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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: proposal for the konqueror sidebar
From:       Peter Postmus <p.postmus () st ! hanze ! nl>
Date:       2004-05-07 14:17:00
Message-ID: 200405071617.00431.p.postmus () st ! hanze ! nl
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On Friday 07 May 2004 15:54, Stian Søiland wrote:
> On 2004-05-07 07:31:12, Jamethiel Knorth wrote:
> > Open          | >
> > Preview       | >
> > Actions         >
> > -----------------
> > Cut
> > Copy
> > Rename
> > Move to Trash
> > Delete
> > -----------------
> > Properties
>
> I like this one.
>
> Hm.
>
> I just discovered a feature in Windows that's almost like this.
>
>
>     Click on [Start] -> Programs.
>     Double click on one of the program folders.
>     The folder opens. Magic.
>
>
> However - that way is too secret, nobody would think of double clicking
> in a menu.
>
> However - this way could work so that the menu expands anyway - as
> expected - but if the user clicks on the parent item AGAIN - the parent
> item will open.
>
> To indicate this - the cursor should change to a Hand icon (to indicate
> a link).
>
> Problems: What if the user hovers over the item - the right menu opens -
> and the user clicks in the very same moment - he wanted to open the
> right menu.
>
> I don't think it's a good idea to just have a small  [->] button on the
> right hand side, it would be too hard to hit. However, by opening both
> on hovering AND on "right slide" - the same effect could be achieved.
>
> Ie:
>
>     Open     | ->          mouse over Open (no click - no hovering)
>        ^
>         \
>
>     Open     | ->          mouse sliding to the right against ->
>            ^
>             \
>
>
>     Open     | ->  Bla     right menu appears - even before mouse
>              ^     Bluh..        has reached ->
>               \    Fiskk
>
>
>
> This would have been very sexy - and should work for ALL menus having
> sub menus.

It's a nice idea, but the user would not know exactly what is about to happen 
if he or she clicks "Open". I think some feedback is required. A tooltip 
wouldn't be very useful here, because it would appear only after the mouse 
has hovered on "Open" for awhile (around the same time that the submenu 
unfolds).

A solution could be to make the default Open and Preview actions appear bold 
and at the top of their submenus. But, then again, the user wouldn't exactly 
know what happens when he or she clicks "Open" or "Preview" without waiting 
for the submenu to unfold.

That's why I suggested listing the default action at the top of the list (i.e. 
"Open with KGhostview"). I think the average user tends to perform this 
default action (whatever that is - could also be a preview) a lot more than 
choosing an alternative application or preview KPart.

I realize that the user won't be able to perform the alternative function - be 
it open or preview - without going to the respective submenu, but like I 
said, I think users want to perform their default action most of the time.

-- 
Met vriendelijke groeten,
With kind regards,

Peter Postmus

WWW: http://starbase218.ath.cx
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