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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Single vs Multi Window KControl
From:       Aaron Seigo <aseigo () kde ! org>
Date:       2004-08-22 19:51:34
Message-ID: 200408222151.34926.aseigo () kde ! org
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On Sunday 22 August 2004 20:45, Peter Postmus wrote:
> 1. A user wants to explore KDE, look for its possibilities, etcetera.
> 2. A user wants to change one or more specific setting.
>
> When creating a search-centric KControl, I think #1 is going to be very
> difficult for the user. He wants to explore KDE, see what it has to offer.
> Instead, he has to search for specific terms. That is good for #2, but not
> for #1.

a search centric approach does not need to imply that there is no graphical 
exploration mode. there are several ways to navigate a search space, the most 
common being to type in a search phrase and have results returned. but there 
are other ways to navigate a search space, including implied searches 
("Related Panels") and graphical representations of the search space. once 
can even create a hierarchical representation if desired. 

the key is to get a search space that can be used flexibly as a definitive 
resource. we can then invent all sorts of GUIs to interface with it.

> Also, does the user have to search everytime he wants to change something?

most users have to search for most things in KControl right now ;-)

but seriously, we will need to provide a point-and-click navigation to the 
search space.

> We could, for example, list 10 items that turned up as search results most
> frequently (of course, if there is no such "search history", some good
> defaults would need to be listed there instead).

this is indeed one option.

> Off-topic: After watching the freedesktop.org talk and Scott Wheeler's
> talk, I wondered if this search system would be a good thing to have as a
> freedesktop.org standard. It could solve the problem of the user not being
> able to find a document which was created by a KDE app, using a GNOME app.

i think we're a long ways from being able to think about taking this to FD.o. 
eventually, though, perhaps it will be applicable.

-- 
Aaron Seigo, currently in Ludwigsburg
KDE World Conference 2004: aKademy
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