How do I delete tracks in iTunes w/ keyboard only?

[minckster]

Is there a way to delete tracks in iTunes using only the keyboard? Using cmd-delete or option-delete gives a popup, but I can't figure out the keyboard sequence to choose different buttons without the mouse. (N.B. You may have selected "Do not ask me this again" for option-delete, if you don't see a popup for that.) I've tried tab, shift-tab, all four arrow keys, and a few combinations with shift, option, command, etc.

Of course, using the moust isn't an unbearable burden, but I figure there's something about interacting with my new Mac that I don't understand.

 

[virius]

First you have to enable Full Keyboard Access in System Preferences/Keyboard and Mouse. The Shortcut for this is Control-F7.

After that you can select Buttons in Dialogs using TAB, and "klick" Buttons using the Spacebar.

 

[Lt Major Burns]

or you can select the button using the most probable letter (Move To Trash = M, Keep Files = K)

 

[minckster]

Virius -- Although tabbing works for me in other apps, it doesn't in iTunes. Does it for you?

Lt. Major Burns -- That's great to know. Thanks! Now I'm off to see if Windows does that. Doubt it!

I'm guessing that if two buttons start with the same letter (e.g., Keep and Kill), I could type K then E or K then I.

 

[virius]

Virius -- Although tabbing works for me in other apps, it doesn't in iTunes. Does it for you?

Interesting - it doesn't! I'm ashamed.

Even more interesting: I use the german Localisation, where it says "Behalten" and "In den Papierkorb". Typing "I" moves it to the trash - typing "B" too!

Others make mistakes too, and I sure don't mean Lt Major Burns…

 

[minckster]

Sorry. I shouldn't be laughing. Those darn anglocentric Americans! Good luck translating to the correct English term, assuming that K works for Behalten and M for In den Papierkorb. Does OSX behave like that everywhere, or just iTunes?

Thank you for the reply. And thanks too for testing whether tabbing works for you. I feared that Sizzlingkeys, an iTunes addon, had somehow disabled the tab key.

 

[virius]

assuming that K works for Behalten and M for In den Papierkorb. Does OSX behave like that everywhere, or just iTunes?

Thank you for the reply. And thanks too for testing whether tabbing works for you. I feared that Sizzlingkeys, an iTunes addon, had somehow disabled the tab key.

Neither K nor M works, but you can still Escape from the Dialog

In fact, the Keyboard Access works afaik everywhere else, thats why I posted first. Just didn't test it, and that's why I was embarrassed. My fault, but I learned from…

Thanks for your Reply to my Reply and Lt. Major Burns for the correct answer!

 

[Lt Major Burns]

in response to the windows thing, windows is actually more keyboard navigable in this area, with the semi-underlined letters (which appear when you hold alt) highlighting the shortcut. also the arrow keys work to select dialogue options.

 

[Mikuro]

I'm guessing that if two buttons start with the same letter (e.g., Keep and Kill), I could type K then E or K then I.

Actually, no. There is no system-wide behavior for this kind of thing, so it's up to every individual application to implement this in its own way. Most of Apple's apps will have a single letter assigned to most of the buttons, but I've never seen a sequence of letters trigger a button.

M triggers "Move to Trash" for me. The other two buttons have system-wide equivalents: enter/return for the default (glowing blue) "Keep Files" button, and Escape/Command-Period for Cancel.

The reason full keyboard access doesn't work in iTunes is probably that iTunes is made with Carbon, not Cocoa. A lot of UI things don't work properly with iTunes, like GUI scripting. Pain in the rear.