Proposal: generalize playlist concept

[Pavel Shved]

Seb Ruiz wrote:
> Pavel, it seems like you are trying to apply theoretical computer
> science to computing in general. Let me tell you, this rarely works 
> for UI design. You cannot expect a user to understand the
> mathematical or functional nature of an Array vs Set vs Deque vs
> Fibonacci Heap.

Please, check out again the other thread, with ascii pictures for what
user will see.  The rectangles there represent items in queue window
(the widget is like playlist one in default view), and comments at the
tails of arrows are only to explain the concepts behind.

Within these queue items there are no such words as `Array', `Set',
`factory', `iteration', `mathematics'.  Inside the items user sees
nearly plain-text explanation of what's going to be played.  Let me cite
it again:

Queue:
+-----------------------------+
| >>> Track 1                 |
+-----------------------------+
|     Track 30                |
+-----------------------------+
| +++ Pick random tracks from |
| +++ playlist (98 left)      |
+-----------------------------+
| +++ Pick random tracks from |
| +++ collection (infinitely) |
+-----------------------------+

I think CS education is not required to understand it.  Experiment
confirms the hyphotesis:  my girlfriend is a lawyer and she did
understand it.


> It's not a problem - it's a conscious design decision. The playlist 
> needs to be simple to maximise efficiency and usability for the user.
> 
I'd read this `efficiency and usability to perform simple tasks'.  My
proposal doesn't contradict with it.  I'd like to remind again that i
don't want to _force_ user to interact with the queue in the complex
way.  User can hide it at all or use in a limited way without need to
touch complex stuff.

Pavel.