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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Thoughts on applications and windows
From:       Lubos Lunak <l.lunak () suse ! cz>
Date:       2004-08-31 12:50:45
Message-ID: 200408311450.46388.l.lunak () suse ! cz
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Dne po 30. srpna 2004 18:52 Maurizio Colucci napsal(a):
> There are some issues we take for granted, but when you think of it you
> don't remember why they are the way they are.
>
> 1.
>
> We all know the K-menu is a list of "applications" (actually two lists:
> "recently used applications" and "all applications").
> If the application you need to use is closed, the K-menu is the place to
> look for it.
>
> On the other hand, if the application is open, the _taskbar_ is the place
> to look for it. But the taskbar is not a list of applications: it is a list
> of _windows_. Is this not a logical error?
>

 I think Aaron already explained this one well.

> Why must the user scan a list of _applications_ when the app is closed, but
> a list of _windows_ when it's open? Wouldn't it be better to have a list of
> open _applications_ instead of the taskbar?
>
> The problem is apparent with applications that span more than one window
> (e.g. gimp).

 The taskbar actually currently doesn't show all windows, there's some twisted 
logic that tries to make it a bit closer to the taskbar item==application 
idea (e.g. some dialogs don't get separate taskbar entries). This should 
probably get cleaned up.

 But I don't think having one entry per application is that good idea. If you 
have e.g. a media player with a separate playlist window, do you really want 
to always switch first to the application and then have to click on the 
playlist window to work with it?

>
> 2.
>
> Suppose we do the change, i.e. implement a "list of open apps".
> So, the user has a list of closed apps (the k-menu) and a list of open
> apps.
>
> This paradigm forces the user to be aware of which apps are open and which
> ones are closed. Could the user be spared this? Why can't we give a single
> list of apps (i.e. only the k-menu)?

 Because you usually have only one Kolourpaint installed, but you may have 
several instances of it running.

-- 
 Lubos Lunak
 KDE Developer

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