Re: Panel Status - GNOME 2.0

[Bill Haneman <bill haneman sun com>]

George wrote:
> 
> On Sat, Nov 17, 2001 at 12:32:50AM +0000, Glynn Foster wrote:
...

> 
> > - Accessibility
> > We've briefly talked to Bill and Calum about this. It's not quite a
> > priority now at the moment, but it really *has* to be done before the
> > GNOME 2.0 release [4]. We have a few notes and will discuss it with them
> > later on in development.
> 
> Anything that has to be done before GNOME 2.0 is a priority given how close
> 2.0 is.

Yep.  But there are some very worrisome things about the Panel,
accessibility-wise.  If it only needed keyboard navigation added that
would be plenty worrying, but since the thingumbobs in it are custom
widgets derived straight from GtkWidget, providing accessibility for
them is a lot more work than if they were stock widgets or derived from
something higher in the food chain.

I think it's even worth considering making them GtkButtons (relocatable
ones of course) because then the accessibility support wouldn't drain
engineering resources, it might be the easier way to go on balance.  I
do of course realize that there is broad support for a complete panel
rework, but for Gnome 2 the panel is one of the top three accessibility
'must haves' in the non-library sphere, and possibly the single most
user-visible feature :-(

(my top 3: panel, gnome-terminal, control center)

(Work on libzvt is coming along, looks like the terminal will make it. 
I don't know the status of the control center - does it use stock
widgets?)

If panel isn't accessible in Gnome 2.0, I will probably be forced to go
off and write an accessible one by my sad lonesome, please don't make me
do that ;-).

> > - Summary
> > Build GNOME 2.0 libraries. Build gnome-core/panel. Watch it die, right
> > out of the box!. Marvel at those broken menus. Amaze your friends when
> > panels start disappearing from your screen. Don't blame us because we're
> > the only ones hacking on it at the moment. Find a bug, fix it. Make the
> > world a better place to be. Break into histerics when you see the
> > release schedule. The panel *needs* YOU!.
> 
> There are many more disturbing things then this main, for example:
> 
> http://www.newyouth.com/archives/imagegallery/humorous/beavis_butthead_marxists.html

You've restored my faith in cartoon characters, I thought they were all
working for GE/Disney now.  

 -Bill

> George