Scrollbars in add widget ui

[Thomas Fjellstrom]

On July 14, 2010, Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> On July 14, 2010, Thomas Fjellstrom wrote:
> > On July 14, 2010, Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> > > On July 14, 2010, Thomas Fjellstrom wrote:
> > > > Normally I would agree. Do you volunteer to make sure the bug never
> > > > appears again?
> > > 
> > > yes, we do. now that we're at the point of such questions, though,
> > > it's safe to say that this thread has reached the end of its ability
> > > to produce useful input. let's stop here.
> > 
> > I happen to think its a perfectly valid point. If you can't guarantee
> > the bug won't reappear, an easily discoverable work around is going to
> > have to be made for it.
> 
> if the bug has a very low possibility of reappearing and if it does the
> consequences are nominal, then hobbling the default interface for
> everyone all the time is a really bad idea. so no, it isn't a valid
> point at all.

I sure wouldn't call it hobbling the interface.

> > Just a little bit of brain storming, but some place, an interface
> > showing a list of the current running plasmoids (one item per plasmoid
> > instance), which when hovered over with the mouse cause them to be
> > highlighted by plasma itself. It would make the most sense if it were
> > to hide all normal windows, or bring plasma forward.
> 
> last time we discussed this (on this list even, iirc), the possibility of
> having a listing of running plasmoids in the tasks (ctrl+escape) window
> from krunner sounded pretty nice. and it could be without all the other
> problems of adding removal to the "add widgets" interface.

That might indeed be nice.

> > Possibly tie it into the ZUI to show all
> > current containments.
> 
> there is no ZUI anymore.

As of 4.4.4 it still zooms.
 
> > That said, a much simpler and easier to implement idea would be to add
> > back that minus button and just force people to add back instances
> > they wanted (if theres more than one running).
> 
> which was exactly the problem: it doesn't say what is being removed,
> leading to loss of desired items. this made the minus sign less than
> useful. adding finer granularity to it just makes it harder to use.
> simpler does not always mean better.

I fully understand the reasoning. But now I have no way to remove lost 
widgets. I'd call that a hobbled interface.
 
> so, no, this feature will not be re-appearing. that is final.
> 
> > Maybe as an option.
> 
> that isn't how we work here. if there is a solution to a problem that
> isn't workable, we don't simply say "well, just throw it in there and
> make it an option, even if it does suck." that's just a way to make the
> software suck twice as hard: now it has a poor solution -and- a
> configuration option for people to deal with. lose.

It sucks more now than it did before.
 
> > > p.s. the javascript console lets you get to any plasmoid using
> > > scripting.
> > 
> > And I'm sure its fully documented,
> 
> it is.
> 
> > easily discoverable, and understandable by mere users.
> 
> it isn't. and i don't think it's a solution for "mere users" (a phrase
> that's a bit ... un-nice to the people who use kde software, imho). it's
> an option for those of us who run into such situations during
> development.

Most of the time I'm a /mere/ user. I don't think its un-nice. Most people 
doing day to day regular tasks really don't want nor need to worry about 
some script console. Heck, most of the time I can't remember the various key 
shortcuts to various things. Took me an age to fully memorize ALT+F2, and 
just recently I may have fully memorized the "Disable compositing" short 
cut, but I tend to forget it over and over, so I have to go at it the long 
way.

-- 
Thomas Fjellstrom
tfjellstrom at shaw.ca