Re: [Usability] HIG: File New/Open/Quit, etc.

[anthony <dreadyman16 gmail com>]

I sent it to Murray but it have to be sent to the mailing-list... (a 
mistake)

HI,

Yes, i think it could be good to do a list of thing that document-based 
applications have to provide. You will be able to see what apps provide 
it or not.

I think you could start some "ui-guide" that give the features an 
application have to provide.
I have some ideas too, but i think the reflection have to be fixed onto 
a page visible by who want to make a ui. So i you find the right place, 
i think some people will complete it with you (at least me :)).

With a such guide, it would be easier to make ui and it would be a 
benefit for the developpers, they could win some time in the development 
if the great lines of the ui are already made.

Bye.


Anthony

Murray Cumming a écrit :
> I am surprised that nobody has an opinion about this. I was worried
> about bike-shedding.
>
> On Tue, 2009-03-24 at 09:23 +0100, Murray Cumming wrote:
>   
> > I'd like the HIG to contain some simple suggestions for document-based
> > applications that are not tabbed. I'd like to avoid general conceptual
> > stuff about document-centric UI models, however. I'd also like to stick
> > to UI rather than implementation for now.
> >
> > This could deal with some inconsistencies and deal with the problem that
> > most of these document windows currently behave differently if opened
> > from the Applications menu or from the application's File menu.
> >
> >
> > Are there objections to the HIG saying this, in the appropriate
> > sections?:
> >
> > 0. An application is "document-based" if it loads and saves documents.
> >
> > 1. Document-based applications should have File/New, File/Open,
> > File/Save, and File/Save As menu items.
> > 1.1 File/New and File/Open should open new application windows (if not
> > using tabs), if the current document is empty and unmodified.
> > 1.2 File/Open should check if the chosen document is already open in the
> > application. If so, it should bring the window to the front. The
> > application may ask the user if he wishes to open a second window for
> > the document. Show suggested UI for that.
> > 1.3 The same check and UI should happen when opening a file in any other
> > way, such as from the file manager.
> >
> > 2. Document-based applications should have a File/Quit menu item. This
> > should close only the current document window. It should not close all
> > document windows open by the application.
> > 2.1 Should it be called File/Close instead? Do we want both the Close
> > and Quit keyboard shortcuts to activate this menu item, to avoid
> > annoying people with the change.
> > 2.2. If there are unsaved changes in the document, the application
> > should ask the user if they wish to save the changes. Show a suggested
> > UI for that, because these are currently very inconsistent.
> >
> > 3. The application should _not_ list its open document windows in a
> > Documents or Windows menu.
> >
> >
> >