FontInstaller (Was: Gnome Article on UI Design on /.)

[Thomas Diehl]

Am Mittwoch, 24. April 2002 00:03 schrieb Thomas Zander:

> > Why do you prefer to have the "install from" section in the dialog
> > itself? We have a very sophisticated file-selection dialog which seems
> > to me to be much easier to use to select files with than a home-grown
> > method. What is the compelling reason for not using a standard
> > file-selection dialog in this case?
>
> The font preview?

Yes. And every other piece of information the font files provide. (See reply 
to Waldo.)

> I suggest some way of splitting the installation of fonts and the
> removing/ enable/disabling of fonts.

I would certainly expect that I can do all this at least in the same control 
module, preferrably even on the same tab (like I can now in Advanced Mode). 
But for more elaborate tasks like grouping font packages, printing of font 
samples, finding duplicate fonts and deleting them etc. it may be nice to 
have a stand-alone version one day, ie a "real font manager" (like 
Bitstream Font Navigator and others).

On a separate note: Many newbie users will hardly understand the distinction 
between the 2 font modules we already have (Appearance -> Fonts and 
System -> Font Installer). I'd rather think of a way how we could get rid of 
one of them (preferably the first one).

> My first thought would go to a preview mode for our beloved file-dialog
> which is capable of showing a preview of the font, so an add-font button
> is enough. 

It would not be enough for the "Advanced Mode". Why should I make an extra 
click to open an "add file dialog" after starting a font installer and 
rearrange the new window to get a nice side-by-side view to the "install 
to" part? By the very act of starting such a program I make it clear enough 
that I either want to install fonts or that I may want to enable/disable 
fonts. For both operations I will almost always need a file dialog. So why 
bother me with extra clicks and rearranging dialog windows?

Maybe we should make the Base Mode as free as possible from directory 
listings. But please keep them for the Advanced Mode. If anybody wouldn't 
want to see them there (s)he can always switch to Base Mode.

Regards,

Thomas


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