Command Palette

Many interfaces nowadays implement Command Palette pattern:

Feature proposal is to add a similar Ctrl+P or Ctrl+Shift+P shortcut in Delta Chat Desktop that opens a command palette with searchable commands like:

  • Mute chat (followed by the prompt for the duration)
  • Archive chat
  • Add contact (followed by the prompt for the contact address or name)
  • Remove contact (followed by the prompt for the contact address or name)
  • Rename chat
  • Other commands relevant in the context

Such interface does not take additional space, but can provide quick access to actions and settings that are normally only accessible via multiple clicks.

Parla, Delta Chat client for GNOME, has a somewhat similar “quick chat switcher” feature: you can press Ctrl-K, search for the chat in the search popup, and immediately jump to it. This is faster than filtering the chatlist in Delta Chat Desktop, where I press Ctrl+F, type the chat name, then assuming the first search result is the correct one I still have to press Enter once to go to the search results and Enter again to switch to this chat, and at this point the search is still active so I need to press X to get full chatlist back.

Another existing implementation: Element. It’s licensed under GPLv3 or AGPLv3, and is also in React so we can even consider stealing the code:

Edit: I also stumbled upon this library: GitHub - dip/cmdk: Fast, unstyled command menu React component. · GitHub.