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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: QWhatsThis in KCModules and more
From:       Richard Moore <rich () ipso-facto ! freeserve ! co ! uk>
Date:       2000-04-26 22:51:00
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Jost Schenck wrote:
> 
> > I just wondered why it didn't popup automatically when the cursor hovered
> > over it for, say, 2 seconds..  (checked it out last weekend)
> 
> Well, that would be a matter of the implementation in Qt. Right now, I'm just

Not really, we could implement this if we really wanted too. I think you
would need to give a good argument as to why it should work this way 
however. For example, many people find tooltips too intrusive and this
would be much worse in that respect.

> thinking about what to put into the help-texts and what not. Especially I'd
> like to know if it's okay with people if we rely that much on the WhatsThis
> help instead of writing manuals.

Both have their place, but I don't think WhatsThis help can be considered
a replacement for a manual. A manual has the advanage of linear ordering,
so that if you have a decent manual you should be able to start at page
one, and by the end have a reasonable understanding of the whole piece
of software. You cannot provide this through what's this help.

What's this help is a GOOD THING, but you have to appreciate it's
limitations too.

Cheers

Rich.

> 
> > Otherwise I like it!
> >
> > Haven't really looked at it with a critical eye tho.
> >
> > I do think the text I did see ware good; it is the kind of info I would take a look
> > at the manual for..
> 
> Good :)
> -Jost.
> 
> >
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > > I recently added help texts to some control modules (IIRC this was email, file
> > > associations, konq file manager, konq browser, passwords). I talked to Michael
> > > McBride, and we agreed that the use of QWhatsThis-Help (context help, popping
> > > up a yellow box) should be discussed on this list. It would be nice, if you
> > > could have a look at e.g. the email module so you get a picture of what I'm up
> > > to :)
> > >
> > > The control center has a help tab on the left, which displays simple HTML.
> > > Up to now I used it to display only very general information, while giving
> > > rather detailed info in WhatsThis. I did not write docbook manuals.
> > > Someone said the information in the WhatsThis is too much / too detailed.
> > > I'd like to know your opinion on this.
> > >
> > > Mike likes it the current way, because like this information is "nearer" to the
> > > user. I especially like it because it makes syncing between programs and
> > > documentation easier.
> > >
> 
> --
> Jost Schenck
> jost@schenck.de

-- 
     Richard Moore		rich@ipso-facto.freeserve.co.uk
http://www.robocast.com/	richard@robocast.com
http://developer.kde.org/	rich@kde.org

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