Re: Setting the properties of multiple selected objects in stead of just one (the first or only selected->data)

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005, Philip Van Hoof wrote:

> Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:10:21 +0100
> From: Philip Van Hoof <spamfrommailing freax org>
> To: discussions about usage and development of dia <dia-list gnome org>
> Subject: Re: Setting the properties of multiple selected objects in stead
>     of just one (the first or only selected->data)
>
> On Tue, 2005-01-11 at 15:54 +0800, Zhang Lin-bo wrote:
>
> > I meant the current color is displayed 'greyed', but the user can still change
> > the color, and once the user assigns a new color it is shown in the normal way
> > (otherwise what color is displayed before the user making changes, blue, red,
> > or green? :))
>
> Currently it's the color of the first selected object in the selection
> of objects.
>
> I haven't yet figured out how to know about which "default' property to
> use for properties that can have such behaviour.

This recently came up on the gnome usability list
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2004-December/msg00072.html

the standard convention is to show a blank (or sometimes greyed out)
widget) if the selection contained a mix of different colours, ie to
indicate an inconsistant state.

setting the widget to red implies that all the objects in the selection
have a red fill.
if you set it to 'inconsistant' then users can set it to red, setting
all the objects red.

Hope I'm explaining this adequately.

- Alan