Re: [Usability] Persist active notebook page?

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Fri, 7 Jan 2005, Christian Persch wrote:

> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 14:27:34 +0100
> From: Christian Persch <chpe gnome org>
> To: usability gnome org
> Subject: [Usability] Persist active notebook page?
>
> Hi,
>
> should dialogues with notebooks remember which tab was active the last
> time they were shown? I've filed a bug against Epiphany
> [http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=153810] about that, but have
> been told to ask here if this makes sense generally, and if it should be
> recommended for all apps.

In a tabbed interfaces such as the tabbed browser windows it might make
sense to store what pages were open when the browser quit and reopen those
same pages in the same positions.

> IMHO, it does make sense: consider this example: In Epiphany, you want
> to modify your font settings. You go Edit->Preferences, switch to Font
> tab, modify your fonts; close dialogue. A bit later, you notice it's
> still not right, so you go back to the preferences dialogue. It should
> open on the fonts page, but does not.

I'm not so sure, especially when you present it in this context.

It is extra effort to implement such behaviour and it makes things a
little less predicatable.

The way I see it is that when you close a real life folder/binder with
Tabs in it you go back to the start next time you open it.

In the case you mention I think the real problem might be that you are not
provided with enough feedback (such as a preview) and as a result you are
forced to repeat a task you would rather only do once.

- Alan