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List:       kde-bugs-dist
Subject:    [Bug 53682] usability: toolbar layout and buttons
From:       Neil Stevens <neil () qualityassistant ! com>
Date:       2003-02-01 11:14:30
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http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=53682     




------- Additional Comments From neil@qualityassistant.com  2003-02-01 12:14 -------
Subject: Re:  usability: toolbar layout and buttons

> >>>And the answer isn't to dynamically hide and remove GUI elements.
> >>>Making it so that the user doesn't know what will be in the toolbar
> >>>when just makes things harder on the user.
> >>
> >>You're right. I can agree with not removing the functionality. How
> >> about moving it to the same toolbar as "Fullscreen" instead? This
> >> would somewhat minimize accidential clickage..
> >
> > Even if I saw a connection between the two, that wouldn't be possible.
> > Erect a mental wall between Kaboodle and the Video Toolbar.  The Video
> > Toolbar is in its own world.  Kaboodle is just embedding that widget.
> > Sorry.
>
> If I understand correctly this is purely a technical limitation? We can
> expect improvement in the future?

It's a technical feature, really, so the first answer is yes..  The Video 
Widget acts independently.

So if by "improvement" you mean Kaboodle reimplementing KVideoWidget 
instead of reusing it, the answer to your second question is no.

> >>>And kaboodle is not just a movie player.
> >>
> >>"No media/file opened."? :)
> >
> > Doesn't that just state the obvious though?
>
> Ofcourse. But how are users to understand the empty space at the bottom
> of the window is a statusbar? Any application that I'm aware of has a
> default string displayed such as the above when action has yet to be
> taken. xmms, mplayer, totem, konqueror, kget, mozilla, kmail....

It's up to the widget style to make the status bar's existance clear.  
Other apps like Konqueror don't display redundant clutter in the status 
bar.  They only print a status when there is a status to print, like a 
file having been loaded.

> >>It really belongs in the status bar then, in a nice small font ;) It's
> >>bad to be large the moment it starts looks awkward where as a smaller
> >>font can do no harm and look more fitting.
> >
> > But if I use a small font, then I think the whole thing will look
> > unbalanced.  The slider will overwhelm the time display.
>
> Actually, I was thinking on bringing that up too :)
> I see the slider is also controlled by the used style. Simply size the
> slider to fit the width of the window and then it's up to the style to
> make it look right.

I'm leaving the time next to the slider, because the time label and the 
slider widget are equivalent, linked representations.  Until someone gets 
around to writing a complicated slider legend widget that will replace the 
timer label, the current layout is the best we can get.

Moving the label to the statusbar leaves the slider sitting there alone, 
with no clue as to its function or meaning.  People know what a time is, 
so people infer what the slider is sliding about.

> As it is currently unpractical to modify the video toolbar could you
> place the 'hide menubar' to the far right of the toolbar? Far from ideal
>   ofcourse, but it should be moved away from the navigational controls.

Sure.  Hey, see?  Two requests done already, and I suspect a compromise 
with the slider widget/label combo is approaching. :-)
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