import dialog vs. application wizard

Ralf Nolden nolden at kde.org
Sun May 27 17:30:30 UTC 2001


Bernd Gehrmann wrote:
> 
> Meanwhile I think that the import dialog is very inappropriate
> for most projects. Our parts are too generic too be able to
> give the best user experience when starting in their default
> configuration. For example, the file view groups depend on
> which kind of programming language you use. The documentation
> part needs a per-project configuration which also depends
> on the project type.
> 
> I would suggest to replace the import dialog with an application
> wizard like thingie which can generate a project file that is
> fine-tuned for the specific project type. Any ideas how to
> present this to the user? Make it separate from the existing
> app wizard or integrate it with it?

I would suggest to integrate it into the application wizard. When it
comes to importing a project, I think the way it worked was ok by
selecting the project type he has. The import function is very important
(like the name says :) towards users that want to migrate to KDevelop.
Isn't there a rules setup where the IDE automatically loads the
components needed for the specific project type and the general ones
split from these ? Then customization of the project-specific plugins
shouldn't be a problem either, just these have to be per-project and
per-projecttype. So we end up giving the user the choice to load the
components like:

-general (like the tipdialog etc.), should also include
kdevelop-specific documentation
-per-projecttype (language specific docs, API docs etc, debugger, parser
and what not)

Then, per project he can enable/disable the components via a menubar
entry plugins where each component puts itself into with a checkable
entry. So the list is taken according by the projecttype and the user
can choose in this very project he's working on which component he needs
there and which he doesn't.

Does that make sense ? :)  I think it's now more important to think
about how to hide too technically detailed problems like the exact
plugin the user needs or kdevelop provides by simplifying and making
pre-decisions for the user (such as the average user needs) and giving
him a simple method to customize these settings later.

Ralf
-- 
Finally, even I have to admit that being myself was the best thing
that ever could have happened to me. - Le Grand Charmeur

**********************************
Ralf Nolden

The KDevelop Project
http://www.kdevelop.org

nolden at kde.org
rnolden at kdevelop.org
**********************************

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