[kde-guidelines] Styleguide: Tool-tips

[Aurélien Gâteau]

On Monday 08 July 2013 11:55:27 Heiko Tietze wrote:
> Am Donnerstag, 4. Juli 2013, 15:10:57 schrieb Aurélien Gâteau:
> > > * Use user defined default timeouts for initialization, reshow, and
> > > removal. Don't disable auto hide feature.
> >
> >Developers cannot alter any of those so it may not be worth keeping it.
> 
> Removed.
> 
> >QWhatsThis is not really info-tip though, because its primary use case is
> >to support the "what's this?" mode. The ability to show a QWhatsThis
> >window independently from this mode is a by-product. I think we should not
> >promote info-tips and we should not mention QWhatsThis as implementing
> >them info-tip for now, instead we should get a proper widget to show them,
> >this widget would look either like a '?' button or a link-like label and
> >would show the tip when triggered.
> 
> The question mark button is mentioned with "* Consider to add small info
> buttons for use tips with a touch screen."

Yes, I understood this. I was saying kdelibs could provide a standard API for 
this button, so that not every developer reimplements it... slightly 
differently.

> But it is another level of
> information because the normal tooltip pops up without user action and the
> QWhatsThis needs a little bit more action. Remember the first rule for
> computer novices: Don't click this!

Not sure I understand what you mean with "don't click this".

> Info-tips are those tips that are more descriptive with icons and
> formatting. I believe we need a rule when devs should use an info-tip and
> when tool-tips. My suggestion:
> 
> * Do not use icons and formattings for tips of unlabeled controls.
> * Use info-tips with icons and formattings
> ** if tips describe comprehensive functions,
> ** when content is lengthy and formatting improves readability
> ** for tips that are implemented primarily for joy of use.

I am not sure it is worth introducing the concept of "info-tips vs tool-tips" 
because there is no such distinction from an implementation point of view, one 
always uses a QToolTip. But guidelines on when to use formatting and when not 
to still makes a lot of sense, even without mentionning the term "info-tip".

Aurélien