Re: Roadmap for 0.92

[Lars Clausen <lrclause cs uiuc edu>]

On 1 Aug 2003, Alan Horkan wrote:
>
> On Fri, 1 Aug 2003, Lars Clausen wrote:
>
>>>> UI: * Need some indication on the left/right arrow icons that these
>>>> are for selecting arrowheads.  I've had several bugreports of people
>>>> who couldn't figure that out:(
>>>
>>> dont do anything too complicated, longer term I think something
>>> radically differnt would be far easier to use (i have a few ideas, not
>>> practical in the 0.92 timeframe though).
>>
>> I was thinking of having a vague outline of an arrow for the non-arrow
>> case.
>
> Well I was thinking that the arrow ends should have some sort of an
> active target area and that by clicking neat the end of an arrow you
> could change the shape at the end of the arrow.  Trying to go for the
> direct manipulation kind of idea.

Ooohh, that'd be nice.  Harder to do, but nice.  I was just thinking of the
widgets at the bottom of the toolbox.

> I was also thinking that we might also be able to go for the more
> conventional menu item/dialog approach, Visio, Smartdraw et al. have
> something like Format Line Style.
> I'll try and post screenshots of the behaviours I have seem

Are you saying we should split the properties dialog into smaller pieces.

>>> There is a bug report filed suggesting that we should not have a
>>> Dialogs menu, but I was stopped in my tracks by not having somewhere to
>>> put the python console.  (sorry, i would normally provide a bug number
>>> but I am short for time).  I still think that Layers would be much
>>> better as the last item of the View menu and that Properties should be
>>> the first item of the Object menu.  (dont get me started on what a bad
>>> usability example the GIMP is...)
>
>> There is something to be said for redundancy.  Many programs now have
>> the
>
> To be pedantic this is repitition not redundancy and the thing to be said
> about it is that it is confusing and bad usability.  Not sure if the
> Gnome HIG explictly recommends against duplicate menu items, I'll try and
> find it this weekend hopefully.

Well, ok, it's no biggie.

>> If it's just a question of turning <name> into <_name> etc, then I can
>> send you a perl script to do that.
>
> I think it nearly is that simple.

In that case:

perl -p -e 's/<name>/<_name>/;s!</name>!</_name>!;s/<description>/<_description>/;s!</description>!</_description>!;' <foo.sheet >foo.sheet.in

>>> Aside from adding more shapes there are not any issues of mine that
>>> should hold back the release.  Most of my suggestions are niceties that
>>> could wait but with a reasonablely clear targets and deadlines I will
>>> do my best to put other distractions aside and get some of the stuff I
>>> want done, done in time.
>>
>> Why do you take a crack at Duplicate first, then start going through
       ^^ don't, of course:)

>> accumulated shapes?
>>
>> -Lars
>
> I should warn you that because of work and a certain beligerrant
> Operating Systems Manufacturer refusing to allow me to instal the
> software because they no longer provide support for my perfectly adequate
> operating system that I have been forced to squander many hours upgrading
> to 'Newer Technology' and I expect I will have to waste many more hours
> sorting out drivers and service packs.  <sigh>

Best of luck to you.  I am afeared that I will end up working with products
from the aforementioned Manufacturer eventually, if I can't find real work.

-Lars

-- 
Lars Clausen (http://shasta.cs.uiuc.edu/~lrclause)| HĂ„rdgrim of Numenor
"I do not agree with a word that you say, but I   |----------------------------
will defend to the death your right to say it."   | Where are we going, and
    --Evelyn Beatrice Hall paraphrasing Voltaire  | what's with the handbasket?