[Digikam-devel] [Bug 160193] New: Thumbnail labels too long/redundant/cut off

[bcr at wt.net]

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http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=160193         
           Summary: Thumbnail labels too long/redundant/cut off
           Product: digikam
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: Ubuntu Packages
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: NOR
         Component: Thumbnails
        AssignedTo: digikam-devel kde org
        ReportedBy: bcr wt net


Version:            (using KDE 3.5.9)
Installed from:    Ubuntu Packages
OS:                Linux

The current thumbnail display uses labels that are too verbose and redundant.

If I give you a number string:  (423) 897-1234  you could probably guess that I'm referring to a North American phone number by its formatting alone. If used on a business card I really don't need to park a label in front of it, people 'get it', it would be a waste of space.  (unless I add a fax #)

By the same token there is no need to include labels on the date values below each image in the Digikam thumbnail view:

 created: 2007-08-12
 modified: 2007-08-12

Why? Most images in most people systems are not modified, making the second value redundant. Just because some upstream metadata system might have parked a value that matches the created date in the modified field doesn't mean digiKam should perpetuate the mistake... if the dates are the same the image isn't 'modified' in the expected sense.

With the addition of the label the windowing system will crop the date text on the left with an ellipsis (...) rendering it unreadable. If the 'created:' label was left off this would greatly reduce the effect.

Suggested approach:

Compare the two dates; if they are the same or the modified value == null then just print out the created date on its own. If the modified date != null && modified date != create date then print it out as:

  2007-08-12
mod: 2008-01-13

Not only does it ease the clutter but it also makes it easier for the user to spot the modified ones.