Re: [Setup-tool-hackers] HST gui-love

[Arturo Espinosa Aldama <arturo mezcal dyndns org>]

On 19 Dec 2000, Anna Dirks wrote:

> Okay, I mistyped the list address the first time I sent this.
> 
> > Greetings Hackers, 
> 
> > 
> > I've tried to compile a list of places where a) focus needs to be added
> > or changed, and b)
> > there are minor gui glitches that I can easily fix with your approval--
> > here you go. Let me know
> > if these changes seem logical to you, or if you have questions about
> > them. 
> > 
> > best, Anna
> > 
> > ps. I've also attached some glade mockups to this mail for your general
> > information/amusement.
> > Please play with them. 
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > -Name Resolution Admin: 
> > * Servers tab: needs focus on new text entry

Done.

> > * Search Domains tab: needs focus on new text entry, needs a frame
> > around contents

Focus done. Dunno what to put inside the frame's label.

> > * Identification tab: could use frame around workgroup and description
> > entries.

OK.

> > * Settings Dialog: needs a title, needs focus on "new" entry. 

This is assigned run-time, no need.

> > * Create New Alias Dialog: needs focus on "new" entry.

Done.

> > -Users Admin: 
> > * Is there any reason why (throughout the setup tools) text and
> > checkboxes are
> > left-aligned instead of centered in their columns? Since there only two
> > columns 
> > in this tool, it is not difficult to figure out which fields belong to
> > which headers..
> > but in the case of the Shares Admin, the left-aligning makes it very
> > difficult 
> > to read.

You mean "Remember this import between boots" and the other one below it?
Or you mean all text in general? The text in the column headers of
shares-admin is centered.

> > * Create New User Dialog: needs focus on "user name" entry.
> > * Create New Group Dialog: needs focus on "group name" entry.  Also, I
> > would change
> > the label which currently says "Member Users"  to "Group Members". 

Cool. Tomorrow morning.

> > * Change Password Dialog: There should not be a period after "Check
> > quality".
> > Also, a little flow-improvement is possible here. (see attached mockup)
> > 
> > -Shares Admin:
> > 
> > * The major problem with this tool is that the text and checkboxes are
> > hard to read. Centering them in their columns should help.

Ah, now I get it. You mean all items inside the CLists. I'd have to see if
there is any way to set the centering on this, in particular for the
checkboxes. Centering on the mount points would look irregular and ugly, I
think.

> > * A little more default padding around the headers (particularly
> > detected, mounted, and listed) 
> > would also help readability. 

Agreed.

> > * Labels should use consistent phrasing --on the SMB exports page,
> > "writable" is used, 
> > but on the  NFS exports page, the label is "Allow writing". If these
> > don't mean the same thing,
> > then ignore me...but if they do mean the same thing, then we should pick
> > one word to use everywhere.

They mean the same. "Allow writing" is more explicit.

> > * New Import Dialog: could have a better flow. (see attached mockup) 
> > * SMB Export Setting Dialog: permissions checkboxes should be better
> > organized. (see 
> > attached mockup) Note: the text I put in the mockup needs help.. I put
> > it there mainly to
> > get you thinking about what it should say.

K

> > -Disks Admin:
> > 
> > * Same alignment problem as the Shares Admin. 
> > 
> > -Memory Admin: 
> > *Window title should be Memory Administration, not Memory administration
> > 
> > * We need to be consistent with abbreviations for megabyte. (Mb and M
> > are both used in this 
> > tool; I think we should be using MB.) Also, we need to be consistent
> > about spacing-- 
> > currently Physical Memory and Swap Memory use different spacing (251 M
> > vs 70M). 
> > 
> > * The upper-right corner of the main window is completely unused space
> > -- this would
> > be a good place for a little Jakub graphic + a sentence of helpful
> > description. 
> > 
> > * Column headers need better default sizes so as to eliminate
> > crowding/improve
> > readability. In particular, the Enabled and Priority labels need
> > additional padding.  
> > 
> > * Create Dialog: needs a title, needs focus on path entry. (see attached
> > mockup)
> > * Settings Dialog: needs a title, needs a better visual flow.. (see
> > attached mockup)
> > 
> > -Time Admin: Wow, I couldn't find anything too wrong with this one. :)

Time-admin is very cool... too bad it just sets the time and the sync
server.

I'd like to see all these recomendations followed by general criteria and
an explanation for them, so we can also learn on good interface design and
not just follow orders. "Hackers" can learn too. :)

Greetings,
Arturo



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