[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    long menus -- Re: AW: Changing of GNOME's Menu Structure
From:       Cristian Tibirna <ctibirna () total ! net>
Date:       2000-03-03 12:53:45
[Download RAW message or body]


On Fri, 3 Mar 2000, Stephan Kulow wrote:

> > I don't know if we talk about the same thing: But since Qt 2.1 (some
> > snapshot) a popup menu automatically arranges the items in multiple columns
> > if they don't fit into one column anymore.
> > 
> Yeah, and fill the complete screen in kicker's file browser... I like
> the scrolling
> of Mac and win98 way better. Even the way motif does it (or does it
> netscape?) with
> this More... -> item is easier to handle with 2000 items. I know it's
> partly kicker's 
> to not block 2000 items from beeing shown, but the several items thing
> isn't easy to
> use I must say. 

I don't like multicolumn either. It slaps into my face for a few seconds
then dissapears (after selecting the searched item) forcing a huge refresh
of all the screen. This costs my eyes a half dozen readaptation processes,
which is very bad (unhealthy). 

A normal brain can't cop up with more than 20-30 elements at once
(remember, we percive without counting only quantities smaller than 5, we
loose following at untrained counting - like when counting in a new
human language - at around 40).

I think the best solution (I really like it a lot) is XEmacs' one: when
the to-be-displayed collection of items doesn't fit into one column,
calculate how many columns would be needed and then build as many
alphabetic splits, which then use to populate a first level menu, with
appropriate alphabetically structured submenus:

Kicker > Quick Browser > Home > .Xdefault to kde/         > ... files
                                                          > ...
                                                          > ...

                              > kde2ics.tgz to thesaurus/ >
                                                          >
                                                          >

                              > win-misc/ to work/        >
                                                          >

 

? Good? Bad? Interesting but useless?

Cristian

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]