Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

... as in, instead of Contacts? Can it be made to open Leafpad or Notes instead for example? I rarely need instant access to a contact, but I often need to jot down a quick note. It would be great if you could just slide out the keyboard and start typing without even needing to look.

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

modified-hildon-desktop has an option not to launch phone or contacts program upon a key press on the desktop. It also includes the necessary framework for launching whatever program you want upon any key press. The main problem with what you describe is actually in feeding the first key (and maybe subsequent keys that are pressed until the program actually launches) to your selected program, since it probably does not support such key injection.

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

Yeah, I feared that would be an issue. How does Contacts do it?

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

The contacts and phone apps have an option to get the keys from hildon-desktop as a dbus signal (or method). It should not be too hard to add it to any program.

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

didnt even realise could do that!! thanks for the unintentional tip lol thats handy as hell

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

Cool. Would it then be possible to have an applet which listens to those signals, stores them while launching another program, and then feeds the info to the program?

That way the user could just select which program to be used and all would work without changing them.

Is this brainstorm worthy?

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

I would LOVE to see a 'gnome-do' equivalent on N900, that begins suggestions contacts/applications/etc when you start typing at the desktop.
I would totally pay money for such an application, since it would save from having to navigate the launcher icon menus.

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

This is not brainstorm worthy, as in brainstorm it will probably rot like a million of similar suggestion. If you want this feature, implement it. If you don't know how, learn how.

See for example this thread: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=38832 . Two things cam from it: a brainstorm, and a completely unrelated http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=45053 .

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

While not equivalent, the package keyboard-shortcuts (in my repository) allows you to launch programs by key presses on the desktop - for example 'a' launches phone, 'b' launches contacts, 'c' launches mail, etc. This saves the need to navigate launcher icon menus.

Re: Is it possible to change which program gets triggered when you start typing on the desktop?
 

Yes that is similiar, but not quite the ultimate replacement. I would like something that integrates as well as the current 'type and search contacts' feature. For example, I type "P" on the keyboard and a menu pops up at the bottom with suggestions for "phone"(application),"phil"(contact), "play frisbee"(calendar event). If I then typed an "H" immediately after, it would filter away the last suggestion, and present only the 1st two in the example.

Sorry for hijacking the thread, I just wanted to show mu support for the OP's suggestion of replacing the default trigger when typing on the desktop :)