Re: [Usability] Media Controls

[Bastien Nocera <hadess hadess net>]

On Sat, 2005-10-29 at 20:43 +0100, Alan Horkan wrote:
> On Sat, 29 Oct 2005, Tim Steenvoorden wrote:
<snip>
> > 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

Why is it bad exactly? Totem is a movie player, and can also play audio
files. But it's mainly a movie player.

> 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

You've already filed this bug nearly a year ago:
http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=160274

<snip>
> > 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.

What consistency problem? The Movie menu relates to operations on the
movie, the go menu on navigation inside the movie.

<snip>
> > * 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.

What's that got to do with what Tim was talking about? And, as it's been
discussed many times, the Stop button is unneeded, that's why we don't
have one.

There's already a bug opened about making Totem's play/pause button a
toggle button. I would like to see this implemented and have the chance
to test it before making a decision on whether to use it.
http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=162949

<snip>
> > 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).

Muine's and RB/Totem's shuffle functionality work differently.
Muine will shuffle the items in the current playlist, Totem and RB will
not reorganise the playlist items when shuffle is enabled.

---
Bastien Nocera <hadess hadess net>