Re: gui design of nm-applet

[Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>]

On Thu, 2010-03-25 at 20:42 +0100, Hans-Gerd van Schelve wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:40:29 -0700, Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com> wrote:
> > On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 21:23 +0100, Hans-Gerd van Schelve wrote:
> >> On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:50:03 +0100, van Schelve <public van-schelve de>
> >> wrote:
> >> > On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:55:35 -0800, Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>
> >> wrote:
> >> >> On Mon, 2010-03-08 at 13:24 +0100, van Schelve wrote:
> >> >>> We are planning to rollout NM > 0.8 to a very! big number of mobile
> >> > Linux
> >> >>> systems. Our different usecases for NM are Ethernet, 3G datacards,
> >> >>> bluetooth based 3g and in small numbers wlan as well.
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> Today we had a discussion about nm-applet in our companay. We are
> >> > worried
> >> >>> about our user get overcharge with the usability of nm-applet. The
> >> >>> biggest
> >> >>> painpoint we talked about in this context is way nm presents the
> >> >>> available
> >> >>> devices, available connections and the active connections.
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> The horizontal separator should be removed from nm-applet. It looks
> >> > like
> >> >>> a
> >> >>> logical separator between different connection types.
> >> >> 
> >> >> Hmm, the indentation was supposed to help make that clearer.  The
> >> >> problem is that we do need a mechanism to distinguish between the
> >> >> "current" network connection for that device and it's associated
> >> actions
> >> >> (like disconnect) and the other available connections. 
> Unfortunately
> >> >> we're currently stuck in a GtkMenu widget where we can't control the
> >> >> layout in a fine-grained manner without violating a lot of UI
> >> principles
> >> >> (since it is still a menu).
> >> >> 
> >> >>> Maybe it could be a way using differnt font size / weight? Or maybe
> >> >>> indenting blockwise?
> >> >> 
> >> >> It might work to make the "available" text in the line smaller
> perhaps
> >> >> to differentiate it more from the surrounding text?
> >> >> 
> >> > 
> >> > What do you think about presenting the list in this way:
> >> One additional thing I thought about could be a "disconnect" entry
> >> in each section
> > 
> > Right, but now you're getting dangeriously close to what we already
> > have :)  When you start adding a Disconnect option, you then need to
> > physically separate that disconnect option somehow from the rest of the
> > available connections, because Disconnect isn't a connection and thus
> > shouldn't be grouped with the other connections unless there's some
> > visible separation.
> 
> I don't think so. We discussed this once again. The disconnect option must
> be in the group because it is directly affected to the one open connection
> in this group. The line implicate a logical breakup. I tested this with a
> small number of colleagues that never have seen nm-applet. They all told
> me the same. They are confused about active connections, available
> connections
> and their first impression was that a line is a separation between two 
> devices.

Despite the fact that the line is not left-aligned, is not
active-colored, and not bold?

Dan


> > 
> > Would simply making the ----- Available ----- text a bit smaller suffice
> > to reduce the open space?
> > 
> > Dan
> 
> Hans-Gerd
> 
> > 
> >> > 
> >> > -------------------------------------
> >> > Wired Network
> >> >   [ ] Auto eth0 (100Mit FD)
> >>     disconnect from this device
> >> > -------------------------------------
> >> > Mobile Broadband
> >> >   [x] MyCompany
> >>     disconnect from this device
> >> > -------------------------------------
> >> > Nokia 6680 (Bluetooth)
> >> >   [ ] MyCompany
> >>     disconnect from this device
> >> > -------------------------------------
> >> > Wireless Network
> >> >   [x] Foobar     (83%)
> >> >   [ ] blahfasel  (60%)
> >> >   [ ] muckebock  (50%)
> >> >   Connect to Hidden Wireless Network
> >> >   Create New Wireless Network
> >>     disconnect from this device
> >> > -------------------------------------
> >> > VPN
> >> >   [ ] MyCompany (openvpn)
> >> >   [ ] @Home (vpnc)
> >>     disconnect vpn
> >> > 
> >> > 
> >> > The user is able to activate or deactivate a connection by clicking
> >> > into
> >> > a checkbox, or even better using a radio button because you can only
> >> have
> >> > one active connection for each physical device. The horizonal rules
> are
> >> > not
> >> > really necessary but I thought you like them ;-)
> >> > 
> >> 
> >> >>> Are there currently any plans to polish the nm-applet?
> >> >> 
> >> >> Mainly plans to stop using a GtkMenu widget entirely and move to a
> >> >> more
> >> >> freeform widget.  That's not in-progress yet though.  Until then we
> >> >> can
> >> >> certainly discuss ways to make the current menu-based approach
> better,
> >> >> especially if we find that users are confused with it.  We should
> have
> >> a
> >> >> lot better data on the new applet too given that both Ubuntu 9.10
> and
> >> >> Fedora 12 shipped with it.
> >> >> 
> >> > 
> >> > You are right. The user will give response. But most of them do have
> a
> >> > more
> >> > or less technical background. The users I am thinking about are
> really
> >> > native
> >> > end users. They know their business application (more or less). They
> >> know
> >> > the
> >> > difference between eMail and a letter. That's it. 
> >> > 
> >> > My problem is that I have thousands of them ;-)
> >> > 
> >> > HG
> >> > 
> >> >> Dan
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > NetworkManager-list mailing list
> >> > NetworkManager-list gnome org
> >> > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/networkmanager-list