Hijacking modifier keys on search results page creates usability problems #3891
Description
Please describe the bug
Wow guys, the hijacking of the modifier and arrow keys on the results page is really bad form.
For example: I go to command-click a result to open it in a new tab, and instead the page scrolls to the position of a result elsewhere in the list that happens to be selected. The result I was aiming for disappears off screen. (Same effect for shift, option or control.)
This is because I tend to use up/down arrows to scroll the page (a fairly ordinary thing to do); you've mapped this to selecting an item in the results list, which in itself isn't terrible, but triggers the diabolical behaviour described above when combined with mouse nav.
Essentially, subverting standard browser behaviour by default is a bad thing. Suggest this should be an opt-in setting for people who want this, and you can remember it with a cookie or whatever so those people don't have to set it every time.
You might wonder why I'm using a combination of keyboard and mouse navigation like this, but it's just something that happens naturally. I shouldn't have to learn different navigation rules for particular sites!
Explain the steps needed to reproduce the bug
- search on swiftpackageindex.com
- navigate down the list a bit using the down arrow key
- scroll around a bit more with the trackpad, because that's how life goes sometimes
- see an interesting result (note that the selected item, not of interest, is offscreen at this point); command-click to open the interesting result
- upon pressing command, page leaps to the selected item I didn't care about. Interesting result disappears off screen.
- (various other scenarios are possible as the same happens for any other modifier key)
What was the expected behaviour?
Standard browser behaviour for keyboard and mouse actions.
If you're reporting a bug with the front end, please include your browser information below:
- Platform: macOS
- Browser Safari
- Version 26.0.1
I doubt this is browser-specific though.