Re: [Anjuta-list] Usability [Was: question]

[Biswapesh Chattopadhyay <biswapesh_chatterjee tcscal co in>]

OK - I'll start working on the points discussed - hopefully, I'll be
able to send a consolidated patch before the freeze.

Rgds,
Biswa.

On Mon, 2002-06-03 at 23:32, Andy Piper wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On 2002.06.03 06:08 Biswapesh Chattopadhyay wrote:
> 
> > Naba wrote:
> >
> > > I think we need to do some sort of USABILITY testing/survey.
> >
> > Exactly - as I said a week or two back
> 
> And I said, ooooh, around the time of the 0.1.9 release,
> actually. Still, at least we've actually begun to reorganise the
> menus and have even mentioned changing the preferences.
> > It seems that some of our best features are hidden
> > away behind obscure menu items, context menus and badly worded
> > text :-(
> 
> Well, make some suggestions. One of my ongoing tasks is to
> improve the menu items and message strings to make them more
> friendly.
> 
> > 1) People get confused when the windows are undocked by
> > default. A simple solution would be to make docked windows
> > the default.
> 
> Agreed.
> 
> > 2) The text 'Dock/Undock' makes little sense to most people.
> > Solution: Make it 'Dock Window' when the window is undocked
> > and 'Undock Window' when the window is docked.
> 
> This involves some detection code but I think it is an excellent
> idea as well.
> 
> > 1) The 'Detach Current Document' is difficult to find since it
> > makes no sense under the Format menu (in fact, the whole
> > 'Format'menu makes little sense to me but that's a different
> > issue).
> > It should be in the 'View' menu and/or have a context menu
> > option for the document between 'Find Usage' and 'Close'.
> 
> Well now, that is one of the changes in my bunch of patches - at
> least, to change the message text for the Detach Current
> Document item, if not to move it. Ah no actually I just did that
> recently, but I need to update it again.
> 
> Apart from that one being out of place, I actually think the
> rest of the Format menu is fine now.
> 
> > 2) The CVS menu has no context in the File Manager window.
> > The first seven options in the CVS menu should be available
> > (and activated/deactivated accordingly) in the file browser
> 
> As a submenu of the context menu probably.
> 
> > Also, people expect the version number to be
> > shown after the file name in the file browser if CVS is
> > activated.
> 
> Nice idea. Have a go at it! :-)
> 
> > 3) People get confused between the 'Edit' and 'View' options in
> > the project and file browsers. They should be made more
> > explicit,
> > like 'View in Gedit..'. This would mean creating the context
> > menus
> > dynamically, but we can live with that I think.
> 
> Agreed. I really hate the way it is at the moment.
> 
> > 5) Virtually nobody knows how easy it is to change the
> > accelerator key for a menu item (by focussing on the menu
> > item and pressing the key combination you want). This
> > information should be easily accessible.
> 
> It's a GNOME feature of course - so GNOME's ease-of-use isn't
> obvious enough :-)
> 
> > Maybe, we can have a menu option 'Customize key bindings',
> > which will simply popup a dialog and tell the user to do this ?
> 
> Very nice idea, it's quick and simple.
> 
> > 6) Anyone using the bookmark menu ? People are thoroughly
> > confused about it (including me). What is it supposed to do ?
> 
> This is a feature inherited from Scintilla IIRC.
> 
> > Another option is to open a meta bug in SF 'Anjuta Usability'
> > which can double as a discussion forum as well ?
> 
> I'll look at doing this in the next day or so.
> 
> > Also, is there any opposition to a 'Tip for the day' feature.
> > It's MSism for sure, an I personally always disable it
> 
> I'm in two minds about it. Apps such as KDevelop and Gimp have
> it. I don't think we need to worry about it when we have thirty
> open bugs and Anjuta1 is at the end of its life.
> 
> Andy
> 
> --
> Andy Piper - Farnborough, Hampshire (UK)
> andy piper freeuk com
> http://www.andypiper.co.uk/
>