Re: [Usability] Different Icons, Different Windows (HIG)

["Miguel A. Arévalo" <marevalo marevalo net>]

Calum Benson wrote:

>The draft HIG includes this suggestion (which came from the Java
>look-and-feel team, IIRC):
>
>"Every window has an icon, which normally appears on its menu button. If
>the window appears on the window list or in the Alt-Tab sequence, the
>icon will also appear there, alongside the window title.
>
>"Always provide your own icon for this purpose, as the default icon
>assigned by GNOME is unlikely to convey any useful information about the
>window to the user. In general, every window that is part of the same
>application should use the same icon. Ideally, this icon should be the
>same or similar to the icon used to launch the application."
>
>  
>
Well, I don't see it quite object-oriented, I would expect every
object/document window to have its very own icon (site icons in
browsers, thumbnails in The Gimp, etc. etc.). The default icon for
object/document windows should be its mimetype icon, and only if the
object/document is new or empty.

I would expect only tool-windows to have the very same icon as the launcher.

I would also push for a transient icon for "on loading" objects (like
loading webpages or remote nautilus), something like this:

http://marevalo.net/pics/reloading.gif

(I have alpha-enabled and svg versions of this icon is someone is
interested)

I don't see the current default throbber to be in the right place or
self expressing, we can replace it just using a reloading-icon on the
windows.

I think that this way we will get the best things from tabbed intefaces
and still be quite elegant and fast, without the need of the two layers
of tabbed  interfaces.

>I'll add this info to the bug report, and we can discuss it further
>there if need be.
>
>  
>
If my proposal is interesting I can add it to the bug report.

>Cheeri,
>Calum.
>
>  
>
Regards,

Miguel A.