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List:       kde-bugs-dist
Subject:    Bug#43832: No way to set default page to open up by default
From:       Joseph Manojlovich <josephm () mail ! sis ! pitt ! edu>
Date:       2002-06-12 16:04:13
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> If this changes, how can the user choose another template?

File->New ??

> All solutions to that little question are hacks, or limit usability
> greatly.

Oh? Seems to work for every other office suite I've ever used. Make not
showing the dialog box optional then, and have the dialog on by default.

> For example the answers given were to open it via a menu entry after we
> are allready in an empty document. This is not very nice as users will
> not be aware this exists

Watch somebody using Microsoft Office or StarOffice. They have no
trouble realizing that to get a different template, you start up the
program and then go to File->New. This behavior is set in the millions
of office suite users, and fighting it is pretty pointless and will
only frustrate users.

> or when they find out changes are they have allready (sic) modified
> the existing document creating a range of confusing situations.

You win on this one, in theory. However, users of commerical office
suites deal just fine with this issue every day. Don't fight set
behaviors. You can't win, and will only frustrate users.

> You also miss the fact that this dialog has more then just the template
> section.

Perhaps so, but I'd bet that 99.99% of the time users will simply want
to close the dialog first and then use the standard File menu items
(File->New, File->Open) instead.  

When users open a word processor, they typically want to type
something. They already have parts of their document in mind, and want
to pound out text right away. Presenting them with a dialog box to pick
a template will cause them to need to switch drives, and deal with this
new UI situation. Meanwhile, the text in their minds is quickly
receding into oblivion, as they shift concentration, just to pick the
default template anyway.

When most people want to open an existing document, they double click
on the file icon. I rarely see people starting Microsoft Word only to
click File->Open.

Seriously, do you think users want to pick a different template every
time they launch these apps? This is a waste of their time.

And if this dialog box is so great, why don't all applications have it
then? Kate, for example?

> The 'most of the time' parts of your question can be answered with;
> then you can simply press enter most of the time.

And frustrate users? People don't like pushy modal dialog boxes in
apps. They just want to work.

> I don't think the current behavior should change.

****
What is so hard about adding a option box to the dialog "make my
selection default"? Or "don't show this dialog box again"? Ignoring
everything else, this would be a solution that should be amicable to
both sides of this debate, at the cost of one checkbox and a few lines
of code.  
****

I say to put up a voting poll about this and other UI issues. Let the
real users come forth and say how the use the apps. Us sitting around
and armchair pontificating will only go so far. Koffice is a great
light-weight office suite. Please don't bog down users with unnecessary
UI fluff.


(Complete bug history is available at http://bugs.kde.org/db/43/43832.html)
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