Re: [Usability] Dialogs and Maximize button

[Rodney Dawes <dobey novell com>]

On Sat, 2006-09-09 at 11:49 -0600, Elijah Newren wrote:
> On 9/8/06, Olaf van der Spek <OvdSpek liacs nl> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > The HIG says (implicitly) dialogs shouldn't have a maximize button.
> >
> > http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/windows-dialog.html
> >
> >  > Window Commands: Minimize, Roll-up/Unroll
> 
> Also worth noting is http://live.gnome.org/Metacity/WindowTypes, which
> is mpt's work to try to extend the list of window types and provide
> better visual clues about each window.
> 
> > Can this be fixed such that dialogs can have a maximize button?
> > Even better, can maximize buttons be automatically added to every window
> > that is resizable?
> 
> Given that both the HIG and mpt's extensions/modifications suggest no
> maximize button for such windows, it is possible that we should turn
> this question around: should we disable resizing for window types that
> shouldn't have a maximize button?  Neither the HIG nor mpt's write-up
> addresses that question, and it seems some users are confused by the
> ability to resize if the window can't be maximized.

If one automatically disables resizing of windows, may hellfire fall
upon his skull. There are many MANY dialogs that have scrollable content
inside them. Some of the content useful for more advanced users it
outside the default visible area, and can be scrolled to. Resizing the
window to make this content viewable makes the dialog much more useful
for those users. In reality, there should be absolutely NO windows on
the desktop, which cannot be resized. I guess it's a problem that
dialogs currently aren't iconifiable either. Is this a metacity or GTK+
bug though?

-- dobey