[Bug 58026] Visualization plugins should be accessible directly from the application

[Beat Fasel]

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http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=58026     




------- Additional Comments From beat_fasel at yahoo.com  2003-05-02 22:21 -------
On more thought about the plugin system used by Noatun. Plugins are a very nice way from the 
programming point of few to allow at the same time for modularization and extensibility. I think it is 
a very good thing, that Noatun uses plugins extensively. However, pure users are mostly not 
interrested in how the underlying project is interconnected or implemented. They often prefer an 
integrated solution, respectively, a task and problem oriented interface. 
I think that Noatun exposes too much of the underlying implementation. This can be seen of how all 
plugins are nicely grouped in the preferences - nice from the engineering point of view. However, 
this leads to a plugin-, instead of a task-oriented interface.  
Interface plugins, playlist plugins visualization plugins and other plugins are all grouped together. 
However, all these plugins are not very much related with each other and can lead to confusion for a 
user which is not _used_ to the program. In my opinion, the chosen interface is not intuitive right 
from the start for a novice. Also, different interface plugins can be activated at the same time, which 
doesn't help to focus the user on a given interface. Why should an application have two ore more 
parallel interfaces, which both compete for the attention of the user at the same time? When I saw 
this behaviour for the first time, I thought it was a bug and not an implementation choice. 
 
I like the way of UNIX, one tool for a given job and keep it simple. However, for certain more 
complex tasks, as is the case with a mediaplayer, a minimum of integration can improve usability. 
Dont' get me wrong, I think that e.g the MS Mediaplayer is too bloated, this is the other extreme. 
But a bit more integration and task orientation wouldn't harm, would it? 
 
What do you think? Could Noatun not learn from other players (e.g. Winamp) interface-vise? I don't 
say cloning the exact look and feel, but find out what is good in other players and integrate it? 
 
Thanks for your attention! 
Beat