Re: [evolution-patches] Proposed UI change: mailer component: ellipsis characters for various menu items (#323951)

[guenther <guenther rudersport de>]

On Sun, 2005-12-18 at 16:12 +0530, Srinivasa Ragavan wrote:
> On Sat, 2005-12-17 at 17:20 +0100, guenther wrote:
> > On Tue, 2005-12-13 at 01:47 -0500, David Malcolm wrote:
> > > (trying to get some UI fixes in before the deadline here)
> > > 
> > > >From the GNOME HIG:
> > > "Command items are menu items that initiate a command or perform an action, such
> > > as Save, Print or Quit. They may act on the currently active document in a
> > > document based application, or on the application itself." ... "Label the menu
> > > item with a trailing ellipsis ("...") only if the command requires further input
> > > from the user before it can be performed. Do not add an ellipsis to items that
> > > only present a confirmation dialog (such as Delete), or that do not require
> > > further input (such as Properties, Preferences or About)." (see
> > > http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/menus-design.html#menu-grouping 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Based on the above, I think the following items in the mailer should have
> > > trailing ellipsis characters:
> > > Message ->
> > > 	Compose New Message
> > > 	Post New Message to Folder
> > > 	Reply
> > > 	Post a Reply
> > > 	Reply to Sender
> > > 	Reply to List
> > > 	Forward
> > > 	Redirect
> > 
> > Honestly, I disagree for the above. I don't think they should have the
> > ellipsis chars. (Yes, this mostly is a gut feeling of mine, seems crappy
> > to me to add it to all of em.) So I'd like to get this reverted.
> > 
> > Anyway, in either case... Be consistent!
>
> guenther, Let us try to get towards HIG compliance as much as possible
> instead of reverting this. :-)
> 
> > * If the menu entry "Reply" has the ellipsis, the context menu needs it
> >   as well.
> > * If the above should have the ellipsis, the same applies to all menu
> >   entries in the File / New menu and New dropdown. 
> > * Context menu for Calendar, Tasks, ... The list goes on and on.
> 
> Yes if it is required. let us try adding it. I have attached a patch,
> which adds to the entire evolution menus (context/menu bar). I have
> added ellipsis to New menu(Toolbar also), context menus, and most other
> places. Please review it.  Post out your nice comments to add/remove
> ellipsis in the  patch, we can discuss and fix it. I hope I haven't
> missed any menus totally :-).

Oh, you missed the funky undertone in my previous post... ;)

I really believe, this is the wrong way to go. The HIG is pretty vague
about this point anyway.

Lets take a look at other apps, like gedit. File / New does *not*  have
ellipsis. Now where is the difference between "New text file" and "New
mail" or "New appointment"? The user already *expects* to enter text for
either of them. There is absolutely no need to explicitly point out this
fact.

The Composer is not a dialog, that demands input. The Composer is not a
dialog.


According to the recent discussion on IRC, a lot of hackers agree with
me here. [1] Adding ellipsis all over the place, to almost all menu
entries is the wrong way and pretty counter productive. The user will
miss its meaning entirely.

There are a few good places, where this actually is useful: "Save" vs.
"Save As..." for example. "Reply..." is not.

...guenther


[1] *drumrolls* Please speak up. :)


-- 
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main(){ char h,m=h=*t++,*x=t+2*h,c,i,l=*x,s=0; for (i=0;i<l;i++){ i%8? c<<=1:
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