Radical interface change

Post by **admin** » 17 May 2006 09:02

Well, radical for those who are using XY since a long time. I should have done this long ago but somehow always forgot...

A better tab sequence on the info panel would be:
Find Files | Report | General File Info | Version | Preview | File View

Are you ready for this bit of brain gym??

And while we are being radical, what about this?:
General File Info -> Properties (or Item Properties?)

surrender · Post by **surrender** » 17 May 2006 09:26

Post by **admin** » 17 May 2006 09:35

surrender wrote:My preferred sequence would be:

General File Info | Find Files | Preview | File View| Report | Version |

Hm, I find this much worse than what we have now!

My idea is: "General File Info | Version | Preview | File View" all concern properties the currently focused item, and hence belong together.
Whereas "Find Files | Report" are interfaces to actions, a totally different story.

I want to see Find Files first because this is a natural sequence: first you have to find a file, then you can look at it.

surrender · Post by **surrender** » 17 May 2006 10:15

admin wrote:
surrender wrote:My preferred sequence would be:

General File Info | Find Files | Preview | File View| Report | Version |
Hm, I find this much worse than what we have now!

My idea is: "General File Info | Version | Preview | File View" all concern properties the currently focused item, and hence belong together.
Whereas "Find Files | Report" are interfaces to actions, a totally different story.

I want to see Find Files first because this is a natural sequence: first you have to find a file, then you can look at it.

Well, I warned you that its to my taste. heeeeeeee.

. Anyway, my idea was that you have anyway ctrl+F for find files anyway, how does it matter where it is?? And now lately you added ctrl+Q for preview too. so whats left is file view, version and report. I put report and version on 5th and 6th place because ctrl+5 or 6 is the toughest to reach for me and i dont use those too often. (If i were a newbie i would be more interested in General file info, find files, preview and so on. I would not be interested in knowing version and reports).

But as i already told you, i am flexible to any sequence.

Whatever you do, make it more functional and easy to use (To me functional sequence is more important than logical sequence). and dont forget the newbies.

OR why not make these tabs also movable. Users can choose which sequence they want.

RalphM · Post by **RalphM** » 17 May 2006 11:14

admin wrote:I want to see Find Files first because this is a natural sequence: first you have to find a file, then you can look at it.

But most of the time when I use General File Info or Preview, I don't have to find the files first, 'cos I know their path and name already.

And Report doesn't fit in your suggested sequence anyway, right?
"Find it, report it and then look at it"

So my suggested sequence would be:

Properties | Version | Preview | File View | Find Files | Report

Which puts Find Files on Ctrl+5 but it's still on Ctrl+F as well and therefore easy to reach for surrender too.

Post by **admin** » 17 May 2006 14:27

RalphM wrote:So my suggested sequence would be:

Properties | Version | Preview | File View | Find Files | Report

Yep, this would be my other option. I like Find Files on tab 1 better because it's so much more interesting, and never empty as Properties often is.

JustinF · Post by **JustinF** » 17 May 2006 14:33

RalphM wrote:
admin wrote:I want to see Find Files first because this is a natural sequence: first you have to find a file, then you can look at it.
But most of the time when I use General File Info or Preview, I don't have to find the files first, 'cos I know their path and name already.

That's exactly my usage too...General File Info, then either Preview or File View. I guess to me it makes sense to have General File Info first, but I'm not a heavy duty user of the Find Files or Report tabs, really. Actually I'm not a heavy duty user of the Info Panel in general, so if you were to change the order I probably wouldn't notice that much.

RalphM · Post by **RalphM** » 17 May 2006 15:32

admin wrote:Yep, this would be my other option. I like Find Files on tab 1 better because it's so much more interesting, and never empty as Properties often is.

My Properties are seldom empty though - except if the tree has the focus, so I stick to my suggestion, but let others speak as well...

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 17 May 2006 15:49

My first post in a while! (I've been moving to my summer place and starting to get my place ready for some construction)

Anyway, I always found that having "Find Files" in the middle seemed a bit odd....so moving it to leftmost makes sense...and having "report" as second also seems logical.. -or- having them as righmost two also..

Whatever happens, I'd prefer keeping Preview and File View next to each other as I often toggle between them...

Addendum: Switching GFI to Properties also is quite sensible...more consistent with common naming usage..

Post by **admin** » 17 May 2006 20:43

j_c_hallgren wrote:My first post in a while! (I've been moving to my summer place and starting to get my place ready for some construction)

Welcome back! I'm also busy with some construction, as you see... summer is construction time! Exception: football (I mean: soccer!!) in TV. Bye till later...

Chris Wood · Post by **Chris Wood** » 18 May 2006 01:46

admin wrote:My idea is: "General File Info | Version | Preview | File View" all concern properties the currently focused item, and hence belong together.
Whereas "Find Files | Report" are interfaces to actions, a totally different story.

I want to see Find Files first because this is a natural sequence: first you have to find a file, then you can look at it.

You're right that Find Files and Report don't really belong. They're completely different and unrelated to the current file selection (just the directory selection)... The interface should make this obvious somehow. Is it possible to have some tabs aligned to the right? Something like that, there's probably a better idea... or maybe separate them from the Info Panel altogether...

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 18 May 2006 03:15

The quickest/simplest way I can see to separate the Find Files/Report tabs would be to make those titles bold and/or italic

(Regarding construction: The difference is...mine will COST me about 50K or so! It's a new septic system and related stuff. Yours will cost you time but will hopefully make you some money)[/i]

Post by **admin** » 18 May 2006 09:29

Right-aligned, or bold/italics: possible but does not look good. Let's stick to finding a new order.

Chris Wood · Post by **Chris Wood** » 18 May 2006 13:39

The name change General File Info -> Properties is great.

legion1978 · Post by **legion1978** » 19 May 2006 19:47

i dont find this radical.. these are just tabs. the order is irrelevant cause theyre always there