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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Broken "Line Up Icons" in recent CVS HEAD
From:       "Aaron J. Seigo" <aseigo () olympusproject ! org>
Date:       2002-07-28 10:28:45
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On Sunday 28 July 2002 05:10, Matt Bonyak wrote:
> I agree, this would be an improvement.  When I read "Line Up Icons," I
> merely read "Straighten Things Out."  I don't want a submenu for that,
> either, it's a really simple operation.  But when I read "Arrange Icons," I
> read "Straighten Things Out In This Specific Manner."  You would not need
> to "Arrange Icons" -> "Vertically" and then click "Line Up Icons," but
> rather just "Arrange Icons" -> "Vertically" and they would be arranged and
> lined up themselves, with "Line Up Icons" simply realigning the icons
> according to the "Arrange Icons" settings.  Is this not the expected

so you want two places in the menu that do the same thing, but one that 
controls the behaviour of the other and which works only the first time you 
select it.

 o select vertical arrangement (icons are arranged vertically)
 o select vertical arrangement again (nothing happens)

not good. explain to the user why they now have to pick a different method of 
accomplishing the task they just did.

 o select line up icons (icons are arranged vertically)
 o not what you wanted. you wanted them horizontally
 o select arrange horizontally (icons are arranged horizontally)

the user just wasted a step, and who knows why (well, we do. but do they?)

there is no reason to have the settings seperate from the action. the user 
wants things lined up one way or the other. seperating them only creates 
additional actions, additional menu items, duplicated functionality and an 
inconsistent interface. i mean, you don't see a "arrange by name" and then a 
"rearrange icons" item, do you? no, there is a single option to both set the 
mode and perform the arrangement.

> behaviour?  And, in this case, does it not make the most sense to put
> Horiz/Vert under the arrangement menu, leaving a nice, central place to do
> all things involving icon sorting and alignment?  Further, I don't think it

well, that's just it... one is sorting and one is alignment. they aren't the 
same parameter.

> is wise to put two common operations, and only those operations, under one
> submeu (Icon Operations). They are both important, well-used functions,
> that, in my opinion, belong in the main level of the menu.

i'm experimenting right now with some improvements (e.g. fewer submenus, 
s/Arrange/Sort/g) .. so we'll see..

- -- 
Aaron J. Seigo
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler"
    - Albert Einstein
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