[rkward-cvs] SF.net SVN: rkward:[3642] branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted

tfry at users.sourceforge.net tfry at users.sourceforge.net
Sat May 28 19:01:48 UTC 2011


Revision: 3642
          http://rkward.svn.sourceforge.net/rkward/?rev=3642&view=rev
Author:   tfry
Date:     2011-05-28 19:01:48 +0000 (Sat, 28 May 2011)

Log Message:
-----------
Re-arrange and edit the "Main elements of the user interface" section.
Reading through this, it seemed quite redundant, and somewhat erratic to me. I hope it's a bit better, now.

@Stefan: I should have had a closer look at you CTDI-citation, earlier. I don't think it actually relates.
Besides, "CTDI" is the core subject of a patent (a rediculous one, if you ask me, but still), specifically
using that term. So, were basically back to the citations we had, but with a bit of (hopefully) clarifying
wording.

Modified Paths:
--------------
    branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/GUI_elements.tex
    branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/sources.bib

Modified: branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/GUI_elements.tex
===================================================================
--- branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/GUI_elements.tex	2011-05-28 16:19:02 UTC (rev 3641)
+++ branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/GUI_elements.tex	2011-05-28 19:01:48 UTC (rev 3642)
@@ -7,23 +7,7 @@
  Many aspects of the \pkg{RKWard} GUI can be customized by the user. For simplicity we will
  describe the default appearance of \pkg{RKWard}, only. 
 } of the main application window is divided into five
-parts, as depicted in Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}. 
-The \pkg{RKWard} GUI generally follows an MDI (multiple-document interface)\footnote{
- When applied in an IDE (integrated-development environment) context this type of MDI is sometimes referred to as IDE-style interface (e.g. Eclipse).
-} approach, which means that windows
-reside in a single parent (main application) window on pre-defined positions. \pkg{RKWard} has a TDI (tabbed-document interface) in the 
-central area (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}C) with 
-detachable documents embedded in the MDI. Detachable documents were implemented to overcome the limitation of TDIs to
-show two tabbed documents simultaniously. This is an alternative approach to a combined-tabbed-document interface (CTDI) as proposed by \cite{Jiang2009}.
-Serval tool windows are available 
-from sub-panes at the four sides (only the left, and right sub-pane are 
-populated by default, Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}B/D). However, users can also detach individual 
-document or tool windows from the main application window.
-However, as some interface 
-elements are detached by default, e.g. the graphic device, can therefore be considered as SDI 
-(single-document interface). One reasoning behind this approach is to support highly customizeable GUIs and 
-to support working environments with multiple displays.
-The top of the window is occupied by menu bar and toolbar 
+parts, as depicted in Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}. The top of the window is occupied by menu bar and toolbar 
 (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}A). The content of both bars is partially context
 sensitive, e.\,g., the ``Edit'' menu will offer
 one set of actions when the current document window is a data editor,
@@ -33,8 +17,7 @@
 current context. The menu bar of the main window is also the central
 access point to most data import, manipulation, analysis, and
 visualization features (see Section~\ref{sec:analyzing_data}) for which \pkg{RKWard} provides a GUI
-interface. An interresting feature for the navigation through the window elements is a NAME which can
-be invoked by the shortcut ``Ctrl+Tab''.
+interface.
 
 \begin{figure}[h!]
  \centering
@@ -47,47 +30,52 @@
 \end{figure}
 
 A status bar is shown at the bottom of the window (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}E). It displays (from
-right to left) the status of the \proglang{R} engine (busy or idle), the
+right to left) a ``Stop''-button to interrupt the current computations,
+the status of the \proglang{R} engine (busy or idle), the
 current working directory, and a multi purpose region for additional
 information on some menu items and other GUI elements, visible when
 hovering the mouse pointer over them.
 
-The central area is divided into a document view area
-(Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}C) and two panel subwindows
-(Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}B and D). The panels can be resized or moved to
-another edge of the central area independently. All panels can be
-toggled by mouse or keyboard shortcuts. When a panel is closed, the
-document view area (see below) is automatically re-sized to take up the
-free space.
+The \pkg{RKWard} GUI generally follows an MDI (multiple document interface) approach.
+Document windows\footnote{
+    Currently, the supported types of
+    document windows are object summaries (Section~\ref{sec:workspace_browser_object_viewer}), 
+    script editors (Section~\ref{sec:code_editor}), spreadsheet-like data editors 
+    (Section~\ref{sec:spreadsheet}), results output (Section~\ref{sec:results_output}), 
+    help pages (Section~\ref{sec:help_system}), and also
+    \proglang{R} on-screen graphics devices (Section~\ref{sec:plot_previews}).
+} are arranged in a TDI \citep[tabbed document interface; see e.g.][]{Hopkins2005, MDN2010, KimLutteroth2010} in the central area (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}C). The order
+of tabs can be conveniently re-arranged using drag \& drop.
 
-The left panel (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}B) contains a file browser (see Section~\ref{sec:further_tool_windows}) and a
-workspace browser (see Section~\ref{sec:workspace_browser_object_viewer}) by default. The
-bottom panel (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}D) contains the tool windows, namely, Command
-log (Section~\ref{sec:further_tool_windows}), Pending Jobs (Section~\ref{sec:further_tool_windows}), \proglang{R} Console
-(Section~\ref{sec:using_R_console}), and Help Search (Section~\ref{sec:help_system}).
+Additionally, several tool windows are available form resizable sub-panes at the four sides\footnote{
+    This combination of a tabbed-document interface and sub-panes is sometimes referred to as an ``IDE-style'' interface, due to its
+    usage in popular IDEs such as Eclipse \citep{Eclipse} or KDevelop \citep{KDevelop}.
+}. By default, the
+left panel (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}B) contains a file browser (see Section~\ref{sec:further_tool_windows}) and a
+workspace browser (see Section~\ref{sec:workspace_browser_object_viewer}), the
+bottom panel (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}D) contains a command
+log (Section~\ref{sec:further_tool_windows}), an \proglang{R} console
+(Section~\ref{sec:using_R_console}), and a help search (Section~\ref{sec:help_system}) window. The top and right sub-panes are
+not populated by default.
 
-The remainder of the central area (Figure~\ref{fig:main_window}C) is a single row tabbed document
-interface (TDI) for different documents. Early uses of TDIs date back to 1988 and are widely 
-applied nowadays \citep{Hopkins2005, MDN2010, KimLutteroth2010}. Currently, the supported types of
-documents are object summaries (Section~\ref{sec:workspace_browser_object_viewer}), 
-script editors (Section~\ref{sec:code_editor}), spreadsheet-like data editors 
-(Section~\ref{sec:spreadsheet}), results output (Section~\ref{sec:results_output}), 
-help pages (Section~\ref{sec:help_system}), and also
-\proglang{R} on-screen graphics devices (Section~\ref{sec:plot_previews}). 
-The order of tabs can be conveniently re-arranged
-using drag \& drop.
-
-All document windows and tool views can be detached from and re-attached to the main
-window as independent windows, managed by the window manager. This feature allows to 
-conveniently work with multiple documents
-at the same time, e.\,g., scripts or data editors. On{}-screen
+Users can also detach all types of document windows and tool windows from the main application window, which will
+then appear as independent windows, managed by the window manager, or re-attach them to the main window.
+This is to allow users to take advantage of an SDI (single-document interface), where useful, such as the ability to view any two
+documents side-by-side, or to make better use of multiple displays. On{}-screen
 graphics device windows are created detached by default, but can 
 be attached to the document view area of the main window.
 
-Windows can be shown (or toggled) using a mouse device with point \&
+Windows can be selected (or shown / hidden) using a mouse device with point \&
 click, as well as using a series of keyboard shortcuts (defined by
-default) for switching between the different tool and document windows.
-Key bindings can be configured from the GUI via ``Settings$\rightarrow$Configure Shortcuts''. 
+default) for activating spefic tool windows, or for cycling through all windows
+in the order of most recent usage\footnote{
+    This uses the shortcut ``Ctrl+Tab'' by default, and behaves similar to the ``Alt+Tab''
+    feature of common window managers. The difference is that this cycles through \pkg{RKWard} windows,
+    only, including both detached windows, and windows which are attached inside the main application
+    window.
+}.
+
+All key bindings can be configured from the GUI via ``Settings$\rightarrow$Configure Shortcuts''. 
 However, for technical reasons only the shortcuts of currently active components 
 will be listed. Thus, for example, to
 configure data editor shortcuts, one has to open a data editor first and

Modified: branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/sources.bib
===================================================================
--- branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/sources.bib	2011-05-28 16:19:02 UTC (rev 3641)
+++ branches/jss_dec_10/FINAL_JSS_TEX/FINAL_splitted/sources.bib	2011-05-28 19:01:48 UTC (rev 3642)
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@
 
 @ARTICLE{Jarvis2010,
   author = {Jarvis, Stuart},
-  title = {KDE 4 on windows},
+  title = {KDE 4 on Windows},
   journal = {Linux J.},
   year = {2010},
   volume = {2010},
@@ -437,6 +437,22 @@
   url = {http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.154.8895}
 }
 
+ at BOOK{Eclipse,
+  title = {\pkg{Eclipse} IDE Pocket Guide},
+  author = {Ed Burnette},
+  year = {2005},
+  publisher = {O'Reilly Media},
+  note = {{ISBN} 0-596100-65-5},
+}
+
+ at MANUAL{KDevelop,
+  title = {\pkg{KDevelop}},
+  author = {{KDevelop{.}Org}},
+  year = {2011},
+  timestamp = {2011.05.28},
+  url = {http://www.kdevelop.org/}
+}
+
 @MANUAL{KWord,
   title = {\pkg{KWord}},
   author = {{KOffice{.}Org}},


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