On Monday 13 June 2005 01:06, you wrote:
Craig Bradney wrote:
On Sunday 12 June 2005 23:14, Bob Jamison wrote:
Colin Marquardt wrote:
Hi,
the layer name "(root)" is not translatable until now - I filed the following patch for it:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1219305&gro... d =93438&atid=604308
As it says there, should we maybe change the "(root)" to "(Background)"? Gimp 2.2 uses this word, so unless calling this the "root" is vector graphics parlance, I think we should switch.
This also comes from my inability to find a nice translation for "root" that doesn't look strange in that context. :)
Cheers, Colin
I think that Background is a good word, but I also think that the SVG term "root" is important to emphasize to the user that this is SVG, not a general-purpose drawing program.
Does the general user care in the end (and does the expert SVG editor care so much to care that its called something other than root)? More users will be comfortable with the term background. Root could be shown in the XML editor for those that will use it.
Craig
I agree that "background" is a good word, and the patch sounds great.
But we really need to stress SVG as the heart and soul of this drawing tool, -especially- for the beginning user, who might be unfamiliar with SVG and its jargon. So not only would Inkscape be a content creation tool, but also a learning device. In addition to providing an editor, we are also serving as advocates for the format.
This is analogous to how BBEdit is a good teacher of HTML, while Frontpage is awful.
IMHO, this is an SVG tool, and not just an attempt to provide a free replacement for Adobe or Corel. Those tools are common, and SVG editors are rare, which is why a lot of us have contributed considerable effort to the project. Provide EPS and .ai for import/export, but only as enablers. Focus most of the work and features on filling out the specs for SVG 1.1 and later 1.2. That way Inkscape might attain and maintain "best of breed" status in its niche, rather than be mediocre in a much larger field.
(I have also always thought that GIMP should default to PNG, either as standalone or as part of GIMP's intermal format, when the user does not select one. More advocacy.)
It was just an observation from the outside. From the users side, it probably makes little difference, but it will confuse or perhaps, disorient is a better word, new users or users who have no idea about SVG and need to work with layers. "Root" is a typical unix or typical tree based term, background is more closely related to artwork on the user side. Its a little puzzling that SVG would expose such a word to the user, as most users of such a format would probably already associate the primary node with the word root anyway.
Just my 2c.
Craig