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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: konqueror's location menu
From:       Stefan Taferner <taferner () kde ! org>
Date:       2000-05-30 8:51:59
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On Tue, 30 May 2000, David Faure wrote:
> On Mon, May 29, 2000 at 09:25:30AM +0200, Stefan Taferner wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > Is it only me, or is there an obvious break in standards if the file
> > menu is named "Location" ?
> >
> > Having the "Open new window" in the file menu too would
> > be very practical too, as it is there in all other apps.
>
> Ah ah... This is going to be fun ;-)

Yep, as we start to discuss standards that seemed to be settled
and clear up to now.

> I organised the menus so that the first one could be File,
> but then it was almost empty (only new, edit mimetypes and properties).
> But that was very much file manager specific.
> In fact, as Waldo pointed out and implemented, in konqueror as a generic
> browser, the main object is not a file but a location.
>
> So yes, konqueror doesn't have File as the first menu. Think about
> it : it is a standard to have File, yes, but does that always make sense ?
> In a game, the first item should be game (per the style guide) for
> that same reason: it's the primary object of the application.
>
> In konqueror, the primary object is: Location.
>
> IMHO application designers should start to think about making
> sensible decisions instead of blindly following a standard which
> doesn't always apply.

From a user interface point of view there are (at least) two approaches
possible:

* Either name all menus according to what they are for. This would
  be Folder, Message, .... in kmail for example

* Or use standard menu names: File, Edit, ...

We all deceided long ago to go the second way, so  please do it.

Waldo was very active in designing the GUI standard. What now?
Kick it out of the window now that it does not exactly fit?

A standard is to make things look and feel the same. Even if it does
not always fit.

--Stefan

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