Re: RGSG

[Tom Vogt <tom lemuria org>]

Dan Kaminsky <effugas@best.com> wrote:
> >[...edit is needed...]
> >nope, it's not. there are a whole bunch of apps out there that don't give
> >you anything to edit. take gv as an example. "Edit" should NOT be required,
> >the most we can  do is suggest that if there's something to edit, it should
> >be there and be named  "Edit". but it's surely not a required item.
> 
> what does gv do again?  brain freeze.

ghostview. take any other prog that doesn't do editing. there are a lot.

damn, making edit a required menu item would render GIMP non-compliant!


> >this one is wrong. "Exit" does NOT deal with a file. it's  an application
> >thing. replace this with "Close (document)" for apps  which can  have
> >several documents open.
> 
> Sure exit has something to do with a file.  First of all, applications
> themselves are executable files, and second, what happens when you exit a
> program?  You close all active files it's working on.

to the first point: sure they are, but explain that to a USER. we're dealing
USER interface here, not system interface, right?
as far as a user is concerned, "file" is already bad enough. can't you hear
the secretaries scream "what the hell is a file? I want to write a letter!"?

to the second point: with that argument, you could put shutdown into every
app, because doing a shutdown will also close that program.


> Semantics and I get along *real* well :-)
I only own a german etymological dictionary, otherwise we could really play.
:)))


> >but there are also app-wide settings of two kinds. a) not related to any
> >document (e.g. pics or text or both in toolbar) and b) default-document
> >settings.
> 
> Toolbars are tools that modify the open file.
<sigh>
but the setting whether you want pics or text in your toolbar is NOT related
to any file, it's only a property of the program itself.
simple proof: close all files, see, toolbar is still there.


> Default documents?  Don't you
> mean default settings for new files?
yes, I mean that. the hyphen was misplaced, sorry.


> There's no arguing that switching for File annoys users.  Where there's
> argument is if File accurately relates to its contents...I think, at least,
> that it's not SOOOO divergent that we need to change it to save users the
> confusion.
weird, I talked with several people today (you remember?) and the general
consent was that the ONLY (can I stress that? O-N-L-Y, there) argument for
leaving things like "Exit" in file is that it's what people are used to.

the argument gets much stronger for preferences (app-wide, not
file-specific). these are usually scattered all over the place currently,
some programs have them in "edit", some in "options", some even in "view".
where do they belong? in a program menu, sure as hell.


-- 
The universe does not have laws -- it has habits, and habits can be broken.