Bug 155411

Created attachment 22944 [details]
Better identification

With the normal kickoff the current "tab" isn't visible: only a larger icon and
very low contrast background.
In my proposal the icon get a 64x64 size, the background is very coloured, the
text has a little gloom effect (a simple gaussian blur with white color).
You can in an instant identify the current item.

Created attachment 22945 [details]
Better application category visualization

When you scroll into an application category menu, you lost the category. If
you leave kickoff and then reopen it you don't know where you are (imagine this
after an hour of work).
With this simple addon everything is more obvious!

Good ideas! :-)

The first idea is great, the second isnt. The title should be on the left, i couldnt find it at first. and the arrow button on the left, shouldnt go into the title, but stop before

I have currently implemented the first idea, without the gradient, it took 10 minutes of coding, and I'm not a Qt programmer.
In a simple implementation it's a very trivial task: now I'm studing how to do the gradient and all the rest.

Created attachment 23008 [details]
The patch that adds the gradient effect to the selected tab

I managed to create the gradient effect for the selected menu item, this is the
patch.
Copy this file in kdebase/workspace/plasma/applets/kickoff/ui/tabbar.cpp.
What needed now is a blur effect under the text to better enhance the contrast
(I think it could be archieved using QImageBlitz) and a bigger icon... one step
at a time, I just started developing with Qt!

Created attachment 23009 [details]
How it looks with the patch

This image shows the proposed patch

@Luca: thanks for the patch, and welcome to kde hacking. =)

note that we use the kdelibs coding style ( http://techbase.kde.org/Policies/Kdelibs_Coding_Style ), so spaces instead of tabs, for instance.

also, please provide diffs rather than whole files. `svn diff` is the easiest way if you are working out of svn, otherwise comparing a copy of the original with the diff command line utility is good as well.

i've put back the fade animation by setting the alpha of the blend colour in step with the animation progress and made rounded corners. i'll commit in a few moments and CC this bug.

btw, if you'd like to continue working on these kinds of things (you'd be quite welcome to! =) please consider joining the panel-devel@kde.org mailing list.

SVN commit 760969 by aseigo:

prettier tab buttons. based on patch by Luca Gambetta.
CCBUG:155411


 M  +20 -9     tabbar.cpp  


WebSVN link: http://websvn.kde.org/?view=rev&revision=760969

Thanks a lot for the suggestions and thanks for the inclusion in KDE 4: I hope I can continue working on this...
It is possible to backport this to branch 4.0? I developed it on it.

SVN commit 790060 by ruphy:

prettier tab buttons. based on patch by Luca Gambetta.
CCBUG:155411



 M  +20 -9     tabbar.cpp  


WebSVN link: http://websvn.kde.org/?view=rev&revision=790060

Both requests are now satisfied in 4.1 (trunk)

Shouldn't this bug be closed?

I'm not sure what the policy is on bugs that will be fixed with 4.1, so I'm simply making a note of the bug's state. If fixed-in-trunk is still enough to close bugs, then (somebody) close away and I'll close any other bugs that I come across that are already fixed.

It seems quite reasonable. What do developers think about this?

With 4.1 just around the corner, it's time to close off 4.0 bugs. In the off chance that I'm wrong in believing this to be fixed in 4.1, please reopen. :)