Change documentation to include Mac keys

• Jul 8, 2009 - 17:59
Reported version
2.1
Type
Wording/Translation
Severity
S4 - Minor
Status
closed
Project

On mac Ctrl is mapped to Cmd, or apple key. Some macbooks does not have delete key. Handbook should be change to help mac users.
Any example of open source software dealing with this issue?


Comments

Most people don't know this, but if you hit FN + Backspace it is Delete on macbooks. You might want to do some research to check that this is true for all macbooks.

I'm used to doing FN + Backspace for word processing and other tasks, so I would rather the documentation included a note that Delete on macbooks is FN + Backspace rather than changing the mapping for delete to a different key.

Mixing the Mac and Windows/Linux shortcuts is likely to confuse Windows users if they are not familiar with the Command symbol (⌘) for Mac.

http://musescore.org/en/node/71/revisions/view/4948/6041

I switched to the following style (as proposed in the an earlier comment):

http://musescore.org/en/node/71/revisions/view/6042/6055

I think it is easier to read even if you are familiar with the ⌘ symbol. And it is the style I have seen in several published manuals.

The ⌘ and ⌥ symbols show as square boxes on Internet Explorer. This is only a minor issue because people using Internet Explorer (i.e. Windows users) do not need the instructions for Mac.

However the symbols also display as square boxes in the PDF version of the handbook because the symbol is not found in the font specified (Arial).

Anyone know which standard fonts contain the symbols? If I specify the font explicitly then it will probably fix this issue.

Thanks for the link. It looks like the only font on my computer with these symbols is DejaVu. Unfortunately this is not a font that would be on most Windows computers. Without this font the symbols would probably not display in Firefox either.

However, the PDF looks good now. It uses DejaVuSans for the keyboard shortcuts font.

I created this thread about tuplets.

Instead of the symbol, I would suggest using the actual word Apple (I believe I've seen that happen elsewhere - now I know a likely reason).

Need to go to Help > Local Handbook... and search for every occurrence of the word "ctrl". For any instances where this is not followed by the Mac equivalent then the online handbook should be updated following the style outlined in comment #6 above.

Likewise a quick read through checking menu items that differ between Mac OS and other operating systems such as the Preferences.

I will try to go through them. However, I wanted to ask firstly:

Should we include documentation for earlier versions? I think it's unnecessary, especially if using them is discouraged.

Also, the PDF handbook has a date of 22/9/10. I have one from 4/2/11 (presumably downloaded with the software).

Done some of 'keyboard shortcuts', but was unable to verify these:

Beginning of score: Home
Last page of score: End
Next Page: Pg Dn
Previous page: Pg Up
Top note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+Up
Bottom note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+Down
Half duration of previous note: Q
Double duration of previous note: W
Repeat previous note: R
Up to previous stanza: Ctrl+Up
Down to next stanza: Ctrl+Down

Can anyone help?

I just did some research. For Mac OS keyboards that do not have Pg Up, Pg Dn, Home, and End keys you have you use Fn+Up, Fn+Down, Fn+Left, and Fn+Right. Can you verify?

For the half, double, and repeat shortcuts you mention above, were you in note entry mode when you tested? Likewise with the stanzas, where you editing lyrics (with multiple stanzas) when you tested?

The Fn key works as you mentioned on my macbook for Home, Page up ...

The following works as well :
Top note in chord : ⌘ + alt + Up
Bottom note in chord : ⌘ + alt + Down

Q,W,R works just like on Windows

For lyrics, on windows and mac, Ctrl/⌘ is no needed to go up and down. Once in edit mode Up and Down do the job.

My MacPro keyboard (purchased late 2009) doesn't appear to have a fn key, I discovered yesterday - it doesn't have Home, Page or End keys either (at least on the directional keys). My MacBook (early 2007 I think) does, however.

I also don't think I could verify:

Previous lyric syllable: Ctrl+Left
Next lyric syllable: Ctrl+Right

The Fn key seems to be in left bottom of your keyboard (on my mac book ,and on several images of mac book pro keyboard on google images

⌘ + left and right does not work on Mac since it's associated by default with "Spaces", the virtual desktop manager on mac to navigate through virtual desktops.

In Text editing , can anyone confirm:

Up start superscript or end subscript if in subscript mode
Down start subscript or end superscript if in superscript mode
F2 Show text palette. The text palette can be used to enter special characters and symbols.

#26: Ctrl+Space works for me on Windows. Maybe it is ⌥+space on Mac, as described in Lyrics , "Special characters"
#27: I'm on Windows so I can't verify
#28: I removed the information about Up and Down for superscript and subscript. F2 works for me on Windows.
#29: Left and Right during playback work for me
#30: I removed the information about using Shift+lefMouseButton+Drag

(Tested using MuseScore 1.0, Windows 7)

I think it would be good to have an alternate shortcuts for Mac, if the shortcut requires the fn-button on a portable, since Mac-users don't know this commands generally.