don't know if this happened after the upgrade from 19. Maybe it has always been this way?

    6,604548
    Grand MasterGrand Master
    6,604548

      Oct 02, 2013#2

      Yes, not displaying the underline under the character being the mnemonic key of a menu item is an issue introduced with UE v20.00.0.1037. I reported this issue already as bug to IDM support by email. Please report this issue also by email to IDM support. The more user report it the higher the priority for fixing it.

      I have configured in the Windows theme settings that the underlines are always displayed. Therefore I could quickly see that after startup of UltraEdit the underlines are visible. But after pasting a text with Ctrl+V the underlines disappear and do not come back. That's indeed very strange. IDM support could see the same strange behavior regarding the underlines below the mnemonic keys.

      32
      Basic UserBasic User
      32

        Oct 03, 2013#3

        I have sent an email to IDM support about this problem, as you suggested. I agree that when UE first starts, the underlines DO show, but quickly disappear (perhaps after any menu operation, or maybe after doing almost anything).

        I'm glad you were able to determine that this started with version 20. I have an old laptop that still has an earlier version, so I could have figured it out myself, but appreciate you keeping track of such things.

        6,604548
        Grand MasterGrand Master
        6,604548

          Oct 04, 2013#4

          On UltraEdit hotfix page there is currently UE v20.00.0.1052 available for download and install with the fix of this bug.

          11327
          MasterMaster
          11327

            Nov 06, 2013#5

            I think, it is not fixed. I still have this issue. UE 20.00.0.1054 Windows 7 x64 SP1.
            It's impossible to lead us astray for we don't care even to choose the way.

            6,604548
            Grand MasterGrand Master
            6,604548

              Nov 12, 2013#6

              I'm using English UE v20.00.0.1054 on German Windows XP SP3 x86 and English Windows 7 SP1 x64 and do not see any problem with underlining of the mnemonic keys in the menus, whether with the Windows setting enabled resulting in permanently displaying the underlines, nor with the default Windows configuration of showing the underlines only on pressing key Alt and hiding the underlines automatically when the menu looses the focus. So the issue fixed with build 1052 is still fixed in build 1054.

              Windows 7: Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys
              Windows XP: Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation until I press the Alt key
              Developers: SystemParametersInfo - SPI_GETKEYBOARDCUES
              Best regards from an UC/UE/UES for Windows user from Austria

              11327
              MasterMaster
              11327

                Nov 12, 2013#7

                Hi Mofi!

                With this trick all works fine! Thank you for help! I take off my hat to you.

                But other programs correctly work without this trick.
                It's impossible to lead us astray for we don't care even to choose the way.

                6,604548
                Grand MasterGrand Master
                6,604548

                  Nov 18, 2013#8

                  Have I understood you right?

                  The mnemonic keys are indeed always underlined in UltraEdit with enabling the Windows option to always and permanently display the underlines.

                  But there are no underlines shown temporarily at all with Windows 7 option not being enabled for the time the main menu has the focus when pressing and releasing left Alt key which sets input focus to first item (File) in the main menu, or for the time left Alt key is pressed and hold.

                  I don't think that the Russian locale setting has an effect on underlining the characters in the menu commands being mnemonic keys although I can't exclude that. And I'm wondering that permanently displaying the underlines work while temporarily displaying the underlines should not work. That's the reason why I ask once more for clarification.
                  Best regards from an UC/UE/UES for Windows user from Austria

                  11327
                  MasterMaster
                  11327

                    Nov 18, 2013#9

                    Mofi wrote:
                    The mnemonic keys are indeed always underlined in UltraEdit with enabling the Windows option to always and permanently display the underlines.
                    Yes, it is.
                    Mofi wrote: But there are no underlines shown temporarily at all with Windows 7 option not being enabled for the time the main menu has the focus when pressing and releasing left Alt key which sets input focus to first item (File) in the main menu, or for the time left Alt key is pressed and hold.
                    When Ultraedit starts (Windows 7 option not being enabled) there is not any underscored letters in menu until Alt key is pressed. But if I press Alt key again or click mouse and execute any menu item, underscores will disappears.
                    It's impossible to lead us astray for we don't care even to choose the way.

                    6,604548
                    Grand MasterGrand Master
                    6,604548

                      Nov 18, 2013#10

                      Ovg wrote:When Ultraedit starts (Windows 7 option not being enabled) there is not any underscored letters in menu until Alt key is pressed. But if I press Alt key again or click mouse and execute any menu item, underscores will disappears.
                      Yes, but that is the normal behavior with the Windows 7 option not being enabled. Wrong was in UE 20.00.0.xxxx before build UE 20.00.0.1052 that the underlines disappeared forever until UltraEdit was restarted.

                      The normal behavior with the underlines is that with pressing and releasing left Alt key, the input focus change from the document area to the main menu. This is indicated by caret not blinking anymore in document area and instead first item in main menu is displayed with a box, see on the attached collage upper red arrow. Now it is possible to
                      • use the cursor keys to navigate through the menus and press RETURN or ENTER to execute a menu command
                      • just press the keys of the underlined characters of a menu item to activate the menu or execute the menu command. It is not necessary anymore to press and hold the Alt key. The main menu has already the input focus.
                      But pressing now just left Alt key results in switching back the input focus from main menu to document window. This is indicated by closing an opened submenu, removing the box from the menu item and caret is blinking again in the active document window, see on the attached collage lower red arrow.

                      Most people think that the left Alt key must be pressed and hold while additionally the key of the underlined character is pressed also to execute a menu command, or in a dialog like the Find dialog to change a check box item or switch to another radio option or set input focus to an edit field. But that is not true. Just the key of the underlined character is enough if the menu or any non edit field in a dialog window has already the input focus. For example in English UltraEdit after opening the Find dialog and pressing once the TAB key to move away the input focus from the Find What edit field to first button above, just pressing key m is enough to toggle the Match case. It is not necessary to press Alt+M, just M is now enough.

                      That's the reason why I have enabled the Windows 7 option to always display the underlines as I know that I do not need to press and hold Alt key when input focus is already on main menu or the dialog window.

                      Another example: Alt+V is pressed to open menu View. Most people think now that the Alt key must be hold to open with Alt+V the submenu Views/Lists and execute with Alt+F the command Function List. But that is not true. With Alt+V the main menu gets the input focus and addtionally the menu View is already opened. Now there is no need anymore to hold Alt key. Alt key can be released already now. Pressing just v opens now the submenu Views/Lists and pressing just f executes the command Function List.

                      Summary: Windows standard behavior is that the underlines are displayed only when pressing just the key of an underlined letter is enough to activate a menu item, menu command or an item in the configuration dialog. With pressing and holding left Alt key a user can force the display of the underlines even if the main menu or the dialog window itself has not the input focus. The underlines are not displayed anymore when input focus on main menu or dialog window is lost by a mouse click anywhere else, or by executing a command, or by setting input focus to an editable area, or the left Alt key is just released without activating any item.

                      The problem with UE v20.00.0.xxxx < v20.00.0.1052 was that for example after first Alt+E, p to execute in menu Edit the command Paste, the next pressing and holding of left Alt key did not result again in displaying the underlines in main menu. Once a command was executed with any method, the underlines disappeared forever until UltraEdit was restarted, even when the command was executed directly with the hotkey like Ctrl+V for the paste command.
                      underline_automatic.png (13.23KiB)
                      Collage about input focus behavior of main menu controlled by left Alt key.
                      Best regards from an UC/UE/UES for Windows user from Austria

                      11327
                      MasterMaster
                      11327

                        Nov 18, 2013#11

                        Hi Mofi!

                        Thank you for FULL, EXHAUSTIVE EXPLANATION, now I understand conception and probably I was not right .... But I like underlines always visible as in other programs regardless setting you are suggested. Once more I take off my hat to you. :-)
                        It's impossible to lead us astray for we don't care even to choose the way.