[kde-artists] Missing icon name: "preferences-?-?

[James Richard Tyrer]

Jakob Petsovits wrote:
> On Monday, 16. June 2008, James Richard Tyrer wrote:
>> I made this point because it might be better to have:
>>
>> 	preferences-browser
>> 	preferences-browser-web
>> 	preferences-browser-file_managment  <- or whatever
>>
>> which would have fallback.
> 
> I think that's neither required nor desirable. The concepts of browsing and 
> managing files are different ones and should not have a common fallback -

This isn't about browsing and managing files but rather about 
configuring applications.  Or more to the point, what to use for the 
icon to indicate such configuration.

> for example, Dolphin doesn't do the browsing part and concentrates on the 
> management aspect. Besides, I can hardly imagine an icon that conveys a 
> fitting metaphor for both web browsing and file management at the same time.
> 
> So... "don't use fallbacks where they don't make sense".

Probably better to fallback to the "?" icon. :-S

>> The real issue is that we do need the preferences-* icon since the
>> "system-file-manager" icon is being misused.
> 
> In theory yes, but I wonder if that doesn't put additional burden on themers 
> without real benefits that we get from that separation. Say, which icon would 
> you use for preferences-file-management (or whatever it's called)?

I am not unnecessarily talking about having more icons

>> I also wonder if we need:
>>
>> 	system-file-manager-dolphin
>> 	system-file-manager-kfm
>>
>> so users can tell which app is which from the icons.
> 
> Nah, we decided long ago that we don't do fallbacks to generic app names, 

What?  If an app is an app that has a generic app name then a specific 
app specific icon name *must* fall back to the generic name.  It would 
be incorrect in this case to use the icon names:

	dolphin
	kfm

> because there is only one basic application that should use the generic name.
> That's Dolphin as file manager, 

Problem: we are using the icon "konqueror" for KFM.

KWrite as text editor,

Icons for KATE and KWrite are so similar that we might as well be using 
the same icon.

KCalc as calculator,

KDE only ships with one calculator so, it isn't an issue.

> etc.

Only where KDE ships more than one app with the same generic 
classification is this an issue.  There aren't very many cases, so 
considering them individually is probably best.

> All other apps use only their respective app names without fallback -
> "kate" for the "other" text editor, "krusader" for the "other" file manager,

The question here is about Dolphin vs KFM.  The current "solution" 
doesn't seem to be appropriate here.

> etc.
> 
> Leaving out on fallbacks here enables us to rely on those applications to keep 
> their icon branding (which is what we want for all but the most basic 
> applications with generic icons) and furthermore avoids having the same icon 
> for two different applications in the application launcher.

Yes, that is what I am worried about NOT "having the same icon
 > for two different applications in the application launcher" and we do 
have the same icon for WebBrowser and KFM.

> So, system-file-manager is the icon for the basic file manager that is shipped 
> with KDE (= Dolphin), and other applications are expected not to use this 
> icon as fallback for their application icon.

And the problem is as I originally said.  The "system-file-manager" icon 
is being misused for other purposes.

> Wishes,
>   Jakob
> 
> P.S.: kfm is no more, and therefore doesn't require an icon.

No wonder users are complaining.  Even a developer has it wrong.

SVN: ... trunk/KDE/kdebase/apps/konqueror/

ls k*.desktop -1

kfmclient.desktop
kfmclient_dir.desktop
kfmclient_html.desktop
kfmclient_war.desktop
konqbrowser.desktop
konqueror.desktop
konquerorsu.desktop

Doesn't look very much like it "is no more" to me.

NOW, getting back to the original problem.  Note in the attached screen 
shot for the "Settings -> Configure Konqueror" dialog.

Notice the icon for "File Management".  This is clearly a problem.  The 
icon name "system-file-manager" is being misused.  This also points up 
that we might need a Dolphin specific icon name: 
"system-file-manager-dolphin".  Either way would probably solve the 
problem, but I suggest that we use both.

I suspect that there are other possible examples of misuse of icons here 
as well.

IAC, this screen shot shows where the three suggested "preferences-*" 
icon _names_ should be used.

   "General" should use "preferences-browser"
   "File Management" should use "preferences-browser-file_management"
   "Web Browsing" should use "preferences-browser-web"

This does not mean that we need more icons.  However, we should have 
more names to prevent misuse of icons.  Note that the icons:

   preferences-browser-file_management
   preferences-browser-web

do not have to exist in a theme because they will fall back to:

   preferences-browser

Simillarly, the icon:

   system-file-manager-dolphin

does not have to exist although the name needs to exist so that an icon 
that is branding will not show up in the wrong places.

To be more specific.  If the Dolphin 'desktop' file uses:

   system-file-manager-dolphin

and the KFM 'desktop' files use:

   system-file-manager-kfm

there will be no problem if there are no icons with these names as long 
as there is something with a file cabinet metaphor named:

   system-file-manager

That same actual icon could be used for the name:

   preferences-browser-file_management

The problem comes when the icon:

   system-file-manager

is used where you should use an icon named:

   preferences-browser-file_management

AND, the icon is the image of a Dolphin rather than a file cabinet.

-- 
JRT

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