Rework hotkeys to be based on keys instead of characters.

Version: VLC 2.2.1 and earlier

Platform: Mac OS X

Hotkeys implemented as "Hot Characters" cause troubles in the following situation. My main language is English. However, I occasionally use non-Roman languages such as Russian, Greek, Hebrew, and Japanese (Kana-Typing). With these non-Roman input methods turned on, all alphabetic keys on the keyboard fail to function as Hotkeys.

For example, by the default configuration of Hotkeys, the key "T" is supposed to display the temporal position. My main language is English, and I am accustomed to press the "T" key to display the temporal position. However, while the Hebrew input method is turned on, pressing the "T" key causes the Hebrew character "Aleph" to be entered, and VLC fails to recognize the "T" key and fails to display the temporal position.

For Hotkeys, VLC should react to the key pressed but not to the character entered. Otherwise, this feature should be called "Hot Character" instead of "Hotkey". In fact, I want "Hotkey" more than "Hot Character".

Steps to reproduce:

1. Quit VLC if it is running.

2. Remove the following preference files to eliminate the possibility that some unusual settings are causing the trouble.

~/Library/Preferences/org.videolan.vlc.plist

~/Library/Preferences/org.videolan.vlc/vlcrc

~/Library/Preferences/org.videolan.vlc.LSSharedFileList.plist

3. Launch VLC.

4. If the message "Check for album art and metadata?" is posted, then click "No, Thanks".

VLC > Preferences > Video > Display

Uncheck "Fullscreen".

VLC > Preferences > Interface > Privacy / Network Interaction

Uncheck "Allow metadata network access".

Uncheck "Automatically check for updates".

Click "Save".

Quit VLC.

5. Locate a sample mp4 file, and leave open the window of the folder enclosing the mp4 file.

6. Apple Menu > System Preferences > Personal > Language & Text > Input Sources

In the right pane,

Select "Use the same one in all documents" under "Input source options"

Check "Show Input menu in menu bar"

In the left pane,

Check "Keyboard & Character Viewer"

Check "Greek"

Check "Hebrew"

Check "Russian"

Check "U.S."

Close the "Language & Text" dialog.

7. Under the input menu (a flag near the top-right corner of the screen), select "Show Keyboard Viewer".

8. Under the input menu, select "Hebrew". Verify that the "T" key in the "Keyboard Viewer" is now the character "Aleph" but not the character "t" any more.

9. Launch VLC and open the mp4 file.

10. Check "Repeat One" under Playback menu.

11. Press the "T" key on the physical keyboard (not on the "Keyboard Viewer").

Actual Results:

Nothing happens. The temporal position is not displayed.

Expected Results:

The temporal position is displayed.

Remark:

The input menu near the top-right corner of the screen shows the flag of the language selected. However, the Fullscreen mode hides the input menu as well as the entire menu bar. Thus, in the Fullscreen mode, when the Hotkeys fail, there is no clue that the non-Roman input method is interfering with the Hotkeys, and I get very confused.