Version: (using KDE KDE 3.1.1) Installed from: Debian testing/unstable Packages OS: Linux Currently, when moving between tabs either by clicking on them or using the keyboard, the position of the current or active tab moves around; sometimes it's near the left-hand side of the window, sometimes near the right. Despite my efforts to acclimatize to this, it continues to be disorienting to me during daily use. I would prefer an option to have the active tab always be displayed in one position (possibly a choice of left, right, or center of the browser window). When I'm browsing around, it helps me orient myself within my current set of tabs by glancing at a certain spot (in my case, the center), and to see where I am in the 'order' of tabs. Thanks for a <many positive adjectives> program in konqueror. It's one of the few programs that integrates so well into my workflow that I forget that I'm using it much of the time.
In CVS Head (future KDE 3.2) the tabs now resize according to the available space (similar to Mozilla) so that tabs don't easily disappear on the borders anymore like it easily does in KDE 3.1.x. Considering this the ability to choose where an active tab is located might be no longer necessary and even irritating. What does the reporter say?
I'll check it out, probably via an upcoming knoppix distribution (I run debian, so 3.2 is not in my near future). I can imagine cases where I'd still want the current 'pointer' into the group of tabs to be front and center (especially on certain larger groups of tabs, where having the current tab move from left to right and wrap around make me kind of seasick), but would have to try it myself to find out. However, I will drop my votes on this wish until I have a chance to do so.
Subject: Re: ability to specify location of active tab > ------- I'll check it out, probably via an upcoming knoppix distribution (I > run debian, so 3.2 is not in my near future). I can imagine cases where > I'd still want the current 'pointer' into the group of tabs to be front and > center (especially on certain larger groups of tabs, where having the > current tab move from left to right and wrap around make me kind of > seasick), but would have to try it myself to find out. However, I will > drop my votes on this wish until I have a chance to do so. At http://oberlin.cems.umn.edu/knoppix/ there is the live CD ISO file KNOPDEX_V0.1-EN.iso which is an inofficial (and not intended for the public, so please don't spread this info) Knoppix version including a recent KDE CVS version (from 10th July) which includes first patches for the new tab handling, in case you like to check it out. Cheers, Datschge =)
Thanks for the pointer to Knopdex -- after a good deal of slack-jawed awe while mousing through kde 3.2's new features, I tested out the new tabbing. While it's handy to see all the tabs one one screen, when there are enough tabs on the screen, none of them become readable, and there's no way to specify a minimum width of the tabs (though being able to choose the tab font size, bug 57984 would alleviate this somewhat). I feel that I even prefer it the old way, where there were tabs which displayed a decent amount of the page title on the tab, even if the arrows showed up. The new way, I will admit, is less disorienting, but still suffers from this issue. Depending on what I'm working on: * I'll open a set of related tabs (such as 'financial accounts'), and while logging into one, move to the next one to log in, so by the time I'm back at the first, it's loaded and waiting for me to progress to the next stage (which account to visit, etc), and then cycle through the tabs. * I'll open up new tabs as I discover links I like and progress through those (perhaps there's a better way to do this, see bug 40832). * I'll open tabs up to work on a handful of different things within one konqueror instance and semi-randomly jump around as thoughts on them occur to me. I tend to get distracted easily; also, I find that I ask myself 'What was I working on just now?' more frequently as time goes on. Having as much of the title of a tab visible as possible helps me maintain a mental context of the various items I'm working on as I attempt to multitask. I sometimes even need to frequently look at the title of the very page I'm currently viewing and a few other tabs opened nearby to mentally 'center' myself in my work context (especially when multitasking). In this regard, being able to glance at a tab and its neighbors, hopefully in just one spot above the page (rather than all the way up to the titlebar), seems like it would feel more natural (consider that puzzle video games show you the current piece and the next piece in the same spots every time; that definitely helps for speed and focus). Also, having the current <anything> in the same visual spot all the time, and various items rotate into and out of that spot feels 'comfortable' (think sushi boats, carousel for family-style dinner in chinese restaurants, the 'webring' concept). To me it feels that the app is bringing the desired work directly in front of me when the tab stays in a spot, rather than it jumping around and me jumping around too. Perhaps this mode of work (and problems focusing) is peculiar to myself; as such, I'd like to leave the bug open longer to see if other people work in a similar manner and/or would benefit from the option of 'pinning' the active tab down. I don't know if this conflicts with any usability issues, though. I also will try to fiddle with knopdex more and see how that goes (thanks again).
I think your issues are better solved with an approach different from the current usage of tabs, instead using entries in the sidebar showing title, thumbnail of tabs in a relational order, see: http://lists.kde.org/?t=105921877600002 I'm not aware of anyone looking at implementing it nor any wishlist item in this database covering this idea so far so you might want to open one yourself.
I think I'd still like to see the option to perform tab handling in this manner. Nevertheless, KDE 3.2 is quite amazing, and the tab handling is much improved. [This add in response to 'please review your entries' email]