Re: the GNOME HIG and AbiWord (fwd)

From: Alan Horkan (horkana@tcd.ie)
Date: Fri Oct 11 2002 - 06:41:26 EDT

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    On Fri, 11 Oct 2002, [iso-8859-1] Andrew Dunbar wrote:

    > Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 03:49:11 +0100 (BST)
    > From: "[iso-8859-1] Andrew Dunbar" <hippietrail@yahoo.com>
    > To: Alan Horkan <horkana@tcd.ie>
    > Subject: Re: the GNOME HIG and AbiWord
    >
    > --- Alan Horkan <horkana@tcd.ie> wrote:
    > >
    > > Any particular things in mind?
    > >
    > > I think maybe someone (dom?) has already switched
    > > [Cancel][ OK ] button order in the Gnome builds to
    > > match the HIG.
    > >
    > > I think that Abiword should continue to follow
    > > MSWord first and the HIG second.
    > > Considering the very wise provision in Abiword for
    > > differnt keybindings schemes it might be wise to
    > > start a Gnome keybinding scheme.
    > >
    > > For example the HIG recommends that Undo be Ctrl+Z
    > > and the Redo be Ctrl+Shift+Z.
    > > I agree that for a newbie, a neophyte, a clean
    > > slate, a beginner that that it is more consistant to
    > > use the shifted and unshifted versions of the same
    > > letter for related tasks.
    > > But i also think that a seperate keybinding scheme
    > > should be started and kept as much as possible the
    > > same as MSWord (ill be trying to keep it like
    > > MSWord97 so i hope Microsoft resisted changing
    > > anything).
    >
    > I *so* agree with this. The more we struggle to be
    > consistent with "sister apps", "sister environments",
    > and stay consistent cross-platform, the worse it's
    > going to get for users.
    > I think being able to choose a flavour closer to
    > MS Word or closer to whatever environment AbiWord is
    > running on is going to be needed sooner or later or
    > we'll just be confusing all users half the time or
    > half the users all the time.
    > Maybe a hidden option, settable at install time might
    > be a good way to go.
    >
    > > Most of the time the HIG does not go into any huge
    > > depth of detail and we wont have to worry and we can
    > > continue like we have been doing and (like
    > > developers should do more often) follow the leader
    > > unless there is a good enough reason to do
    > > differently (and that out weighs or compensates for
    > > the confusion of people familiar with the old
    > > system).
    >
    > Problem for us is that are more than one leader
    > depending on your perspective.
    >
    > > Mostly abiword is very good about avoiding too many
    > > submenus and having lots of keybindings for things
    > > (or it least it used to be, there are so many newer
    > > feature that could do with keybindings, i really
    > > could do with a shortcut for Insert Hyperlink).
    >
    > These *have to* become configurable at some point too.
    > Keys, menus, and toolbars should call abstract
    > "functions" that can be bound to any of these or
    > called
    > from macros. But that's a whole lotta work. I'm sure
    > there are RFEs for at least a couple of pieces of
    > this.
    >
    > Andrew.
    >
    > > I need to read more about usuability. The
    > > guidelines are useful for people who just want to
    > > get things done, but i dont learn like that. If i
    > > knew the reasoning behind more of the answers i
    > > would be better able to figure out any gaps not
    > > covered by the HIG.
    > >
    > > I'm tired and this headache is killing me, stupid
    > > cold, mucus, ick.
    > >
    > > I am happy enough to bring up HIG issues if and when
    > > i notice them. If
    > > you would prefer i keep my comments in bugzilla
    > > rather than on the mailing
    > > list i can do that.
    > >
    > > Sincerely
    > > Alan Horkan
    > >
    > > On 10 Oct 2002, Hubert Figuiere wrote:
    > >
    > > > Date: 10 Oct 2002 11:50:17 +0200
    > > > From: Hubert Figuiere <hfiguiere@teaser.fr>
    > > > To: sam th <sam@uchicago.edu>
    > > > Cc: abidev <abiword-dev@abisource.com>
    > > > Subject: Re: the GNOME HIG and AbiWord
    > > >
    > > > On jeu, 2002-10-10 at 06:58, sam th wrote:
    > > > > Many of you (at least the ones who use
    > > GTK/GNOME) have heard of the
    > > > > GNOME Human Interface Guidelines[1]. They
    > > specify guidelines for the
    > > >
    > > > Out of footnote range (coredumped).
    > >
    >
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    >
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