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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Menu entry: how to tell that not the whole selection is affected?
From:       "Friedrich W. H. Kossebau" <friedrich.w.h () kossebau ! de>
Date:       2006-12-29 21:48:03
Message-ID: 200612292248.03595.friedrich.w.h () kossebau ! de
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Hi,

I have two questions which I hope some of you here can give smart answers to:

1. What is the best way to tell in a menu entry that the action is not going 
to operate on the total selection?

a) "Do things for some"
b) "Do things (all except 2)"
c) "Do things for 15 in 24"
d) ?

And different menu entries may have different numbers of matching items.

2. What to write in the case the action can affect all?

a) "Do things"
b) "Do things with all"

Background:
I am currently working to improve the Contacts framework* to support things 
with not only one, but a multitude of contacts.

So there are different actions to a list of contacts, like sending an email, 
copying the homepage urls, starting a videoconference, etc. As each contact 
may not have one of the needed addresses an action will not be able to always 
include all contacts in the list given.
Still I think it to be useful to have the action available for the rest of 
them. So the action menu for the list of contacts with the category "Family" 
may offer
	"Send email"
	"Start video conference"
	"Send fax"
	"Write end of year letter"
	...
even if aunt Lily does not have an email address, and my sister no fax gadget.
But I think you agree that the fact that some are missed should be 
communicated in a menu entry. But how?

* See 
http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=42120
http://frinring.wordpress.com/2006/12/23/looking-for-troubles-from-one-to-many/

Thanks for any help
Friedrich
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