Bug 141755

Summary: Sidebar: Hide unused tabs, Add tooltips
Product: [Applications] digikam Reporter: Thomas McGuire <mcguire>
Component: Usability-ErgonomyAssignee: Digikam Developers <digikam-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: wishlist    
Priority: NOR    
Version: 0.9.1   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Compiled Sources   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In: 0.9.4
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments: logo82.jpg
logo83.jpg
metadatawidget.patch

Description Thomas McGuire 2007-02-15 20:04:25 UTC
Version:           SVN (using KDE KDE 3.5.6)
Installed from:    Compiled From Sources
OS:                Linux

1.
Empty tabs in the right sidebar should be hidden or at least disabled.
The tabs which should be hidden if empty are the following:
EXIF, Markernote, IPTC, GPS and ICC profile
If all subtabs of the "Metadata" tab are empty, the "Metadata" tab itself should be disabled.
If they are empty, they just clutter the interface and confuse the user.

2.
Add tooltips to the buttons. There currently is no way to know what these buttons do except by clicking them, which is always a bit scary.
I suggest something like the following tooltips (in this case, for the EXIF tab):
"Basic Information"
"Detailed Information"
"Save to disk as EXIF binary file"
"Print EXIF information"
"Copy EXIF informaton to clipboard"
I am not a native english speaker, so someone should be able to come up with something better.
Comment 1 Thomas McGuire 2007-02-15 20:06:50 UTC
Sorry, filed this under kchart, it was meant to go to digikam...
Comment 2 caulier.gilles 2008-03-19 13:28:48 UTC
Thomas,

I'm sorry but this entry is not valid for me. If you want to not see the right sidebar, just collapse it. If you want to use icon view tool tip informations, just set on the right options on config dialog.

Your proposal require to break all common implementation in digiKam core. We will never that (:=)))

For the rest, all is already implemented...

Gilles Caulier
Comment 3 Thomas McGuire 2008-03-19 19:59:34 UTC
> If you want to not see the right sidebar, just collapse it.
Some of the tabs in the right sidebar are useful for me, while others are not. Those which are not useful for me (Markernote, IPTC) could be hidden.
When I read reviews about Digikam, the complicated interface is often mentioned, so I thought it would be a good idea to improve that here.

> If you want to use icon view tool tip informations, just set on the right options on config dialog.
I am not talking about icon view tooltips here. I'm talking about some of the buttons in the right sidebar, for example in the EXIF tabs. These buttons have no text, just an icon. It would be useful to have tooltips on the buttons to show what will happen if I click them.

> For the rest, all is already implemented... 
OK, I admit it has been a long time since I last upgraded, so that might be true.

Anyway, thanks for looking at my bug reports, even if you close them :)
Comment 4 Mikolaj Machowski 2008-03-20 20:00:29 UTC
While I don't agree with original Thomas wishes there are some things which could be improved with tabs, don't know if it is possible but I once again mention Amarok ;) :

- configurable tabs
- all tabs have visible captions
- tabs always took whole height of window
- currently expanded tab is highlighted

it makes use of tabs in Amarok much easier than in digiKam. I always have to think at least second which icon click to open required tab.

And I am reopening this wish: point 2. is valid. These buttons should have tooltips. I looked into code myself but don't understand this part (big surprise... :( )
Comment 5 Mikolaj Machowski 2008-03-20 20:02:00 UTC
I should give better "address":

Metadata tab, top row buttons in all cards.
Comment 6 caulier.gilles 2008-03-20 20:21:49 UTC
Mik, 

These buttons are defined into metadatawidget.cpp :

http://websvn.kde.org/branches/extragear/kde3/graphics/digikam/libs/widgets/metadata/metadatawidget.cpp?revision=783486&view=markup

Like you can see in consructor, all button has Whats-This info...

Gilles

Comment 7 caulier.gilles 2008-03-20 20:28:50 UTC
To Mik, #4,

>- configurable tabs

I'm not agree. This can give an non homogenous interface and increase complexity of code/usability.

>- all tabs have visible captions

==> no. this have been a fix in a pass to no display all captions at the same time and only the active one. why ? because on low screen resolution, the window size become higher than screen size.

And like you know, we have a new tab named TimeLine, and news one will become in the future with KDE4 to perform search (GPS, duplicate, etc)

>- tabs always took whole height of window

what do you mean exactly ?

>- currently expanded tab is highlighted 

Yes, this one can be done easily.

Gilles
Comment 8 Mikolaj Machowski 2008-03-20 22:11:32 UTC
> >- configurable tabs
>
> I'm not agree. This can give an non homogenous interface and increase
> complexity of code/usability.


OK.

> >- all tabs have visible captions
>
> ==> no. this have been a fix in a pass to no display all captions at the
> same time and only the active one. why ? because on low screen
> resolution, the window size become higher than screen size.
>
> And like you know, we have a new tab named TimeLine, and news one will
> become in the future with KDE4 to perform search (GPS, duplicate, etc)


Don't agree. HIG states all windows has to fit into 800x600 window.
Attaching later image of Amarok: 710x562 pixels. We are interested in
height. 562 pixels (to compensate for menu- and title-bar). All six tabs
available in Amarok are visible. One is slightly shortened. With
TimeLine there is 5 tabs + one for searches is 6. The same as Amarok.
And minimal size for application like digiKam is really rare corner
case. I could bet most users are working with digiKam in max size where
full sized tabs will shine.
>
> >- tabs always took whole height of window
>
> what do you mean exactly ?


Look into second screenshot. Amarok in maximized window and the same six
tabs are taking full advantage of this situation.

> >- currently expanded tab is highlighted
>
> Yes, this one can be done easily.


When all tabs aren't visible this has no sense. Expanded tab has caption
and this is enough for recognition. Highlighting is necessary with all
captions visible to highlight ;) expanded tab.


Created an attachment (id=23977)
logo82.jpg

Created an attachment (id=23978)
logo83.jpg
Comment 9 caulier.gilles 2008-03-20 22:18:54 UTC
Mik,

> >- all tabs have visible captions
>
> ==> no. this have been a fix in a pass to no display all captions at the
> same time and only the active one. why ? because on low screen
> resolution, the window size become higher than screen size.
>
> And like you know, we have a new tab named TimeLine, and news one will
> become in the future with KDE4 to perform search (GPS, duplicate, etc)


>Don't agree. HIG states all windows has to fit into 800x600 window.
>Attaching later image of Amarok: 710x562 pixels. We are interested in
>height. 562 pixels (to compensate for menu- and title-bar). All six tabs
>available in Amarok are visible. One is slightly shortened. With
>TimeLine there is 5 tabs + one for searches is 6. The same as Amarok.
>And minimal size for application like digiKam is really rare corner
>case. I could bet most users are working with digiKam in max size where
>full sized tabs will shine. 

digiKam sidebar is based on a KDElibs component

Looking in code from Amarok, sidebar have been fully re-implemented from scratch...

KDELibs sidebar is not too improved than Amarok sidebar... 

I will not fork code from Amarok to digiKam. It's a waste of time. An integration of Amarok sidebar to KDELibs will be a better.

Sound like this point must be posted to Amarok team

Gilles
Comment 10 Mikolaj Machowski 2008-03-21 00:41:50 UTC
1. Looked into archives, Google, etc. General kdelibs solution has to
   support "unlimited" tabs so kdelibs maintainers will not include
   Amarok solution. This is resolution from almost 3 years ago and
   apparently it stands to this day.
2. Yes, I see WhatsThis text. But these are WhatsThis tooltips
   - requiring interaction with user (press ? on title bar or Shift-F1).
   Not regular tooltips which will appear without any action. For
   example when you hover with mouse over arrow in status bar navigation
   you will see eg.: "Go to the last item". Oh, OK, attaching simple
   patch against kde3 branch. It is adding tooltips + fixing small thing
   in WhatsThis: everywhere is metadata, in WT is meta-data.


Created an attachment (id=23983)
metadatawidget.patch
Comment 11 caulier.gilles 2008-03-21 06:11:27 UTC
SVN commit 788236 by cgilles:

patch from Mik to add QToolTips over metadata widget buttons
BUG: 141755


 M  +9 -3      metadatawidget.cpp  


WebSVN link: http://websvn.kde.org/?view=rev&revision=788236
Comment 12 caulier.gilles 2008-03-21 06:20:05 UTC
SVN commit 788239 by cgilles:

backport commit #788236 from KDE3 branch
CCBUGS: 141755


 M  +8 -3      metadatawidget.cpp  


WebSVN link: http://websvn.kde.org/?view=rev&revision=788239