Re: Review of Keybindings [Re: Dia's user interface]

[James K.Lowden <jklowden speakeasy org>]

On 02 May 2002 09:26:15 -0500 "Lars Clausen" <lrclause@cs.uiuc.edu> wrote:
> > 
> > Basically, the problem is one of mapping Dia's internal preferences
> > structure onto the Glade-generated widget code.  prefs_create_dialog
> > becomes very different, because the widgets already exist.  With
> > cleverness, I'll be able to load their addresses into the DiaPrefsData
> > structures, and prefs_get_value_from_widget won't change at all.  
> 
> Could you mark the widgets somehow so that the connection between values
> in the prefs structure and widgets isn't hardcoded?  That would make it
> easier to change once the dialog gets too big.

I agree with Larry Wall about laziness, and I consider hardcoding to be
work.  I'll look for an intelligent, extensible answer, a/k/a
"cleverness".  No worries.  

> A new release should be out shortly, I suggest you build off of that.

Right.  I can get up to speed with what I've got, but if I send you a
patch, I'll make sure it's based on the latest revision. 

> I can see us pretty soon being in need of a vertical layout, but we must
> make sure to make it easy to figure out.  Separate parts for the tree
> dialog, sheets dialog, and new diagrams doesn't seem too bad.  

That demarcation makes sense to me.  

BTW, is there a notion of canvas or diagram preferences, or templates,
sort of like Dia style sheets?  It occurred to me today that I have
(non-Dia) diagrams in which the diagram holds defaults for the objects. 
Different diagrams, intentionally, have different rules for fonts, colors,
arrow headings, and lots of other things besides.  On layout.  It may be
that you can see further than I can.  The primary advantage of the
vertical layout (pioneered by Netscape?) is that it can accomodate many
more entries than a tabbed dialog.  OTOH, tabbed dialogs require less
screen real estate, and are directly supported by Glade.  

I find dialogs with more than one tab layer disconcerting to use, and I
think tab lists with little arrows on the end to get to other, hidden tabs
(because they don't all fit) are a nusiance.  

Flexibililty is the mantra of the programmer, but the UI designer must
concern himself with focus and tailoring, because organization and
presentation is everything.  I want to see the preferences dialog(s) grow
with Dia's functionality, but provision for that growth should be under
the covers, not manifested in the pixels. 

I won't paint you into any corners, Lars.  I'm just saying that until Dia
1.0, I wouldn't fret about changes in the organization and appearance of
the preferences dialog.  

Regards, 
  --jkl