Re: Preferences dialog (RE: Review of Keybindings [Re: Dia's user interface])

[Lars Clausen <lrclause cs uiuc edu>]

On Wed, 1 May 2002, Rob Campbell wrote:
> > > I looked at Dia's preferences with new eyes.  Using Glade,
> > I mocked up a
> > > new preferences dialog
> > >
> > >  http://www.SchemaMania.org/dia/noodle/dia_preferences.glade.
> [...]
> > I really like the look of that.  The prefs dialog at the moment is an
> > eyesore (though very easy to extend), and it's difficult to
> > tell what only goes for new diagrams.
>
> It does look good, but it will be difficult to maintain those good looks
> as options inevitably get added.

True.  That can be a bonus, interface-wise:  It will make us think twice
before adding more options.  Already I think the 'Compress Files' option
should go since it's handled by the save dialog.

> The Gimp preferences dialog is great; Mozilla's is very similar.  It uses
> a tree control in the left pane; clicking on a node brings up a page of
> related options on the right.  This allows even more logical organization
> than a notebook control, including the ability to have subheadings and to
> separate "advanced" options from common ones.

Actually, I don't like Gimps prefs dialog.  I can never figure out where
the thing I'm wanting to set lives.  What's the difference between
Interface, Environment and Session, and between Display and Monitor?  (No,
don't answer that, it's rethorical.)  It has exactly the same problems as
the tabbed prefs dialog, except  more structured.

-Lars

-- 
Lars Clausen (http://shasta.cs.uiuc.edu/~lrclause)| Hårdgrim of Numenor
"I do not agree with a word that you say, but I   |----------------------------
will defend to the death your right to say it."   | Where are we going, and
    --Evelyn Beatrice Hall paraphrasing Voltaire  | what's with the handbasket?