UI polishing: config dialogs

[Andreas Pakulat]

On 29.12.09 23:05:08, Sam S. wrote:
> Hi developers!
> 
> Am I correct in assuming that with the recent KDevelop application menu
> restructuring, the "polishing-the-UI-for-final-4.0-release" phase has
> officially begun?
> Since you already seem to be tackling the last outstanding major usability
> issues such as session managment (the latest kdevelop from SVN is the first
> time that working with sessions in a computer program has ever felt
> "natural" and just made sense to me - congratulations!), I thought I'd
> instead give some input about some of the smaller
> quirks/edges/inconsistencies I encounter when working with KDevelop as a
> "normal" user.
> The bug tracker didn't really seem appropriate for this kind of list of
> small suggestions, so I hope it's ok that I post them here on the mailing
> list... (please tell me if this is not the case.)
> 
> So here is a list of suggestions for KDevelop's configuration dialogs... (I
> know that's only a small part of KDevelop, but you have to start somewhere,
> right?):
> 
>    - "*Settings >> Configure KDevelop...*" dialog:
> 
> 
>    - Window title should probably read "Configure KDevelop" rather than
>       "Configure - KDevelop"

This is done in kdelibs and is the same for all KDE apps. So
its a wont-change.

>       - Page titles (bold-lettered text at top of each configuration page)
>       should be more consistent. Right now, 4 pages use "Configure X
> settings", 2
>       use "Configure X", and 1 uses "X Settings". Probably, "Configure
> X" would be
>       best for all pages (in the case of the "Projects" page, it could be
>       "Configure Projects behaviour" to not confuse with configuring specific
>       projects).

They're all Configure X now.

>          "Project" inside that configuration page)
>          - "*Schedule all project files for parsing*" checkbox
>             - should be moved to "Background Parser" page

Why?

>             - should be given a more descriptive caption, e.g.
>             "Automatically start parsing all files belonging to open projects"

Thats too long. The text needs to be relatively short (its already 2
lines) so the layout doesn't make the lineedit too small.

>          - *add an informational QLabel* telling the user that this is not
>          where Project-specific settings are configured, and point to
> where you can
>          do that.

Where do you think that should be (I'm undecided wether to put that
above or below the existing stuff)?

>    - "*Language Support*" page:
>          - "*Additional Information For Current Item*" could use explanatory
>          tooltip

David any suggestions for the content? (I have no idea what this does)
 
>    - "*Background Parser*" page:
>          - *add an informational QLabel* briefly explaining to the user what
>          the background parser is and what it is needed for

Suggestions for the text?

>    - "*Source Formatter Settings*" page:
>          - *page caption* should be "Source Formatter" (without "Settings"),
>          to conform to the other configuration pages
>          - "*Add Kate modelines*" checkbox could use explanatory tooltip

Added as "Adds a kate modeline to the file when formatting it".
 
>    - "*Editor >> Settings >> Configure Editor*" dialog:
> 
> 
>    - Window title should probably read "Configure Editor" rather than
>       "Configure - KDevelop"

Probably needs fixing inside katepart, at least I can't find where we
add the action for configure editor so its probably populated by
katepart itself. Don't have kdelibs code here right now so can't check.

Everything else is fixed now.

Andreas

-- 
You will triumph over your enemy.