[Usability]Comments on a search tool screenshot.

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

This screenshot of the GNOME search tool was mentioned on desktop-devel-list:

    http://bugzilla.gnome.org/showattachment.cgi?attach_id=12981

While it certainly looks better than the search tool I have installed right
now, problems remain.

1) The icon in the top left corner provides no useful information.
   It might be worthwhile if animated to show a search in progress.

2) If you're already searching for files, browsing for the folder in which
   to search runs against your purpose. Remove the "Browse..." button.
   (When it can be done, perhaps provide a tree in the drop down list.)

3) Indent the region shown by Additional Options.

4) The widgets shown under Additional Options are not aligned to each other.
   The option menu is about 4px wider than the field above it.

5) The field labelled "Contains the text:" does not have a mnemonic.

6) The label "Search Results" is too close to the list it labels. The HIG
   currently would make the spacing 6px, but expect that to change to 3px
   as soon as I get to it.  (HIG spacing recs are based on font baselines
   instead of the lowest descent; that's not HIG-user friendly, since Gtk+
   doesn't work that way.)

7) The Help and Close buttons should be the only buttons in the bottom row
   of the window. Being displaced from the bottom right corner of the window,
   the Close button is in the place of a Cancel button where it does not
   belong.

8) The status bar is not appropriate.
   a) Show progress elsewhere in the window or in a transient progress window.
   b) Show the number of files found next to "Search Results:"
      (Note the addition of the trailing colon.)


That's all for now.

Cheers,
Greg Merchan