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design:appfinder [2011/06/08 21:41] – [ToDo] nickdesign:appfinder [2012/02/22 17:09] (current) – [Comments] amic
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     * I was thinking since the dropdown shows the history, it could be used instead of the expander to show the extended mode with history focused (instead of showing an actual dropdown). If that's impossible I'd vote for something like a more subtle togglebutton. I'll see whether I can come up with a decent mockup. --- //[[simon.steinbeiss@univie.ac.at|Simon Steinbeiß]] 2011/05/31 01:26//     * I was thinking since the dropdown shows the history, it could be used instead of the expander to show the extended mode with history focused (instead of showing an actual dropdown). If that's impossible I'd vote for something like a more subtle togglebutton. I'll see whether I can come up with a decent mockup. --- //[[simon.steinbeiss@univie.ac.at|Simon Steinbeiß]] 2011/05/31 01:26//
     * Completion including rich text and icons can be done using GtkEntryCompletion with a GtkListStore combined with any cell renderers.  --- //[[christian@twotoasts.de|Christian Dywan]] 2011/05/31 03:19//     * Completion including rich text and icons can be done using GtkEntryCompletion with a GtkListStore combined with any cell renderers.  --- //[[christian@twotoasts.de|Christian Dywan]] 2011/05/31 03:19//
 +    * Might we please have tab completion? Thank you. --- //[[canciman@gmail.com|Amir Dizdarević]] 2011/11/27 10:55//
  
  
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     * I would prefer not to introduce new UI paradigms that people are unfamiliar with. An error icon is something that people are not used to clicking on. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:19//     * I would prefer not to introduce new UI paradigms that people are unfamiliar with. An error icon is something that people are not used to clicking on. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:19//
   * I think idea 3 can be dropped. The limited space to the left of the buttons is everything but a nice location to place text messages. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:25//   * I think idea 3 can be dropped. The limited space to the left of the buttons is everything but a nice location to place text messages. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:25//
 +  * Why not just make the 'Launch' button grayed out and unclickable until the input is valid? Sorry to randomly comment like this; I found this discussion interesting.  --- //[[jvilk@cs.umass.edu|John Vilk]] 2011/06/27 22:51//
 ===== Compact Mode (Expanded) ===== ===== Compact Mode (Expanded) =====
  
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 ==== Comments ==== ==== Comments ====
   * Not sure if we should hide the completion in expanded view. I guess we have to try it first, see if it feels natural. I think we should also skip the history popup menu, like we have it now in xfrun4, and expect users to use the expanded view for that.\\ That said I really like the design. Maybe we can use the space below the icon for the category list as well, but it looks clean and usable for sure. --- //[[nick@xfce.org|Nick Schermer]] 2011/05/31 16:24//   * Not sure if we should hide the completion in expanded view. I guess we have to try it first, see if it feels natural. I think we should also skip the history popup menu, like we have it now in xfrun4, and expect users to use the expanded view for that.\\ That said I really like the design. Maybe we can use the space below the icon for the category list as well, but it looks clean and usable for sure. --- //[[nick@xfce.org|Nick Schermer]] 2011/05/31 16:24//
 +
 +  * There is a problem with the up/down key : if you do two times down you are going in the expanded view, but now you cannot do up again to be in the reduced view (you have to do 2x Shift-Tab, and then Up. Concerning the history popup menu, I think it is a bad idea to remove it (this is what I use most).  --- //[[Amic]] 2012/02/22 17:03//
  
  
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 Expanded layout with 6px between the icon and the treeview, entry still center-aligned with the icon. Expanded layout with 6px between the icon and the treeview, entry still center-aligned with the icon.
  
-==== ToDo ==== 
-Stuff that needs to be implemented in the [[http://git.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-appfinder/log/?h=nick/xfrun4-merge|=nick/xfrun4-merge]] branch before we can move it into master. 
  
-The IDs are prefixed with //A// for //Appearance//, //B// for //Behavior// and //I// for //Implementation//. 
-The status cells are color coded: 
-  * a //white// background means the feature is not implemented yet, 
-  * a //green// background means the feature is supported, 
-  * a //orange// background means the feature is being worked on, 
-  * a //grey// background means the feature is partially working but is not developed any further. 
- 
-| **ID** | **Description** | **nick/xfrun4-merge** | 
-| B01 | Right-click menu in treeview(s). | -- | 
-| B01.1 | Open exo-desktop-item-edit? Some lousy menu editor replacement? | -- | 
-| B01.2 | Clear custom commands from the history and clear all. | -- | 
-| B02 | Items not visible on start in expanded mode. | @palegreen: Yes | 
-| I01 | Store settings in XfceRc file (xfconf is slow) | -- | 
-| I01.1 | Window size and pane position. | -- | 
-| I01.2 | Last category? | -- | 
-| I02 | Investigate dbus daemon, profiling shows a lot of time is spend in starting Gtk (theme/style) and Garcon item loading, two things we can easily avoid with a daemon. | 
-| I03 | Save successfully launched commands | @palegreen: Done | 
-| I04 | Simple extension framework. | -- | 
-| I04.2 | Simple editor. | -- | 
-| I04.3 | Support custom icons. | -- | 
-| I04.4 | Do we need this in expanded view as well, like Jannis' idea? The entry only acts as search field, so we need to change it's behavior too then. | 
-| I05 | Garcon menu reloading support. | @orange: item refresh works | 
-| I06 | (icon) theme changes: reload cached pixbufs. | @palegreen: Done | 
-| I07 | Bunch of clever key combinations to speed-up navigation. | -- | 
-| I08 | Obey show-image-on-button setting for launch button. | @palegreen: Done | 
-| I09 | Sort custom commands before desktop-file commands in the completion. | @palegreen: Done | 
 ==== Ideas ==== ==== Ideas ====
   * [[releng:4.10:roadmap:xfce4-appfinder#other_ideas|See ideas on the roadmap page too]].   * [[releng:4.10:roadmap:xfce4-appfinder#other_ideas|See ideas on the roadmap page too]].
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     * One more note on the error-handling behavior: I personally think the appfinder shouldn't close itself when a non-working command is entered. Even this alone can be good feedback for the user that something is wrong/not working on his/her side. --- //[[simon.steinbeiss@univie.ac.at|Simon Steinbeiß]] 2011/06/03 10:46//     * One more note on the error-handling behavior: I personally think the appfinder shouldn't close itself when a non-working command is entered. Even this alone can be good feedback for the user that something is wrong/not working on his/her side. --- //[[simon.steinbeiss@univie.ac.at|Simon Steinbeiß]] 2011/06/03 10:46//
       * Agreed, it should not close on error. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:17//       * Agreed, it should not close on error. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:17//
 +  * A bit off-topic, but I am not sure that appfinder is the right name for this tool. I mean that it is going to be more than an application-finder, it will actually execute any command you want while helping you find it if you don't know. Merging xfce4-appfinder and xfrun will get you a new beast entirely. Doesn't that warrant a new name? --- //[[stephan@xfce.org|Stephan Arts]] 2011/08/18 13:14//
  
 == Extensions == == Extensions ==
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   * Picking the idea up from error-handling, the appicon could be clickable (should prelight like a button on hover) and give a drop-down of alternative browsers/services for webaddress (sticking to the example from above). --- //[[simon.steinbeiss@univie.ac.at|Simon Steinbeiß]] 2011/06/03 12:17//   * Picking the idea up from error-handling, the appicon could be clickable (should prelight like a button on hover) and give a drop-down of alternative browsers/services for webaddress (sticking to the example from above). --- //[[simon.steinbeiss@univie.ac.at|Simon Steinbeiß]] 2011/06/03 12:17//
   * We always use the default web browser. I am not sure we want to integrate something like "Open With" in the appfinder. Probably not. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:17//   * We always use the default web browser. I am not sure we want to integrate something like "Open With" in the appfinder. Probably not. --- //[[jannis@xfce.org|Jannis Pohlmann]] 2011/06/04 00:17//
 +    * I actually like the idea. --- //[[stephan@xfce.org|Stephan Arts]] 2011/08/18 13:26//
 +
 +===== Panel Plugin =====
 +
 +A button, which looks like the Applications Menu button and toggles visibility of an AppFinder widget.
 +
 +The AppFinder widget is displayed next to the panel (like applications menu), without window borders and without "Preferences", "Close", "Launch" buttons. Optionally it has an additional padding.
 +
 +AppFinder preferences are available through a plugin context menu.
 +AppFinder plugin preferences (icon, visibility of a label etc.) are also available through the context menu. (a separate dialog?)
 +
 +==== Implementation ====
 +
 +[[dev:appfinder-plugin|Appfinder panel plugin]]
 +
 +
 +==== Implementation Constraints ====
 +  * To save memory the panel applet shares the model (app data) with the xfce4-appfinder process (if any). Possible solution:
 +    * The plugin requests opening the widget over DBUS.
 +    * The widget is rendered by the xfce4-appfinder process.
 +    * The widget is embedded in a widget opened by the plugin in order to add some padding, hide the widget etc.
 +    * (alternative) The widget is not embedded and its position and visibility is controlled over DBUS.
 +  * The panel plugin is shipped with AppFinder (building and installation should be optional and enabled by default).
 +
 +==== Comments ====
 +
 +  * I don't see what makes this easier then popping up the window. I feel more for a verve-like launcher for this.  --- //[[nick@xfce.org|Nick Schermer]] 2012/02/07 14:13//
 +    * Well I think it's mostly about the look'n'feel of traditional appmenus like Windows used to promote them (but it seems they're perishing anyway). About the verve-idea: I don't see what makes it easier to put keyboard-focus into a panel-plugin than to hit a keyboard-combo to launch appfinder ;) No, seriously, I think "power-users" don't need any of that. The straight-forward appfinder would be enough for them. It might still be worth to do such a plugin if it's not too much effort.  --- //[[simon.steinbeiss@univie.ac.at|Simon Steinbeiß]] 2012/02/07 14:38//
 +    * Answering the "why" question: think of it as of a better (at least for some users) applications menu. It can be bound to a key but it is still useful to have it in the panel - if only for discoverability for new users (just like the menu). Besides, "why _not_"?, appfinder is here and is pretty good, why not expose it a bit more.  --- //[[ndrwrdck@gmail.com|Andrzej]] 2012/02/07 18:27//
 +  * Two observations related the dbus support in appfinder: 1) xfce4-appfinder doesn't install a .service file, 2) it doesn't have a --daemon command line option for starting only the service (without showing a window). --- //[[ndrwrdck@gmail.com|Andrzej]] 2012/02/07 18:51//