[Korganizer-devel] [Bug 274191] New: incidence dialog exceeds boundrary of a netbook screen

[Wolfram R. Sieber]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=274191

           Summary: incidence dialog exceeds boundrary of a netbook screen
           Product: korganizer
           Version: 4.4.5
          Platform: Unlisted Binaries
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: NOR
         Component: incidence editors
        AssignedTo: korganizer-devel at kde.org
        ReportedBy: Wolfram.R.Sieber at GMail.com


Created an attachment (id=60349)
 --> (http://bugs.kde.org/attachment.cgi?id=60349)
korganizer new event dialog covering almost all of a netbook's worth of screen
real estate

Version:           4.4.5 (using KDE 4.4.5) 
OS:                Linux

Korganizer's new event dialog is too big. It was huge in KDE 3.5.x yet, but now
it made it to exceed the boundrary of netbooks -- more than 600px vertically,
including the [slim] window decorations.

Suggestion: Make timezone selection optional/put it into a sub-dialog. I guess
most people don't travel all the time, so timezone should be largely fixed.
Removing the timezone drop-downs would save quite some pixel horizontally, thus
save Korganizer from making the impression to have a dialog like a towel.

Additionally, the duration of the event could be put somewhere else than in an
already crowded line like start/end. (Ideas below.)

And then, if one does not need attachments, there shouldn't be a comparatively
large area for attachments. Or the rich text editor including it vertical space
eating toolbar.

Vertically, I guess, moving the recurrence part of the dialog would save a
notable number of pixels vertically. Recurrence refers to the whole event.

Also, as I just realize, access (public/private) does as well [refer to the
event as a whole], so that one should be moved around as well.

I think "access" (public/private), "show time as" (busy/free) and the "...
participants" status belong together -- currently they are scattered around --
since they refer to "an audience", something independent of a user who sets up
an appointment for him- or herself.
.

Solutions?

My impression is that the dialog needs some overhaul. (I think utilizing info
visualization would do some good here. Or at least use of icons rather than
labelling everything. Timezone, for example, could be put as a world globe plus
a pocket watch.)

I guess the simplest way around this would be to organize the dialog to two
vertically separated panes:
a) table of contents like in settings dialog with
a.1) "appointment" (title, location, categories, start, end, whole day,
duration, reminder, timezone and recurrence)
a.2) "share" or "visibility" (access, show time as, participants)
a.3) "details" ((rich text) editor, attachments)

Maintainment of templates could be separated out totally, e.g. embracing the
whole two-pane dialog.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
In the day view, select a couple of hours using your mouse, say 10 hours 45
minutes. Hit Enter.

(The selected time makes a difference compared to creating a new event via menu
> action > new event.)

Actual Results:  
Big towel-like dialog window that horizontally covers almost the whole
(netbook) screen and vertically even exceeds it by a couple of pixels (a dozen
or something).

Expected Results:  
A dialog that leaves space to the left, top, right and bottom of the screen.
("A dialog that makes the impression of a dialog, not the impression of a
full-screen application.")

The dialog should extent like a third or so in vertical/horizontal direction
over the screen.

OS: Linux (i686) release 2.6.32-5-686
Compiler: cc

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