Re: Alternative user interface

[Andrew Ferrier <andrew junk new-destiny co uk>]

On 2002-06-06 at 17:06, Timo K Suoranta wrote:

> It is true that my hardware problems are not Dia' fault. I
> just wanted to demonstrate that two mouse buttons is enough,
> and with proper assignments you can do a lot with them.

OK sure maybe I was being a bit OTT there :) But dia doesn't
seem to use a third mouse button now: so I'm slightly confused
as to your point... are you suggesting that it should or that
it should not?

> I think most people would like to use the most efficient way,
> not the one they are used to. One should not be afraid of
> testing new ways. Especially since we are in mostly GNU/Linux
> environment this should not be a problem at all.

OK, fair point. But I think it's also worth saying that if you
want someone else to create that functionality for you, you
have to be:

a) specific about what it is
b) come up with a convincing argument

Alternatively you could write a patch yourself. Maybe you might
like to try the latter and send it along to the developers? I'm
sure they'd be willing to incorporate it as long as it adds
something and doesn't break anything else... new features are A
Good Thing at the moment, so I gather.

> Finally I want to emphasize that I do not want duplicate menu
> item. I want it to be direct operation such that I do not
> need to go to a menu to activate it. That is why I put it to
> a mouse action with modifier key. I want to reduce user
> interface overhead. Most of this has to do with the mouse - I
> want it to stay on the work.

I'm confused again. What exactly do you want the mouse buttons
to do? The left mouse button moves, selects, sizes, etc. The
right mouse button pops up the 'context-sensitive' menu (as is
so standard that it really ought not to be changed). Are you
suggesting using the middle mouse button? What do you want it
to do? Modifier keys for mouse buttons are rare, that I can
think of --- what would you envisage?

> While these changes require a bit more code, there is at
> least one simple way to improve the current user interface:
> add shortcut keys to shapes. Together with the 'dont reset
> tools' this would enable fast switching from different shapes
> without need to visit the current shape palette. There could
> be a palette with shortcut keys (0..9 for example) to which
> you could drag shapes.

A good idea, I think, if it doesn't already exist (which I
think it doesn't).

-- 
Andrew Ferrier

email: andrew.junk@new-destiny.co.uk
web:   http://www.new-destiny.co.uk/andrew/