Keyboard-centric browsers (e.g. qutebrowser [1], dwb [2], ect.) generally let you click on links via 'hinting'. You press a button (e.g. 'f' for 'follow'), every clickable element has a series of keys shown above it, and you press those keys to follow that link (just look at some of the screenshots for the linked browsers).

The (kinda) new anchor links in the phobos docs don't work well with this, as they require me to mouse over the element for them to show up (and having to use the mouse defeats the purpose of a keyboard-centric browser).

Is there any reason for this design? Would it hurt to show the anchor all the time? If nothing else it would make the anchors more discoverable.

[1]: https://www.qutebrowser.org/
[2]: http://portix.bitbucket.org/dwb/

On Tuesday, 19 July 2016 at 11:38:20 UTC, rcorre wrote:
> Keyboard-centric browsers (e.g. qutebrowser [1], dwb [2], ect.) generally let you click on links via 'hinting'. You press a button (e.g. 'f' for 'follow'), every clickable element has a series of keys shown above it, and you press those keys to follow that link (just look at some of the screenshots for the linked browsers).
>
> The (kinda) new anchor links in the phobos docs don't work well with this, as they require me to mouse over the element for them to show up (and having to use the mouse defeats the purpose of a keyboard-centric browser).
>
> Is there any reason for this design? Would it hurt to show the anchor all the time? If nothing else it would make the anchors more discoverable.

I don't understand, the anchor link doesn't go anywhere. It's to provide a perma-link to that piece of documentation so you can direct link to it somewhere else.

On Tuesday, 19 July 2016 at 13:16:52 UTC, Jack Stouffer wrote:
> On Tuesday, 19 July 2016 at 11:38:20 UTC, rcorre wrote:
>> Keyboard-centric browsers (e.g. qutebrowser [1], dwb [2], ect.) generally let you click on links via 'hinting'. You press a button (e.g. 'f' for 'follow'), every clickable element has a series of keys shown above it, and you press those keys to follow that link (just look at some of the screenshots for the linked browsers).
>>
>> The (kinda) new anchor links in the phobos docs don't work well with this, as they require me to mouse over the element for them to show up (and having to use the mouse defeats the purpose of a keyboard-centric browser).
>>
>> Is there any reason for this design? Would it hurt to show the anchor all the time? If nothing else it would make the anchors more discoverable.
>
> I don't understand, the anchor link doesn't go anywhere. It's to provide a perma-link to that piece of documentation so you can direct link to it somewhere else.

My guess: "every clickable element has a series of keys shown above it". The permalinks are not clickable unless you hover above, thus no "hinting", thus not useable by keyboard-centric browsers.

Maybe have it always visible and float to the right?

On Tuesday, 19 July 2016 at 13:27:37 UTC, qznc wrote:
>> I don't understand, the anchor link doesn't go anywhere. It's to provide a perma-link to that piece of documentation so you can direct link to it somewhere else.
>
> My guess: "every clickable element has a series of keys shown above it". The permalinks are not clickable unless you hover above, thus no "hinting", thus not useable by keyboard-centric browsers.
>
> Maybe have it always visible and float to the right?

I know why he can't click them, I don't understand why it's a problem.

On Tuesday, 19 July 2016 at 13:33:28 UTC, Jack Stouffer wrote:
> On Tuesday, 19 July 2016 at 13:27:37 UTC, qznc wrote:
>>> I don't understand, the anchor link doesn't go anywhere. It's to provide a perma-link to that piece of documentation so you can direct link to it somewhere else.
>>
>> My guess: "every clickable element has a series of keys shown above it". The permalinks are not clickable unless you hover above, thus no "hinting", thus not useable by keyboard-centric browsers.
>>
>> Maybe have it always visible and float to the right?
>
> I know why he can't click them, I don't understand why it's a problem.

Suppose I want to link someone to a function doc. I'd go to the doc page, press ';y' (which activates hint yank mode), and then the keys for the anchor. This would yank the anchor URL to my clipboard so i could paste it in my answer. But this won't work because the anchor isn't shown unless I hover it with the mouse, which breaks my flow.

It's a small thing and I'm probably in a minority who work like this, but it would be nice to have unless there's a good reason to hide the anchors. I seem to remember before that you could click the function name to get an anchor link.

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:32:28 +0000, rcorre wrote:
> It's a small thing and I'm probably in a minority who work like this,

Things that are difficult with your keyboard-mode browser are probably difficult for people who use screen readers. It's definitely worth bringing up.