Re: [Usability] Pass trough click, why not?

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Wed, Jun 04, 2003 at 02:41:20PM +0200, Michele Campeotto wrote:
> Hello,
>   For your reference: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=98876
> 
>   I'd like to know what people think about the pass trough click issue.
>   I find being able to click on the entire window to activate/raise it
> instead of having to point to some tiny titlebar button to be a huge
> usability improvement.

MPT blogged about this almost a month ago:

  http://mpt.phrasewise.com/2003/05/09#a512


>   I agree that GTK should be fixed here to show inactive windows'
> widgets in disabled/inactive state (unless the widget requests
> otherwise, but this should be up to the developer and off by default).

I recall some 1.x themes were sensitive to the whether the top-level
 window was focussed, but I think it was a hack that's not possible in 2.x.
Crux was one of them - it changed the scrollbar color, maybe more.


>   So, apart from that GTK bug, what are the reasons to have pass trough
> click enabled on all windows/widgets?
>   What are the cons to have it disabled?

Some windows, and some parts of some windows, should allow click through.
Icons in a folder should be draggable without a second click. Controls
in a utility window, like a toolbox, should allow it too. Guidelines for
what should always take a click would be good.

Personally, I'm only annoyed by the click moving the caret in a window.
I've typed in the wrong place a few times because of it.

Bug #98876 mentions the deceptive prelight. I've themed away prelighting
but for two cases. I've not been able to get rid of it for pressed in toggle
buttons, including check and radio buttons. For menu items, I use the
selection color.


Cheers,
Greg