Bug 319634 - Oxygen Windeco configuration window contains button Show Advanced Configuration Options with weird behaviour
Summary: Oxygen Windeco configuration window contains button Show Advanced Configurati...
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Alias: None
Product: Oxygen
Classification: Plasma
Component: win deco (show other bugs)
Version: 4.10
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Hugo Pereira Da Costa
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2013-05-10 16:17 UTC by Rafał Malinowski
Modified: 2023-01-30 05:07 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:
hugo.pereira.da.costa: Usability?


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Description Rafał Malinowski 2013-05-10 16:17:49 UTC
Oxygen Windeco configuration window contains button Show Advanced Configuration Options with weird behaviour - it shows/hides control in different tabs (and even whole tabs) in dialog it is placed with.

This is very bad for usability. I'm very confused about what is happening when I click this button. Ideally it should not be there at all or it should show separate configuration window or separate configuration panel *below* this button. It operates on widgets *above* it. My flow is broken in this moment, as I tend to use configuration dialogs from top left - all dependent options are normally under some advanced button/checkbox. Also I don't know what changed in tabs content and I need to click through all of them again. 


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Run KDE system-settings
2. Open Workspace Appearance
3. Select Window Decorations
4. Select Oxygen
5. Click Configure Decoration
Actual Results:  
Window shows with weird "Show Advanced Configuration Options" button.

Expected Results:  
Window shows without weird "Show Advanced Configuration Options" button.
Comment 1 Hugo Pereira Da Costa 2013-05-10 20:41:07 UTC
Originally, these advanced options were only available in a separate application (oxygen-settings) and the "show advanced options" was not there. But users complained.
Current solution is the best I could come with to keep the "default" configuration simple, and make the above users happy. 
So going back to the original design is not an option I believe.
Nor showing all (advanced) advanced options at once (since they are advanced). 
As for a better display of these advanced options, while keeping the button,  I am opened to suggestions, mockups, etc. since right now I have no clue how your suggestions would be applicable. 
Mockups welcome ! (otherwise I'm afraid this will be a wontfix, due to lack of imagination on my side, although I do largely agree with your argument). 

Hugo
Comment 2 Rafał Malinowski 2013-05-10 23:53:43 UTC
What about adding "Select" or "Configure" button next to "Enable animations" checkbox? It would popup window would contains what "Animations" tab contains now?
Comment 3 Thomas Pfeiffer 2013-05-11 10:52:24 UTC
This is another one of the - many - cases where we lack a common pattern for solving a common issue: Displaying optional advanced configuration options. And without even looking through the existing KCMs, I'm certain that there are already a dozen different "solutions" for this problem out there.

Here is what we (i.e. the KDE usability team) have to do:
- Collect (with the help of all KCM maintainers) all cases where there are options which are currently only shown on demand
- Identify which of these are actually useful (no, a simple "users complained" is _not_ enough reason, because with the mantra "if some users complain, we have to keep it", you can never remove anything ever)
- Find a common interaction pattern for showing/hiding these options
- Create a UI pattern (like in http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usability/HIG/SOU_Workspace ) for displaying advanced options and try to get it implemented widely.

No the problem is: Who can step up to do this? I don't think it can be done by one person alone.
Comment 4 Hugo Pereira Da Costa 2013-05-11 11:52:31 UTC
@Rafal (comment #2)
Won't really work: 
- first there are more 'advanced' options than just the 'animations details'
- second, I think that a dialog opening another dialog is pretty much no-no in terms of usuability
(system-settings->configuration dialog->advanced configuration)

@Thomas: agreed,  though that does not really help (yet) here. 
Also: I did look at what other UIs done, and found no solution really applicable here. 
(hence my asking for help)

One solution I have been thinking of in the meanwhile
- remove the show advanced options button all at once. 
- keep only the 'basic' options here
- add a Label (bellow the tab box) advertising that more options are available when running "oxygen-settings" (which the 'power user' would then do, if interested). 
Not sure what the exact phrasing of the label should be, though. 
(that would be similar to "for more details, visit ..." that you see more and more on the web.)

What do you people think ?
Comment 5 Rafał Malinowski 2013-05-11 16:39:25 UTC
(In reply to comment #4)
In case of advanced options in other tabs that "Animations": I've noticed that this button shows/hides most one control per tab. This is trading one 'advanced' control with one button - so not really a gain of any type.

Also, it is very hard to say what is 'advanced' and what is not - the line is thin and in different position for anyone. For example, for me "Window-specific overrides" is even more advanced that animation selection combo box list - but is always visible.

I think I like the idea of label pointing (or launching) oxygen-setting, but personally I would remove the button and leave configuration in persistent 'advanced' state. Unfortunately I'm not usability expert, but how often do 99% of users configure decoration setting? I don't think they look there at all.
Comment 6 Andrew Crouthamel 2018-11-10 03:11:44 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This bug has been stagnant for a long time. Could you help us out and re-test if the bug is valid in the latest version? I am setting the status to NEEDSINFO pending your response, please change the Status back to REPORTED when you respond.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 7 Andrew Crouthamel 2018-11-20 04:01:29 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This is a reminder that this bug has been stagnant for a long time. Could you help us out and re-test if the bug is valid in the latest version? This bug will be moved back to REPORTED Status for manual review later, which may take a while. If you are able to, please lend us a hand.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 8 Justin Zobel 2022-12-31 00:24:37 UTC
Thank you for reporting this issue in KDE software. As it has been a while since this issue was reported, can we please ask you to see if you can reproduce the issue with a recent software version?

If you can reproduce the issue, please change the status to "REPORTED" when replying. Thank you!
Comment 9 Bug Janitor Service 2023-01-15 05:11:10 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least
15 days. Please provide the requested information as soon as
possible and set the bug status as REPORTED. Due to regular bug
tracker maintenance, if the bug is still in NEEDSINFO status with
no change in 30 days the bug will be closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures please read the
wiki located here:
https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging

If you have already provided the requested information, please
mark the bug as REPORTED so that the KDE team knows that the bug is
ready to be confirmed.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 10 Bug Janitor Service 2023-01-30 05:07:50 UTC
This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least
30 days. The bug is now closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures please read the
wiki located here:
https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!