[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       koffice-devel
Subject:    Re: koffice/plugins/pathshapes/enhancedpath
From:       Thomas Zander <zander () kde ! org>
Date:       2009-12-22 21:57:38
Message-ID: 200912222257.38713.zander () kde ! org
[Download RAW message or body]

On Tuesday 22. December 2009 22.22.56 Thorsten Zachmann wrote:
> On Tuesday 22 December 2009 11:15:18 Thomas Zander wrote:
> > On Tuesday 22. December 2009 07.30.20 Thorsten Zachmann wrote:
> > > SVN commit 1064892 by zachmann:
> > >
> > > o add arrows also for left, up and down
> >
> > What is the background/rationale for this? In flake people can rotate an
> >  arrow trivially to point it anywhere they want.
> >
> > I'm thinking this just confuses people that will search for the
> > difference between the arrows in the shapeSelector.

> Actually it fills the group arrows with live. Having only two in there is a
> little bit empty.

First this bit; the change only affects the shape-selector. Not our released 
docker 'Add Shape'. That one doesn't even show the new ones.
The shape selector shows the templates and now shows 4 arrows. But only one 
star or one circle.

> I think the difference is quite obvious: the arrow points in a different
> direction. Sure we should have better icons matching the other ones we have
> for shapes. How will this confuse users?
> I think it better to support direct access to the shapes a user can create
> without first needing to mirror or rotate a array.

The difference is obvious only to people that know the code.  Look at this from 
the other direction.
We could put in another 20 different templates easy.  One with a circle thats 
closed, one with a circle that is a half moon, another arrow that has his 
control point moved to the tail end, etc etc.
Its easy to continue and have more 'templates'.
But with more templates we get too many choices and you make it more 
complicated for new people.

In essence, adding 3 arrows that are trivially easy to create by the user 
using the basic arrow you just hurt all the other shapes by making them harder 
to find.
So this leads back to my initial point; having different items in there should 
be a real difference. Look at the flower and the star. Same shape, very different 
look.  So if the user finds that, this trivial difference is out of place. And 
if (s)he expects consistency (which is our goal) the different arrows are going 
to lead to confusion. The user will ask why there are multiple ones and thus 
be confused when the only difference is orientation.

You added this after I deleted the arrow-shape. We have been without the 
shapes that have direction since the 1.6 release, your answer above tells me 
you added it just because it made sense to you.

I disagree, as argued above, and it doesn't seem to be requested by anyone, 
and I am pretty sure this hurts the overall usability of inserting shapes. So, 
I think we shouldn't have 4 the arrows, but just one.

-- 
Thomas Zander
_______________________________________________
koffice-devel mailing list
koffice-devel@kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/koffice-devel
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]