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List:       kde-pim
Subject:    Re: [Kde-pim] Distibution List Editor
From:       Mike Pilone <mpilone () slac ! com>
Date:       2002-05-16 15:13:00
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On Thursday 16 May 2002 10:27 am, Cornelius Schumacher wrote:
> I sent a reply on Tuesday. I would be interested in what you didn't like
> about the old widget. It is missing the dialog part, but what's wrong
> with the actual widget?

When I started I didn't like the vertical layout, since it didn't match any 
other widget in KDE. This was fixed while I was making my patch into a 
horizontal layout, which is definately an improvement.

However, I feel like problems still exist with the new layout:
- The  two lists have no indication of what they are. A user must make the 
assumption that one list is available and one is selected.
- The 'Add Entry' button is under the available list. This implies that 
adding effects that list, but infact pressing that button removes the entry 
from the available list and adds it to the other list (which again isn't 
labeled). The same can be said for remove entry, accept it actually removes 
the entry from the list (adding a new one to the other list).
- I don't understand the 'Preferred Email' column. I presume that is to show 
the user if he/she is using the receiver's preferred email. A bug also 
exists that the preferred email label is not updated if I change the email 
address, then change it back to the preferred email address.
- There is a bug that a email address is not selected when the user clicks 
the 'Change Email' button.
- I do not like the fact that there is no full list of which dist lists I 
have already defined. I need to keep opening the combo box to remember 
which list I already assembled.
- There is a bug on bugs.kde.org saying that dist lists cannot be renamed. 
This is because the dialog doesn't provide it.
- There is no Ok, Cancel or Apply button (standard KDE dialog buttons).
- I do not like large amounts of text on a button that could be represented 
with a standard icon and a tool tip.
- Removing a list causes the dialog to crash (testdistlist). I think this is 
something new, however.

Of course a lot of these are getting overly picky, but I just feel like the 
dialog doesn't look or behave like any other dialog in KDE. The task isn't 
much different than any other in KDE (selecting items from a list) so I 
don't know why the dialog has a different look & feel. Some of the items 
are just bugs, which can definately be fixed (most pretty easily).

Overall I think it is usable (especially with the new horizontal layout), 
but not optimal. From the problems you pointed out, I don't know if my 
dialog was actually any better. This might be something to throw towards 
the kde usability team and see if they can suggest something.

-mike

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Mike Pilone <mpilone@slac.com>        http://www.slac.com/mpilone/personal/
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