I want to remove "SP* Properties" dialogs that are listed in the right-click menu of shape objects. Reasons:
- they use technical terms without any explanations and are therefore confusing
- they don't stay on top (I just didn't bother with them, planning to remove them eventually)
- they're very limited (no units, no live update from selection)
- most importantly, they're now completely redundant: if you want access to the raw attributes, use the XML editor; if you want convenient units, explanations, and live update from selection, use the controls bars of the corresponding tools.
So I'd like to know if anyone is really using them, and if so, why and what needs to be done to help these users move away from this ancient remnant to more modern facilities. In other words, is there any unique functionality or convenience in them that I'm failing to see?
On Thu, Jan 06, 2005 at 06:56:16PM -0400, bulia byak wrote:
I want to remove "SP* Properties" dialogs that are listed in the right-click menu of shape objects. Reasons:
they use technical terms without any explanations and are therefore confusing
they don't stay on top (I just didn't bother with them, planning to
remove them eventually)
- they're very limited (no units, no live update from selection)
I agree these are problems with the current code.
- most importantly, they're now completely redundant: if you want
access to the raw attributes, use the XML editor; if you want convenient units, explanations, and live update from selection, use the controls bars of the corresponding tools.
So I'd like to know if anyone is really using them, and if so, why and what needs to be done to help these users move away from this ancient remnant to more modern facilities. In other words, is there any unique functionality or convenience in them that I'm failing to see?
I was intending to use this code for the domain-specific attributes that Endre Nagy was wanting. Even in its current form with the limitations that Bulia mentions earlier, these dialog boxes are better than the XML editor for the task.
Also, there's currently no other way for editing the properties of <a> objects to my knowledge other than the XML editor. Even the current code is better for the task than using the XML editor, and some of the problems in the current code could be addressed relatively easily. (Adding tooltips would be a good start.)
The image URL may be another example.
pjrm.
On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 11:27:52 +1100, Peter Moulder <Peter.Moulder@...38...> wrote:
I was intending to use this code for the domain-specific attributes that Endre Nagy was wanting. Even in its current form with the limitations that Bulia mentions earlier, these dialog boxes are better than the XML editor for the task.
Given their limitations, and given the impending move to gtkmm, I think it will be easier to construct a generic "domain specific" dialog from scratch.
Also, there's currently no other way for editing the properties of <a> objects to my knowledge other than the XML editor.
I don't think <a> should be presented as a separate object of its own. Rather, it is logical to treat it as a property of the object enclosed into <a>. Consequently, I propose to add a new "Link" tab to the Object properties dialog which would allow creating and updating links for an object.
The image URL may be another example.
This may also be a separate field or tab in Object properties.
On Thu, Jan 06, 2005 at 10:39:56PM -0400, bulia byak wrote:
[Suggests moving useful stuff from existing Object Attribute dialog boxes to new tabs in the Object Properties dialog box.]
Fine with me. I'd guess that it would be easy enough for me to adapt them to the domain-specific attribute stuff to use the same approach.
I'd suggest delaying removing the existing code until we have a replacement, of course.
Given their limitations, and given the impending move to gtkmm, I think it will be easier to construct a generic "domain specific" dialog from scratch.
For me it is easier to adapt the existing code -- partly because I'm not familiar with gtkmm (and not very familiar with gtk for that matter), and partly because I've already looked into it for the existing code.
However, the (small?) additional difficulty of using a new dialog from scratch may well be worthwhile if it overcomes the aforementioned limitations.
pjrm.
Sounds like a good idea. I've always thought they looked kind of like a temporary hack anyway. ;-)
However, is it really pressing to remove them now? Since the gtkmm interface is coming up, what if we just omitted them from the new interface? Then on the off chance that someone is really using them, they could use the legacy interface, and let us know of the missing need through regular channels.
Bryce
On Thu, 6 Jan 2005, bulia byak wrote:
I want to remove "SP* Properties" dialogs that are listed in the right-click menu of shape objects. Reasons:
they use technical terms without any explanations and are therefore confusing
they don't stay on top (I just didn't bother with them, planning to
remove them eventually)
they're very limited (no units, no live update from selection)
most importantly, they're now completely redundant: if you want
access to the raw attributes, use the XML editor; if you want convenient units, explanations, and live update from selection, use the controls bars of the corresponding tools.
So I'd like to know if anyone is really using them, and if so, why and what needs to be done to help these users move away from this ancient remnant to more modern facilities. In other words, is there any unique functionality or convenience in them that I'm failing to see?
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participants (3)
-
Bryce Harrington -
bulia byak -
Peter Moulder