Keyboard and User Gestures Support

Keyboard Support

The easiest way to add rule elements, select menu items, or navigate through an existing rule is to use your keyboard. Here is the list of supported keys and descriptions of what they do:

• Space bar: If a rule element is selected, brings up the context menu with the list of the next possible options related to the selected rule element. This behavior is the same as the down swipe inside of the Rule Area on a mobile device or the mouse click on a portion of the Rule Area free from rule elements.
• Left, Right, Up, and Down Arrow keys: If any context menu is displayed, the Up and Down keys move the selection from the current item to its sibling. If no menu is shown, the arrow keys move the selection from the currently selected element to its left, right, upper, or lower sibling.
• Enter key:
  • If any menu is displayed, selects the currently highlighted item.
  • If a value is being edited, finalizes the input.
  • Otherwise, inserts a new line.
• Home key: Moves the selection to the most left rule element in the current line.
• End key: Moves the selection to the most right rule element in the current line.
• Page Up key: Moves the selection to the If flow element, which is always the first rule element.
• Page Down key: Moves the selection to the very last element of the currently displayed rule.
• Delete key: If a rule element is selected, deletes the currently selected rule element and moves the selection to the next rule element. This behavior is the same as the right swipe inside of the Rule Area on a mobile device.
• Backspace key: If a rule element is selected, deletes the previous sibling of the currently selected rule element and keeps the selection on the current rule element. This behavior is the same as the left swipe inside of the Rule Area on a mobile device.
• Esc key: Hides context menu, date picker, or time picker if any of these tools are visible.
• Tab key: If the very first empty element of a line is selected, inserts a new empty "tab" and moves the selection to this new element.

User Gestures Support on Mobie Devices

The Rule Editor also supports swipe and tap gestures on mobile devices for rule authoring. Note that all gestures must originate from the rule area; swipes inside the rule area also cancel the default horizontal and vertical scrolls.

• Short tab on a rule element: Selects the "tapped" rule element and brings up the context menu with the list of source properties and methods of the same type or return type as the selected rule element that the rule autor can use to replace the currently selected rule element with. This behavior is the same as the mouse click of a rule element.
• Short tap on the Rule Area: Selects the last rule element of the "tapped" line and brings up the context menu with the list of source properties and methods of the same type or return type as the selected rule element that the rule autor can use to replace the currently selected rule element with. This behavior is the same as the mouse click on a portion of the Rule Area free from rule elements.
• Long tap on currently selected rule element: Inserts a new line immediately after the "tapped" rule element. This behavior is the same as hitting the Enter key on a keyboard.
• Long tap on the Rule Area: If a rule element is selected, brings up the context menu with the list of the next possible options related to the selected rule element. This behavior is the same as the swipe down or the mouse click on a portion of the Rule Area free from rule elements.
• Swipe left: Deletes the previous sibling of the currently selected rule element and keeps the selection on the current rule element. This behavior is the same as hitting the Backspace key on a keyboard.
• Swipe up: Currently not in use.
• Swipe right: Deletes the currently selected rule element and moves the selection to the next rule element. This behavior is the same as hitting the Delete key on a keyboard.
• Swipe down: If any of the rule element is selected, brings up the context menu with the list of the next possible options related to the selected rule element. This behavior is the same as the long tap on the Rule Area or the mouse click on a portion of the Rule Area free from rule elements.