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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: RFC: new KPanel application menu
From:       iglio () fub ! it (Pietro Iglio)
Date:       1999-07-25 12:41:06
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At 09.39 23/07/99 -0400, pbrown@redhat.com wrote:
>On Fri, 23 Jul 1999, Pietro Iglio wrote:
>
>> >Have you thought about how apps should add themselves to the menu during 
>> >installation? Up till now it was enough to put the .desktop file in the
>> >right directory.
>> 
>> Using batch features of the menu editor (that I'll add).
>> For example, assuming that the .desktop files have been copied in the right
>> dir:
>> 
>> kmenueditor --add Konsole.desktop MyUtils/Shell/
>> kmenueditor --remove Konsole.desktop MyUtils/Shell/
>> kmenueditor --move Konsole.desktop MyUtils/Shell/  MyUtils/
>
>I think this is a very bad idea again.  Am I alone?
>
>This is getting rather needlessly complex and messy.
>
>> A menurc file looks like:
>> 
>> MenuItems=Konsole,Kvt
>> HiddenItems=Trashcan
>> AddedItems=Kvt
>
> Forgive me for butting in on this, I have been following though.
>
> All of these different merging schemes that have been discussed seem like
> horrible, messy hacks to me.  Am I the only one who thinks this way?
> We are really bastardizing things.

About the feature:

It seems that the "unified menu" is something users were waiting for,
according to the feedback on this list. I don't like the current 
"global/personal" menu, and to my experience I have seen unexpert users
having difficulties even with the WinNT menu system.
The ability to organize a menu as you can organize your documents is a
very nice feature. If you use KDE on a stand-alone machine, for example,
you fell very comfortable.

About the implementation:

The idea of separating the menu structure from the a desktop file position
is a very good one, because allows different users have the same
applications in different positions without adding new keys to the
desktop files.
If you can suggest a better one, you are welcome. I don't think that it
is possible to satisfy the same requirements in a simpler manner, however.
In the GUI world, "simpler for the users" means "harder for developers" :)


- Pietro

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