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dev:hig:panel-plugins [2009/01/15 01:07] – 88.172.125.130 | dev:hig:panel-plugins [2012/05/09 15:45] – [Monitor] andrzejr | ||
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For information about strings style please refer to this [[style: | For information about strings style please refer to this [[style: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== About ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Rationale ==== | ||
+ | UI consistency is an important aspect of a mature desktop like Xfce. On the other hand, there are tons of panel plugins out there, developed by many different people. A written set of UI guidelines will help those developers ensure their plugins maintain some basic level of consistency. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Process ==== | ||
+ | We're trying to do this in a wiki fashion, so everyone is welcome to improve this. When you add something new, put " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Plugin Classes ==== | ||
+ | Most guidelines apply differently based on the plugin class. (" | ||
+ | |||
===== General ===== | ===== General ===== | ||
+ | ==== Tooltip ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | If displaying a value in a tooltip, prefer the GtkTooltip API in favor of the GtkTooltips deprecated API. Using [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | | ||
+ | | ||
+ | if (g_object_class_find_property(G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS(settings), | ||
+ | | ||
+ | </ | ||
==== Context Menu ==== | ==== Context Menu ==== | ||
The right click context menu provides items with default actions like " | The right click context menu provides items with default actions like " | ||
- | The About item is seldomly used, which makes it recommended to not include it at all. But that option is left open to the plugin writer. | + | The About item is seldomly used, which makes it recommended to not include it at all. But that option is left open to the plugin writer. |
Some plugins add a custom Help item inside this menu, but it is more common to put a Help button inside the properties dialog. | Some plugins add a custom Help item inside this menu, but it is more common to put a Help button inside the properties dialog. | ||
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On a completely different note, when the properties dialog is open, the context menu must be blocked with [[http:// | On a completely different note, when the properties dialog is open, the context menu must be blocked with [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | The properties dialog should be created using '' | ||
+ | A subtitle can be set using '' | ||
===== Main UIs ===== | ===== Main UIs ===== | ||
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The button has to display the image at the left or at the top given the panel' | The button has to display the image at the left or at the top given the panel' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Labels ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Labels should be oriented horizontally in the horizontal and deskbar mode and vertically (rotated clockwise) in the vertical mode. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (RFC) For consistency with orther panel plugins and for good aligning of plugins in the panel, I'd suggest aligning all labels to the left edge of the plugin, or icon, if present. Currently many plugins center their labels, which looks poorly in the deskbar mode, or if multiple rows are used in other modes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If plugin displays multiple rows of labels, it should preserve their native spacing (e.g. vbox with labels should be wrapped with a GtkAdjustment widget to prevent expanding the box). | ||
+ | |||
+ | If multiple labels don't fit in the panel row, then either some of them should be hidden/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Images or Icons ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | If the plugin displays an icon-sized image, it should be aligned with the left edge (or top edge in the vertical mode) of the plugin. The size of the icon should match the size of icons embedded in buttons (launchers etc.). If all image sizes are same, the user may be able to set the size of the plugin in such a way that the images are not resized (resizing leads to smoothing the icon). | ||
==== Input ==== | ==== Input ==== | ||
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The different elements are contained inside a box, the border width of the box is 0, and the spacing between the children is 2 pixels. | The different elements are contained inside a box, the border width of the box is 0, and the spacing between the children is 2 pixels. | ||
- | Given the panel orientation is horizontal | + | Some comments on the above design: |
+ | * IMHO it would be better to flush all labels to the left (align them with the icon) and to stop them expand vertically. | ||
+ | * It would be really nice to get rid of the progress bars. What if we could replace all the progress bars with custom indicators drawn on top of the icon itself? | ||
+ | * They will never be properly aligned across rows (we could try putting them between the icon and the labels but what if there is no icon?). | ||
+ | * It would be nice to use the above design in the deskbar mode as well, but currently if the number of rows is 1, labels and progress | ||
+ | * It would be nice if the monitor plugin could display only an icon and still be useful (have the gauge displayed on it) - not too different from the mixer plugin. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The above would result in the following layout (mockup): | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | In a horizontal panel. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | In a deskbar. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Note that the icons/ | ||
+ | ===== Panel properties ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== mode ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The panel (starting with 4.10) has 3 modes : horizontal, | ||
+ | * use a vertical XfceHVBox if the panel is in vertical or deskbar mode, horizontal | ||
+ | * labels should be oriented vertically (using '' | ||
+ | * progressbars should be oriented vertically in horizontal mode, horizontally otherwise. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== size ==== | ||
+ | Plugins should be tested to still render fine in all panel sizes, starting from 16px to 40px at least. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The exception is a deskbar mode - it should look good when: | ||
+ | * a single row is used - in such a case plugins should resort to displaying icons only. Plugins which must display text or input fields are exempt from this requirement. | ||
+ | * look " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== number of rows ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | plugins should set the '' | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | size /= xfce_panel_plugin_get_nrows (plugin) | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | before setting size on the various widgets. | ||
+ | ==== Action widget ==== | ||
+ | The right-click menu should be accessible through all (if possible) widgets of the plugin. Generally you only need to use '' |