Mouse shortcut 'settings'

[Rick Stockton]

BACKGROUND: As you (maybe) already know, I have found a way to define
window-manager 'shortcuts' on higher-numbered mouse buttons. The patch
attached to Bug 13474 defines an unconditional operation for 'Button10'
in about 5 LOC. 'Button11' through 'Button15' can be defined in the same
way. (In my original test code, I used '10' through '14', all with
success. But that's the highest-numbered button on my mouse, I couldn't
test #15 or higher.)

Related Bug 9879 remains unresolved - the fact that such button
assignments should be configurable. But I'm mystified by the 'settings'
GUI code, and my first inclination was to create a new 'Mouse' tab
within Window Manager settings (similar to the 'Keyboard' tab). But
maybe it's better to create a new column within the "Keyboard" tab,
("Mouse Shortcut"), allowing users to specify mouse combinations on the
same page?

A separate Tab reflects how the data must be stored - an entirely
separate 'mouse shortcuts' list. But the "same page" implementation
allows the user to see both sets at once. QUESTION 1: Which way is "better"?
- - - -
In addition to "naked" press actions of single buttons, it might be
possible to use another button (e.g., Button2, the "Left" button) as a
one-handed "Modifier Button" for clicking thumb buttons. On my mouse, 4
thumb buttons are easily pressed while holding down this "modifier",
creating the possibility of additional "virtual buttons".

More basic mouse devices, with just two thumb buttons, could leave the
unmodified buttons for use in applications ("Back" and "Forward"), while
creating mouse shortcuts for the "modifier held" combinations.
QUESTION 2: Should we include this further "enhancement"?

Thanks in advance, Rick.

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