downshift-js/downshift

Have `Home`/`End` keys change cursor position, not selected item

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#1162 opened on Aug 25, 2020

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enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Downshift (useComboBox) is set up for Home and End keys to select the first or last option in the dropdown. However, the WAI-ARIA ListBox spec suggests that those keys should have their normal behavior of moving the cursor to the beginning/end of the text input.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptreact
Domain
frontendaccessibility
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
familiarity with React hooksunderstanding of combobox accessibility
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60
Research direction
Investigate the useCombobox hook in downshift, particularly the keydown event handler for Home and End keys. The current behavior selects the first/last item, but the WAI ARIA spec expects cursor movement in the input. Look at the code in src/hooks/useCombobox/ and identify where key events are dispatched. The fix likely involves changing the default behavior of those keys to not call selectItem but rather move cursor. Ensure existing tests are updated accordingly.