Re: [Usability] Media Controls

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Sat, 29 Oct 2005, Tim Steenvoorden wrote:

> Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 20:46:19 +0200
> From: Tim Steenvoorden <timlists lapis demon nl>
> To: usability gnome org
> Subject: [Usability] Media Controls
>
> 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".

Elsewhere (in the style guide) it has been explained one should use Disk
when referrring to the "hard disk" (storage) and Disc when referring to
round flat plastic discs (CDs or DVDs).  I'm hoping the HIG was updated to
include the mention of Disk because some of the Gnome media applications
have dropped CD in favour of the term Disc which should help future proof
things a little against CD/DVD/LaserDisc/BlueRay/whatever.  (Personally I
wish we could go back to calling them records and not dwell on the current
techonlogy but that is just me and Disc will do well enough in this case).

> 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

The HIG was written in the knowledge of applications such as Games and
Calculators and other task based applications which did not do any of the
usual file operations but I think it was far too enthusiastic about the
idea and some developers took it as encouragement to get rid of the file
menu entirely.  (I have bug report on the issue I should do some follow up
work on).  Even then there are some games which do have Saved games and
all the standard file operations and they really should have a File menu
too (Freeciv for example).

I'm really not at all happy about applications which have tried to kill
off the File menu, it flies in the face of what Apple Microsoft and KDE
are doing without adequate justifcation.  There was some overly-optimistic
notions of making everying worth through drag and drop or the opening
things from the file manager and the imminent death of the File Chooser
but we are not there yet.  Dropping the file It really is something only
properly task based applications should do but it seems some developers
want to be intentionally inconsistent.

> 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".

I'd love for you to file a request against Totem encouraging them to use a
File menu but in all likelyhood the request will be not be accepted but
perhaps it is worth reminding the Totem developers there are people who do
not appreciate this inconsistency.

For what it is worth I urged Rhythmbox to reorganise their menus including
using a File menu (another bug report of mine I dont have the time to
follow up on.  One could easily spend a lifetime on Gnome and never
finish.)

> * 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.

Totem has declined to follow the HIG recommendation on including a stop
and (if I recall correctly) also declined to entertain patches which might
implement such an option button the rest followed from there.

No distribution or developer has yet seen fit to fork Totem to follow this
guideline.  It seems far more likely the HIG will be changed to reflect
the imperfect reality of the situation.

> * Rhythbox uses a "Control"-menu to put all control-items together.
>
> We could propose a menu called "Control" or "Controls" with all the

(should be Control rather than Controls, same as we have File rather than
Files and you might notice most other top level menus can be either verbs
or nouns although there are exceptions)

> - 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"?

No it isn't but as you have shown it takes a fair amount of thought to
come up with a consistent and workable layout but keep working on it.
Maybe try it out for yourself (hack one of the applications you mention)
or make a comparative list of what other applications are using.

It is great of you to try and tackle this problem and I hope you will
continue to look into it and I only wish I could be more helpful.

> 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)?

Would be really great to make more of these items consistent.
(Making sure GTK has the necessary stock items is also a good way to
encourage developers to use things consistently when you have it all
worked out what it should be).



Sincerely

Alan Horkan

Inkscape http://inkscape.org
Abiword http://www.abisource.com
Dia http://gnome.org/projects/dia/
Open Clip Art http://OpenClipArt.org

Alan's Diary http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/

P.S.  Apologies if my ramblings are a little unclear, tired, hungry, etc.