Finder's "Add to Dock" Command Needs Increased Visibility

Originator:listsebby
Number:rdar://20871339 Date Originated:08-May-2015 12:32 PM
Status:Open Resolved:No
Product:Accessibility Product Version:OS X
Classification:UI/Usability Reproducible:Always
 
Summary:
The "Add to Dock" command (Cmd+Opt+Shft+T) needs better visibility, or else nobody's going to find it without first getting very frustrated. It's not obvious.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Suppose you're a new user of the Mac and VoiceOver. Forget everything you know about OS X.

2. You are, at some point, wondering how to add an item to the Dock from the keyboard.

3. Look for the command in every place you would expect to find it.

4. Eventually, you are grateful to find the help topic in VoiceOver Help.

5. But not before.

Expected Results:
It's always bothered me that this command was never more discoverable. It's not in your KB article on keyboard shortcuts on the web [1], for example (even though you eventually listed the Cmd+Opt+V to move). It's not in the menus. It's not even mentioned in the VoiceOver training, though even this would not be adequate as a long-term solution. And whenever the command changes, as it did recently, everybody is thrown off. I appreciate the difficulty of reconciling the need for the keyboard command with the UI paradigm, but I (of course) think keyboard accessibility is important enough to justify the violation.

[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236

Actual Results:
You need to go to Help (as a last resort) to learn the otherwise undiscoverable command.

Comments

Its not immediately obvious because the modifier is the ⇧ (hold shift to show the "Add to Dock"), not the ⌥ (IMO very confusing). Update the rdar to mention that.

By Schemetrical at June 13, 2015, 7:02 a.m. (reply...)

Sabahattin Gucukoglu 06-Jun-2015 00:39 AM

Thanks for your response.

I don't see "Add to Dock" in the Finder's File menu, with or without Option held, with a mounted volume on my Desktop selected, or with any folder in the column browser in a new Finder window selected. The closest I come to is "Add to Sidebar", which of course isn't useful here.

The Dock contextual menu is fine, if an app is running; it's no good for adding files, folders or volumes to the Dock.

Please describe how to add, say, the Downloads folder to the Dock, just with the keyboard.

By listsebby at June 12, 2015, 8:50 a.m. (reply...)

Apple Developer Relations 05-Jun-2015 09:53 PM

Engineering has provided the following feedback regarding this issue:

This command is in the dock contextual menu. And the finder file menu. You can also get to it by using the menu spotlight and search for “dock”.

Please let us know whether the issue is resolved for you by updating your bug report.

By listsebby at June 12, 2015, 8:47 a.m. (reply...)

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