Re: File & Edit Menus

[Gleef <gleef capital net>]

On Sun, 9 Aug 1998, Bowie Poag wrote:
> [Scott Goehring wrote, without attribution by Bowie]
> > Several more examples of applications for which a "File" menu makes no
> > sense:
> > 
> > * Terminal emulators, interactive chat clients, etc.
> >   Terminal emulators and other communications software are based on
> >   either "sessions" or "connections", not "files".
> 
> Disagree with you here. A good terminal emulator will have a wide variety
> of interchangable emulations. /File-->Open-->IBM3161_Emulation.emu

Most good terminal emulators have a variety of emulations.  They usually
have a list in a dialog box, not a ".emu" file to open.


> > * Computer based instruction & testing
> >   Software used for this purpose should have very minimal menus.  The
> >   whole point here is to restrict the user's environment.
> 
> Nope.
> 
> File-->Open-->Lesson_6.lsn

Of course you can write a program this way.  However, wouldn't it be so
much nicer to allow Lesson->Select to bring up a dialog where you can
select "6.1 - Cheese Slicing".


> > * POS and Credit Card authorization software
> >   While these applications use files, the user will be unlikely to
> >   frequently access these menus.  Therefore, based on the principle of
> >   putting frequently accessed menus ahead of infrequently accessed
> >   menus, the menu options for accessing files should NOT be first.
> 
> This kind of software is for cash registers. Cash register PC's will have
> no need for running Unix, let alone GNOME on top of it, in the first
> place.

I beg to differ.  A several years ago I used to work for Radio Shack.  All
of our POS systems were running XENIX.  Since I have left, they have
updated the system, I believe it is running on SCO Unix now.  I doubt they
are alone.

Linux is finding its way everywhere.  GNOME obviously can't go everywhere
with it, but I would like us not to go out of our way to limit where it
can go.  I would love to see a GNOME POS system, or a GNOME inventory
control system on a warehouse floor.


> > I think "File" should be like "Edit": present ONLY WHEN appropriate.
> > That, or allow it to be replaced by "Session" or some other term when
> > this is more appropriate to the application.
> 
> Dont mean to torpedo your idea, but, the examples you gave were rather
> poor. I'd be interested in hearing other (more immediate?) examples of
> common applications which HAVE File menus, but dont need thme.

Here are some that have them and don't need them: Windows Solitare,
Primavera Expidition, Microsoft Project.

Here are some that have discarded them effectively: xterm, rxvt,
xman, Cakewalk Professional version 7, xquake, MetaCreations Bryce 3D,
Yamp, Kai's Photo SOAP.  I could go on for a while here, but I think you
should be able to get the point.

-Gleef