D12571: Remove all group boxes from settings window, and adjust UI accordingly

[Nathaniel Graham]

ngraham added a comment.


  I'm not trying to assassinate the group box, don't worry. :) It has its uses for sure. But in general we tend to overuse rather than underuse it.
  
  The practical issue with group boxes is that when they're contained within other grouping elements (like tabbed views) or contain list boxes, you very quickly get single-pixel-line-overload. There can easily be 3 or 4 or more vertical lines right next to each other and it just looks overwhelming, and distracts your visual focus away from the content. Here are some examples:
  
  Applications KCM:
  F5827641: Too many lines.png <https://phabricator.kde.org/F5827641>
  
  Dolphin's current configure window with the Breeze setting to draw frames around side panels:
  F5827642: Too many lines part 2.png <https://phabricator.kde.org/F5827642>
  
  Another issue is that when you have multiple group boxes next to each other, the whole thing just doesn't look good:
  F5827666: SDDM KCM too many boxes.png <https://phabricator.kde.org/F5827666>
  
  As a compromise, I would be willing to revert the change on the startup tab, since it doesn't contain nor is contained within any other grouping elements, so it's probably used appropriately there. Would that be acceptable?
  
  Regarding the general design, as @abetts is fond of saying, there's no right or wrong in design, but it does evolve over time. My aim here is to align the Configure window's design with the way that KDE settings UI design in general is evolving. Take a look at the re-done KCMs recently, and in particular the FormLayout KCM template: it features centered UI controls and no group boxes, just like this patch. Here's the Launch Feedback KCM for example:
  F5827657: Launch feedback KCM.png <https://phabricator.kde.org/F5827657>
  
  Some KDE apps such as Gwenview already make use of this style for their own Configure windows:
  F5827648: Screenshot_20180429_213207.png <https://phabricator.kde.org/F5827648>
  
  So my aim is to help Dolphin drift in the same direction that we seem to be slowly moving in. There are more visual tools to indicate grouping and relatedness than just drawing a box around things.

REPOSITORY
  R318 Dolphin

REVISION DETAIL
  https://phabricator.kde.org/D12571

To: ngraham, #dolphin, #vdg, broulik, elvisangelaccio
Cc: elvisangelaccio, abetts
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