[Usability] Media Controls

[Tim Steenvoorden <timlists lapis demon nl>]

Hi !

The HIG doesn't specify where in the menus (and even if) to display
control-items for media-apps. Also it doesn't specify which shortcuts to
use. (See attachment for current menu-layouts.) What we see now is:
* CD-based apps are showing the items in the first menu called "CD" or
"Disk". Very neat because they don't use "Open..."- or "New.."-items.
* Totem uses a firs menu called "Movie" (which is bad, you can also play
music => just call it "File"). It puts "Eject" and "Play / Pause"
somewhere mixed between "Open / Location / CD" etc. and the Recent
Files. "Next" and "Previous" are placed in another menu: "Go" (just like
HIG says), but: "Previous" should be *before* "Next".
* Many apps use a combined "Play / Pause"-item (Totem, SJ) or use a
toogle-item (Muine). HIG says don't use the same button for play and
pause.
* Rhythbox uses a "Control"-menu to put all control-items together.

We could propose a menu called "Control" or "Controls" with all the
control items in it:
_Control =>
	_Play		Ctrl+Space
	_Pause		Ctrl+Space	// only active when playing
	_Stop		Ctrl+Escape
	E_ject		Ctrl+J
	---
	P_revious	Ctrl+PageUp
	_Next		Ctrl+PageDown
	---
	_Skip to...
	Skip _Backwards	Ctrl+Left
	Skip _Forward	Ctrl+Righ
	---
	<Place for "Go to ... Menu"-items used in Totem,
	or in "Go"-menu???>
	---
	_Volume =>
		_Up		Ctrl+Up
		_Down		Ctrl+Down
		---
		_Mute (=toggle)
Pros:
+ All controls together. Users know this from their CD-player etc.
Cons:
- Adding "Skip B/F" will make this menu long. Do we really need this
items? Is a "Skip to..." really needed? => Maybe just let the user use
the time-bar for this tasks?

Or place "Play", "Eject" in "File" and "Previous", "Next" in "Go":
_File =>
	_Open		Ctrl+O
	Open _Location	Ctrl+L
	Play <disk>
	---
	_Play		Ctrl+Space
	_Pause		Ctrl+Space	// only active when playing
	_Stop		Ctrl+Escape
	E_ject		Ctrl+J
	---
	Properties	Alt+Return
	---
	_Quit		Ctrl+Q
_Go =>
	P_revious	Ctrl+PageUp
	_Next		Ctrl+PageDown
	---
	_Skip to...
	Skip _Backwards	Ctrl+Left
	Skip _Forward	Ctrl+Right
	---
	<Place for "Go to ... Menu"-items used in Totem.>
Pros:
+ Totem's and SJ's menus don't have to change much.
Cons:
- Where to place "Volume Up/Down"? It is not important enough to make a
separate menu.
- Is it logical to place "Play" etc. in "File"?

Another thing for playlist-based apps:
* Where to put "Shuffle" and "Repeat": in "Control" (Rhythmbox),
"Edit" (Totem) or "View"?
* Is "Shuffle" a toggle (Rhythmbox, Totem) or an action (Muine)?

-- 
Tim Steenvoorden <timlists lapis demon nl>

Where do Gnome apps currently place control items?

* Banshee & Gnome CD-Player:
(None)

* Goobox:
_CD =>
	_Play			Space
	_Stop			Escape
	_Next			N
	Pre_v			P
	_Eject			J

* Muine:
_Song =>
	_Play (=toogle)	P
	---
	_Previous		B
	_Next			N
	--
	_Skip to...		T
	Skip _Backwards	Ctrl+Left
	Skip _Forward	Ctrl+Right

* Rhythmbox:
_Control =>
	_Play			Ctrl+Space
	---
	P_revious		Ctrl+Left
	_Next			Ctrl+Right

* Sound-Juicer:
_Disk =>
	_Play / Pause	Ctrl+P
	Pre_vious Track	Ctrl+V
	_Next Track		Ctrl+N
	E_ject			Ctrl+J

* Totem:
_Movie =>
	_Eject			Ctrl+E
	---
	<cut>
	---
	Play / Pa_use	P
_Go =>
	_Next Chapter/Movie		N
	_Previous Chapter/Movie	B
	---
	_Skip to...				S
	Skip _Forward			Right
	Skip _Backwards			Left
_Sound =>
	Volume _Up		Up
	Volume _Down	Down