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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Kicker - removal of miniprogramms
From:       Eric E <whalesuit () yahoo ! com>
Date:       2002-02-28 23:49:27
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This is handled nicely in WindowsXP by the "Lock Toolbar" options.  The 
taskbar is locked by default - which is very useful in that it lets the 
sysadmin ensure a user doesn't tear off a menu and lose it, or in this case, 
the taskbar for Kicker and not know how to get it back.

Here's two potential solutions"
	In the little up arrow, add a menu item "Lock" - the arrow disappears, as 
does the drag-handle.  If we can find to implement this independent of the 
style being used, then have the arrow reappear after a long enough hover.  
Now the menu entry is toggled to "Unlock".
	Make the presence or absence of arrows dependent on the style - some styles 
have em, some don't.  If you don't like the arrows, change the style.  The 
potential support problems associated with this could be solved if a tech 
could invoke DCOP to change the style back to the "default" style.

Cheers,

Eric

On Wednesday 27 February 2002 11:50 pm, Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> hi..
>
> > 1. Little black arrows everywhere look ugly, especially when they are
> > next to a menu's big black arrow.
>
> it's a style issue... the style that is being used draws those little
> indicators, so they could be drawn any number of ways, including showing
> mouse overs.
>
> > 2. You have to be very accurate when clicking the drag handle.
> >
> > 3. You have to be _very_ accurate when left-clicking the tiny black arrow
> >
> > 4. Inexperienced users may not understand the distinction between
> > clicking the main applet and clicking the handle. (After all handles are
> > normally for dragging, not clicking... )
>
> this are some of the reasons the new "Remove" menu in the main kicker menu
> was added ... it has proven very difficult to find a comprehensive set of
> ways that people find natural to remove an applet.
>
> > * The drag-handle for applets remains, and is draggable with the LMB. The
> > little black arrow goes.
>
> there is no need to remove the arrows IMO ...
>
> > * Applets' right-click menus automatically include the same items as a
> > normal Kicker rightclick menu: "move", "remove" and "panel ->". These
> > items are separated from the applet's own stuff by a menu separator.
>
> each applet would need to implement this. a mechanism in AppletContainer
> could be provided to merge a standard kicker-wide menu that each applet
> could call before showing its RMB menu.
>
> but not all applets have a RMB menu, and for some it would probably be a
> very poor idea to add such items to their existing RMB menu. think of
> RMB'ing on a task button in the taskbar and finding a "Remove Task Bar..."
> item in it next to all the other _window specfic_ options; what does
> removing the task bar have to do with window function? i think this would
> be quite confusing and too easy to accidently hit ...
>
> i'm not sure if it would be more or less confusing for a user to sometimes
> be able to remove an applet via a RMB internal to it and sometimes not
> (because there is no RMB menu, the author didn't merge the menu, etc..) as
> opposed to always being able to remove them via their handle or the Remove
> panel menu.
>
> and of course, applets would need to have some mechanism to remove
> themselves, but that should be doable without too much pain...


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