Re: Setting the properties of multiple selected objects in steadof just one (the first or only selected->data)

[Hans Breuer <hans breuer org>]

On 13.01.2005 14:12, Philip Van Hoof wrote:
> On Thu, 2005-01-13 at 15:34 +0100, Lars Clausen wrote:
>> [...]

> Should it be possible to set all the properties of individual objects in
> a group? In which case I think only a treeview of properties is going to
> give it a usable userinterface (so rewriting the entire properties-gui).
IMO not. If you want to edit single object properties in a group
they need to be ongrouped first (Isn't that what groups are all about?)

> Or does setting the properties of a group-object basically means setting
> the changed values (in the dialogbox) of as much individual objects of
> that group-object to the new value. So in that case the dialogbox needs
> an union of properties of all individual objects.
This would be the (group properies) dialog showing the joined properties
and the selected-objects-dialog showing the intersection, right?
If so that's what I thought of at first, too. Sounds feasible - though
some extra work ;-)

> > > o. Comments and suggestions about this feature from users who have
> > > actually tested it.
>
>
> > I applied and it compiled nicely.  I saw two bugs (trying to use it with
> > boxes, ellipses and polygons):
> [...]
> > 2) Pressing Apply applied all properties to all objects, not just the
> > changed properties to all objects (FYI, that was the stage I got to in my
> > attempt for groups a while ago:)
>
> To get the working correctly, we first need to show the user that he has
> changed a property. For example by doing something with the color. Then
> we will need to alter the functionality for applying properties to an
> object. Perhaps a flag in the struct of a property (gboolean changed)
> and letting the GUI set that flag. And letting the apply-handler check
> for it. Something like that . . .
>
> I perhaps misunderstood the 'checkboxes' story of Hans. If this is what
> he ment, it's indeed necessary to have something like it. 
It is.

> I don't feel,
> however, a checkbox next to each property is going to make the user
> understand what happened and/or what is going to happen. Delphi, I
> remember,  and Visual Studio .NET, will bold/unbold the value-label of
> changed properties.
The micro$oft of doing it is 'partly grayed' conbobox. It might be 
possible to add the visual representation of Dia's single property
widgets to a combobox and add a disable one to reflect the
not-changed-but-different case. Coming from the windoze site and
still using it more than mac or linux, I'd still prefer the "iTunes way".

> > > Short: It's all possible. However. So far I haven't received many
> > > feedback from the core developers of Dia. Currently I am waiting for
> > > that interrupt to be set, by them, with perhaps instructions and
> > > thoughts, from them, on the mailinglist of Dia :-).
>
>
> > Here you go!
>
>
> Ah, oeps :-). I wasn't aware that you're the Lars from the authors.h
> file! In that case I've indeed just received that interrupt.

Now you have met two of them ;-)

        Hans

-------- Hans "at" Breuer "dot" Org -----------
Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to
get along without it.                -- Dilbert