Proposal: Remove core keybinding (cmd/ctrl-.) for "keybinding resolver"

[wbinnssmith]

Rationale:

• Packages and users need free, available keybindings for frequent actions, and this package is using a valuable one that provides value only occasionally
• Keybinding resolver is likely a power user feature for finding available keybindings
• Even in the power user case, keybinding resolver is less likely to be used compared to core editing/view command directly related to code
• Power users likely already use the command palette or bind their own keybindings, so they can easily work around this.
• Many, many users accidentally trigger the keybinding resolver as the binding is so simple, and aren't sure how to hide it. Worse, it takes up a lot of room and its height varies depending on what's typed!

Another alternative would be not to distribute keybinding resolver by default with Atom and leave installing it to those who actively reconfigure their keybindings, or package authors. But I think this is less desirable :P

Thanks for considering!

[Ben3eeE]

Another alternative would be not to distribute keybinding resolver by default with Atom and leave installing it to those who actively reconfigure their keybindings, or package authors. But I think this is less desirable :P

This is less desirable because it is very useful when you get support questions like: "I bound this and it doesn't work?" Or "This keybinding stopped working". Just ask the user to take a screenshot of the keybinding resolver and you can often tell what is wrong.

The downside with changing this is that we have a lot of old support questions on forums and issues where we ask users to check the keybinding resolver and tell them how to open it. Which would make it harder for users to find solutions when searching.
The documentation in the flight-manual would also have to be updated.

I still think what you say makes sense. It can be just as easy to not have it bound by default and ask users to open it from the command-palette. For the closing issue I think the keybinding resolver should move to a bottom dock instead which would make it easier to close. It was discussed in a maintainers meeting earlier this year when docks was added and the decision was that "It should probably move to a dock".

I added this to the triage board so the team will see it ⚡️

[cancerberoSgx]

@Ben3eeE then choose a more complicated keybinding - ctrl-. is very common and users want to use that ! choose something like ctrl-shift-. ?

[winstliu]

@cancerberoSgx Nothing is preventing packages or users from re-assigning ctrl-. to their own commands.