Re: [Usability] Panel applet interface

[Matthew Thomas <mpt myrealbox com>]

On 26 Oct, 2005, at 1:20 PM, Joachim Noreiko wrote:
> ...
> For most things I've tried adding to the panel, a click on the icon 
> produces some sort of action: a window is opened, or something pops 
> down from the panel, eg volume slider or calendar A right-click 
> produces a menu that has options specific to the applet followed by 
> some standard commands relating to managing the applet's place on
> the panel.
>
> I've found two so far that don't do anything when clicked: Sticky 
> Notes needs a double-click to create a new note. Modem Monitor appears 
> to do nothing at all when clicked.
>
> Another point is the Tomboy applet. (I think this is
> fantastic, by the way :) This has one menu for a click, and another 
> for right-click.

Yes, this was one of the points in my infamous list
<http://mpt.net.nz/archive/2005/04/11/ubuntu#behavior>: "There is no 
indication of whether an item in the top panel is intended for use with 
the left mouse button (such as the 'Network Monitor'), the right mouse 
button (such as the rebelliously sentence-case 'Modem monitor'), or 
neither (such as the 'Battery Charge Monitor'). It’s like the Windows 
system tray mess all over again."

Since some of the items in the top panel obviously have to behave as 
menus, I think they all should. (If this means some applets can't be 
placed in that panel, tough bikkies. They can be placed elsewhere.)

> I'm not sure that a single object producing two menus according to how 
> it's clicked is good usability. What do you all think?
> ...

Yeah, that's just silly. Neither of the menus are particularly long, so 
they could easily be merged.

--
Matthew Paul Thomas
http://mpt.net.nz/