A query about message boxes..

[Osarkon]

Firstly, I'm a great advocate of using the keyboard over the mouse. The problem I'm having is when I close down programs such as NeoOffice, for example, and it asks if I want to save, I can't use the arrow keys to switch between the options.

I used to do this all the time in Windows, and it seems slightly counter-productive that I have to go and grab the mouse to choose 'Don't Save' every time.

So, any thoughts on how to get past this?

 

[Lau]

I don't have NeoOffice, but one thing that works in some third party programs is to do Apple+the first letter of the word, e.g. Save is Apple+S and Don't Save is Apple+D. It doesn't work in everything, unfortunately.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

In most applications tabbing will allow you to change focus between different choices in a dialogue box, and you then press space bar to choose that option (enter/return will choose the default button, no matter what's in focus). To get this you may have to enable Full Keyboard Access in System Preferences -> Keyboard and Mouse -> Keyboard Shortcuts.

In many applications cmd-D (or just D) will be the Don't save (esc the Cancel and cmd-S (or just S).

In NeoOffice you can follow the underscored letter for Save and Discard (or whatever it is in English, I have a Norwegian NeoOffice, where it's Lagre and Forkast, and pressing 'g' will save and 'f' will discard), and esc is still Cancel. (And tabbing/space bar will also work).

 

[mkrishnan]

Ahhh, I didn't know about Cmd-S and Cmd-D. Interesting. Thankee!