Menu
▾
▴
jsynthlib-devel
|
From: Joe E. <jo...@em...> - 2006-02-28 09:33:06
Attachments:
smime.p7s
|
In SDI mode, each library/scene frame gets its own menu and can also have its own toolbar. I've noticed a few things about this that raise some UI questions: 1 - All of the toolbars seem to be the same instance. If I have multiple libraries open with no patches selected in any of them, then the "cut" and "copy" toolbuttons are greyed. If I select a patch in one of the frames, the "cut" and "copy" toolbuttons are enabled on *all* of the windows. Do we want this to happen, or should each frame have its own toolbar that reflects the state of that frame? 2 - Same thing goes for menus. All frames seem to get a common menu... even the main app window (which would be the DesktopPane in MDI mode). This seems a little redundant. Would we want each library to get its own menu? Are there certain menu items which belong only in the context of a library/scene frame or in the context of the main app frame? For example, perhaps cut/copy/paste shouldn't be in the main app frame (only in library and scene frames) while the "Preferences..." item would be only available in the main app frame? - Joe |
|
From: Rib R. <ri...@gm...> - 2006-02-28 17:10:03
|
On 2/28/06, Joe Emenaker <jo...@em...> wrote: > In SDI mode, each library/scene frame gets its own menu and can also > have its own toolbar. I've noticed a few things about this that raise > some UI questions: > > 1 - All of the toolbars seem to be the same instance. If I have multiple > libraries open with no patches selected in any of them, then the "cut" > and "copy" toolbuttons are greyed. If I select a patch in one of the > frames, the "cut" and "copy" toolbuttons are enabled on *all* of the > windows. Do we want this to happen, or should each frame have its own > toolbar that reflects the state of that frame? I think each toolbar should reflect the frame which contains it. > 2 - Same thing goes for menus. All frames seem to get a common menu... > even the main app window (which would be the DesktopPane in MDI mode). > This seems a little redundant. Would we want each library to get its own > menu? Are there certain menu items which belong only in the context of a > library/scene frame or in the context of the main app frame? For > example, perhaps cut/copy/paste shouldn't be in the main app frame (only > in library and scene frames) while the "Preferences..." item would be > only available in the main app frame? I'm not sure I follow here. In MDI mode, only the DesktopPane has a menu since it is the only window. As far as I remember, there is no main app frame in SDI mode. Instead, each window is supposed to be independent. Why should I have to switch to some other window in order to open the preferences? SDI was designed for Mac OS X, where MDI does not exist. Apple's UI standards require that menu items be disabled instead of removed for windows where they don't apply. This way the user always knows where to find a command, and has several other benefits. |
|
From: Joe E. <jo...@em...> - 2006-02-28 22:08:01
Attachments:
smime.p7s
|
Rib Rdb wrote: > On 2/28/06, Joe Emenaker <jo...@em...> wrote: > >> 2 - Same thing goes for menus. All frames seem to get a common menu... >> even the main app window (which would be the DesktopPane in MDI mode). >> This seems a little redundant. Would we want each library to get its own >> menu? Are there certain menu items which belong only in the context of a >> library/scene frame or in the context of the main app frame? For >> example, perhaps cut/copy/paste shouldn't be in the main app frame (only >> in library and scene frames) while the "Preferences..." item would be >> only available in the main app frame? >> > I'm not sure I follow here. In MDI mode, only the DesktopPane has a > menu since it is the only window. As far as I remember, there is no > main app frame in SDI mode. Well, there's a "toolbar" frame that, initially, is the only frame you get when you start JSL in SDI mode. I'm calling that the "main app" frame. I'd call it the toolbar frame, but individual libraries and scenes can have their own toolbars. > Instead, each window is supposed to be > independent. Why should I have to switch to some other window in > order to open the preferences? > Well, I think it's a context thing. If a user sees a "Preferences..." menu in a LibraryFrame, they might believe that it accesses the preferences for *that* LibraryFrame *only*. I'm not very familiar with what the common behavior is for Mac or SDI apps, but I know that Logic Audio behaves a little like this (look at http://www.audiomidi.com/classroom/thomsontips/images/tt3_logic_keycom_menu.gif and you can see a little menu within the frame... hidden behind the top menu). There's the main app menu on the top of the screen and then each window has a completely different menu which has options just for that menu. Personally, I find *that* to be a little strange... but I find Macs, in general, to be strange. For a normal Mac user, this might seem the most-intuitive way. > SDI was designed for Mac OS X, where MDI does not exist. Apple's UI > standards require that menu items be disabled instead of removed for > windows where they don't apply. > But that's just for the case of the system menu (or whatever you call that thing at the top of the screen), right? For a menu that's *in* that particular frame, does that still apply? Or does the Mac spec discourage per-window menus altogether? - Joe |
|
From: Rib R. <ri...@gm...> - 2006-02-28 22:16:14
|
On 2/28/06, Joe Emenaker <jo...@em...> wrote: > Rib Rdb wrote: > > On 2/28/06, Joe Emenaker <jo...@em...> wrote: > > > >> 2 - Same thing goes for menus. All frames seem to get a common menu... > >> even the main app window (which would be the DesktopPane in MDI mode). > >> This seems a little redundant. Would we want each library to get its o= wn > >> menu? Are there certain menu items which belong only in the context of= a > >> library/scene frame or in the context of the main app frame? For > >> example, perhaps cut/copy/paste shouldn't be in the main app frame (on= ly > >> in library and scene frames) while the "Preferences..." item would be > >> only available in the main app frame? > >> > > I'm not sure I follow here. In MDI mode, only the DesktopPane has a > > menu since it is the only window. As far as I remember, there is no > > main app frame in SDI mode. > Well, there's a "toolbar" frame that, initially, is the only frame you > get when you start JSL in SDI mode. I'm calling that the "main app" > frame. I'd call it the toolbar frame, but individual libraries and > scenes can have their own toolbars. > > Instead, each window is supposed to be > > independent. Why should I have to switch to some other window in > > order to open the preferences? > > > Well, I think it's a context thing. If a user sees a "Preferences..." > menu in a LibraryFrame, they might believe that it accesses the > preferences for *that* LibraryFrame *only*. > > I'm not very familiar with what the common behavior is for Mac or SDI > apps, but I know that Logic Audio behaves a little like this (look at > http://www.audiomidi.com/classroom/thomsontips/images/tt3_logic_keycom_me= nu.gif > and you can see a little menu within the frame... hidden behind the top > menu). There's the main app menu on the top of the screen and then each > window has a completely different menu which has options just for that > menu. Personally, I find *that* to be a little strange... but I find > Macs, in general, to be strange. For a normal Mac user, this might seem > the most-intuitive way. That does indeed seem strange. I've never seen something with both a menu at the top of the screen and menus on the windows. > > SDI was designed for Mac OS X, where MDI does not exist. Apple's UI > > standards require that menu items be disabled instead of removed for > > windows where they don't apply. > > > But that's just for the case of the system menu (or whatever you call > that thing at the top of the screen), right? For a menu that's *in* that > particular frame, does that still apply? Or does the Mac spec discourage > per-window menus altogether? Yes per window menus are discouraged. Instead, the system menu shows the menubar for the focused frame. That's why they all share the same items, otherwise items will disappear and reappear in the system menu as you switch between windows. |
|
From: Joe E. <jo...@em...> - 2006-02-28 23:39:09
Attachments:
smime.p7s
|
Rib Rdb wrote: > Yes per window menus are discouraged. Instead, the system menu shows > the menubar for the focused frame. That's why they all share the same > items, otherwise items will disappear and reappear in the system menu > as you switch between windows. > So, should LibraryFrame and SceneFrame have their own menus in SDI mode at all then? Or should they just have them when not on a Mac? - Joe |
|
From: Joe E. <jo...@em...> - 2006-03-01 02:41:48
Attachments:
smime.p7s
|
Rib Rdb wrote: > On 2/28/06, Joe Emenaker <jo...@em...> wrote: > >> So, should LibraryFrame and SceneFrame have their own menus in SDI mode >> at all then? Or should they just have them when not on a Mac? >> > They need to have them on the Mac. The JVM will display the one for > the active frame at the top of the screen. Oh.... weird. - Joe |
×
Want the latest updates on software, tech news, and AI?
Get latest updates about software, tech news, and AI from SourceForge directly in your inbox once a month.
Thanks for helping keep SourceForge clean.
X