[GnomeMeeting-list] Re: Some more comments on the GUI.

["Bruno Hertz" <brrhtz yahoo de>]

Damien Sandras <dsandras seconix com> writes:

>> as well. E.g. you already show the display area on all tabs. Why not
>> move it to the top (although it doesn't necessarily need to be
>> dockable). Also, the current server is linked to the history of the
>> dial input box. That history contains numbers likely dialed on
>> different servers, so it'd make sense to group them logically
>> together.
>
> I don't understand this... Can you explain further?


Well, on your recent screenshots we see the connection status of the
active call, including in/out codec selections, on all tabs in a
specially designed area. You could as well move that area out of the
tabs and put it on top of them, where the dial number input box
is. That way it's visible all the time too, while not being reproduced
on each and every tab. This presumably wouldn't be just less
development effort, it makes more sense too. I.e. a tab should only
contain what is unique to it, i.e. what other tabs don't have.

Sidenote: I understand that display area should not only give data
about the active call, but also e.g. about an incoming call. That is,
while in a call, if another comes in the current data would
temporarily be replaced with caller id/other data of the new call
until a decision about it is taken (accept, reject). Hence the same
area could be used to 'flash' other events. So if it were permanently
visible, one actually could get rid of the status bar (SJphone has
none either). But as said, these are all just ideas thrown into the
pool. I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything :)

The other point is where to put the (optional, future) line selection
and account selection controls. Presently, you have the dial number
input box as dockable bar at the top, and it also has a history. The
numbers in that history were probably dialed on different servers
though. So if you say the input box plus history should be accessible
at all times, you logically could say the same applies for account
selection. Because when I pick number '123' from the history, or just
dial it, I must also specify the account.

Another approach could be to remember the account with the history,
i.e. have auto URL completion in the history, and say that numbers
entered directly are dialed on the default account specified in the
prefs. That wouldn't be as cool, though.

What I'm essentially trying is group things logically together and
decide which of them should go on a tab and which not. As of GM 1.2,
dial number input box and video are not tabbed, anything else is. This
picture changed with your recent screenshots, there video is tabbed
either. But call details are also, although they appear on all
tabs, and that somehow defies logic. Following the lines above, one
could also argue that line/current server selection shouldn't be on
tabs (assumed that current server selection isn't banned to the prefs
resp. account dialog box). On the other hand, you could also argue
that dialing only occurs with the dialpad, in which case dial number
input box as well as line/account selection could go on the dial pad,
so that only the call display area is visible at all times. For me,
the latter approach would make sense either.

Regards, Bruno.