Re: application names in the application menu

["Gabriel Burt" <gabriel burt gmail com>]

[Sorry for the out-of-thread reply, just joined]

Quote Calum:

"In summary, now that you're a core desktop application and there are
no other core applications with a similar function, your menu entry
should not include the word "Cheese". It should be something like
"Webcam Snapshot" (I'm sure we can do better than that, I haven't
really woken up yet!), and the tooltip something like "Take photos and
videos directly from an attached camera". You can use the name
"Cheese" in the application itself, and in the documentation if that's
what the current docs guidelines allow, but preferably no more than
necessary. "

I don't believe this is what the HIG says.  Here's what I wrote on
http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=322162 regarding Totem's
.desktop file (slightly modified):

First, many other applications (some GNOME core desktop apps) do not
put their GenericName as their Name, eg:

Tomboy Notes
Epiphany Web Browser
GIMP Image Editor
OpenOffice.org Writer
Rhythmbox Music Player
Pidgin Internet Messenger
Firefox Web Browser

Second, and more important, the HIG gives three formats for names:

2.1.1.3. Menu name formats
  1. If your application's proper name is already descriptive of its
functionality, and not just suggestive, use the format: Application Name
  2. If there is a succinct functional description of your application, use the
format: ApplicationName FunctionalDescription
  3. A few applications, particularly games, do not have appropriate functional
descriptions (but note that many games do). In this case, use Application Name
as the menu name.

#1 and #3 are not applicable (Cheese is not descriptive; it does have
a functional description), so it should be #2: "Cheese Webcam
Snapshot".

The main reason I care about this issue is scanning a menu for "Movie
Player" when I likely have several is not as easy as remembering the
branding of the application.  When I launch Totem or Cheese they call
themselves that in the window title (and for Cheese, in place of the
File menu), so it makes sense to put that in the menu as well.  And, I
think the HIG agrees.

Sincerely,

Gabriel