[Usability] Instant Apply vs Explicit Apply

[Damien Sandras <dsandras seconix com>]

Hello to all,

You probably know that GnomeMeeting is using Instant-Apply everywhere it
is possible. But there are a few places where it is not possible to use
Instant Apply.

Let's take the registration to the ILS directory as example.

To register to the ILS directory you need in the preferences to :

1) Give your personal details, ie Firstname, Last Name, E-mail. 
You can do this in the "Personal Data" section of the Preferences
window.

2) Give the ILS server name and enable registration to ILS in the
"Directory Settings" section of the preferences window.

(Notice that Personal Data is separated from Directory Settings because
your Firstname and Last Name are also used for gatekeeper registration,
and for H.323, and thus not only for ILS).

You can guess that I need two Apply buttons :
- one in "personal data"
- one in "directory settings"

Now imagine that the user is already registered and wants to change his
Firstname. He is going in the preferences, Personal Data, changes the
Firstname and clicks on Apply to reflect the changes. Currently,
changing the Firstname changes the firstname GConf key "in real time",
and the action of updating the ILS server (and the rest) is taken only
when Apply is clicked. If the user doesn't click on Apply, the GConf key
corresponding to the Firstname has been updated, but the ILS
registration is not updated and keeps the old Firstname until the next
automatic ILS update (that happens every 20 minutes) happens.

Some questions :
- should the firstname GConf key be updated only when Apply is clicked ?
(if so I need to keep pointers to the GtkEntries around)

- what should happen if the user is using gconf-editor and modifies the
firstname GConf key? Should it automatically update the ILS registration
through a notifier or not? (If it should, then we have an implementation
problem because we are back in the Instant Apply case and it is not
realistic for ILS registration)

Thank you,
-- 
Damien Sandras <dsandras seconix com>