Usability
From Woofgui
Contents |
Easiness
statement: woofgui should be easy; one main window to rule it all, e.g. with spinbuttons to set -c variable and combobox to set compression method (in case of directory to be woofed).
- KISS-Development: Keep It Simple Stupid
- Speaking of easy: We should definitely start writing an installer-script that will copy the files of our software to the correct places on the user's system. It's quite easily done + prevents a whole world of trouble!
Gui-application or nautilus-script?
Options:
- only simple nautilus-script / konqueror-script which refers to woofgui
- gui-app with window to set file and variables. This would result in two possible nautilusscripts: one to run woofgui directly (like now, but without option to set variables) and one to run file with guiapp.
Present handling: nautilus-script.
Grounds:
- pro naut/konqu-script: less clicking;
- pro naut/konqu-script: no need to select files afterwards; but: we can as easy make n-script for gui-app
- pro naut/konqu-script: easier to select dirs (which woof can tar).
- contra naut/konqu-script: woofgui not usable without nautilus/konqueror, whereas woof is.
- contra naut/konqu-script: no option to set variables
- pro gui-app: no need to control evertything from the python-file we are using now. We can use one window which can stay while woof is activated and runs. Easy opion to cancel woof after it was activated (e.g. when connecting ip is not trusted, or sharing became unnecessary.
Cancelling
We should offer cancel-option also after woof has started, e.g. when connecting ip-adress is not the intended receiver and / or not trusted. Problem: this would require an extra window, since the new notification handling in Jaunty deliberately does not support actions like buttons. We could use an alert box (https://wiki.edubuntu.org/NotificationDesignGuidelines).
URL-providing
Do we use clipboard-feature for url-providing? Present handling: copy to clipboard when 'ok' is pressed.
Options:
- clipboard
- grab-button which stores url in clipboard
- (very advanced) offer buttons which open new mail with urls in message or which open chatmessage to selected buddy (like gnome-do plugin). These should be alternatives to the 'ok' button, because woof has to run in order to generate urls.
Suggestion: use clipboard until maybe we can implement option 3. Grounds:
- pro: less clicking
- pro: user selecting and copying with his mouse can go wrong, e.g. missing first or last characters.
- contra: people may not like messing with their clipboard
Messages like what ip-adress connected and if all finished correctly
How do we handle this?
Present handling: none
Options:
- no message;
- extra popup windows;
- (very advanced) maybe it is possible to create window which shows shell output (like ubuntu update-manager window).
- notifications-bubble
- pro: no annoying popup windows that must be clicked away, and user is notified nonetheless.
