add accelerator/ shortcut keys for IDE main menu

[andrew-james-heard]

Describe the request

It is a common convention to provide "keyboard accelerators" that allow accessing menu items using the keyboard.

Arduino IDE 1.x does have keyboard accelerators for the menus:

(but not for the menu items 🙁)

For example, I can press the Alt+F keyboard shortcut to open the "File" menu.

Please add these to Arduino IDE 2.x.

This will improve keyboard accessibility.

Describe the current behavior

1. Press the Alt key.
   🙁 Underlines do not appear under the items in the menu bar to indicate the accelerator key used to open the menu:
   
2. Press the Alt+F keyboard shortcut.
   🙁 The "File" menu does not open.

Arduino IDE version

Original report

Not specified

Last verified with

2.3.6

Additional context

Additional requests

• add accelerator/ shortcut keys for IDE main menu #153 (comment)
• add accelerator/ shortcut keys for IDE main menu #153 (comment)
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/file-menu-very-slow-to-open/1396416/6

Workaround

1. Press and release the Alt key.
   The "File" menu item in the menu bar will be given focus.
2. Press the → or ← keys to select the desired menu.
3. Press the ↓ key.
   The selected menu will open.
4. Press the ↓ or ↑ keys to select the desired menu item.

---

Keywords

• "accelerator"

• "hot key"

• "hotkey"

• "key binding"

• "key chord"

• "key combination"

• "key sequence"

• "keybinding"

• "keyboard accelerator"

• "menu accelerator"

• "shortcut key"

[tigoe]

+1 this

[andrew-james-heard]

I've uninstalled for now/ remain with 1.8.13. There are no shortcut keys for editor code folding & no setting for using an external editor.

[per1234]

Upstream issue: eclipse-theia/theia#7063

[wdoekes]

@per1234: can you add os:linux label as well? (Or remove the windows one.)