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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0001779ScribusUser Interfacepublic2014-06-05 19:48
Reporteralexandre Assigned Tocbradney  
PrioritynormalSeverityminorReproducibilityalways
Status closedResolutionfixed 
Product Version1.3.0cvs 
Fixed in Version1.5.0svn 
Summary0001779: decrease bloating in context menus for frames
DescriptionLet's take a look at typical text frame context menu:

Info
Undo
Redo
Atrributes
Get Text...
Append Text...
Edit Text...
PDF Options
Lock
Lock Object Size
Send To Scrapbook
Send To Layer
Insert Sample Text
Level
Convert To
Cut
Copy
Delete
Clear Contents
Properties

These are 20 entries. For one context menu. And we will have only more when inserting special spaces and quotation marks will be available. Looks pretty like overbloat. Can we do something about it? Sure, let's look how we can minimize amount of items.

First of all, we can move Info to status toolbar: there's plenty of unused space there. We already have this kind of statusbar in Story Editor, so why not do it same for main window? Users are likely to see statistics in a usual place, and this is the statusbar.

19 menu items left

Then, we have several menu items that deal with addition/deletion of contents. These are: "Get Text...", "Append Text", "Edit Text", "Insert Sample Text", "Clear Contents".

"Get Text..." and "Append Text" are similar because both of them open a file dialog. "Edit Text" opens StoryEditor.
"Insert Sample Text" and "Clear Contents" are also similar, because they just do one thing without user's interaction.

We can merge them all in one submenu like "Change contents". So we will have:

Undo
Redo
Atrributes
Change contents
    Get Text...
    Append Text...
    Edit Text...
    Insert Sample Text
    Clear Contents
PDF Options
Lock
Lock Object Size
Send To Scrapbook
Send To Layer
Level
Convert To
Cut
Copy
Delete
Properties

15 menu items in root context menu. Let's move further.

We have two confusing items: "Lock" and "Lock Object Size". Why not make it

Lock
    The Whole Object
    Only The Size

14 menu items left

I really doubt that users will try to use context menu to setup PDF options for a text frame. They will most likely try to find it in "Frame" palette. Should we move it there?

Then we would have 13 items left:

Undo
Redo
Atrributes
Change contents
    Get Text...
    Append Text...
    Edit Text...
    Insert Sample Text
    Clear Contents
Lock
    The Whole Object
    Only Its Size
Send To Scrapbook
Send To Layer
Level
Convert To
Cut
Copy
Delete
Properties

We can move "Undo", "Redo", "Cut", "Copy" and "Delete" to "Edit" submenu. Anyone to judge us except God? :)

Atrributes
Change contents
    Get Text...
    Append Text...
    Edit Text...
    Insert Sample Text
    Clear Contents
Lock
    The Whole Object
    Only Its Size
Send To Scrapbook
Send To Layer
Level
Convert To
Edit
    Undo
    Redo
    Cut
    Copy
    Delete
Properties

9 items. Does it look OK now? :) Note really. We have to remember that some of items are used often and some -- seldom, while users tend to move from top menu item to bottom menu item rather than from bottom to top.

These are the actions that even a newbie will try to do from keyboard: all of the Edit commands. So they won't be used often. Let's move them to the bottom:

Atrributes
Change contents
    Get Text...
    Append Text...
    Edit Text...
    Insert Sample Text
    Clear Contents
Lock
    The Whole Object
    Only Its Size
Send To Scrapbook
Send To Layer
Level
Convert To
Edit
    Undo
    Redo
    Cut
    Copy
    Delete
Properties

Now Attributes and Properties sound quite similar. I don't really know how to handle it and whether it should be handled at all. Feel free to ignore all this stuff completely :)
TagsNo tags attached.
Patch

Relationships

related to 0003014 closedcbradney put all picture relevant entries in an extra picture context sub menu 
related to 0001102 closedcbradney Make all functions from Right click context menu appear on Item menu 
related to 0001771 closedcbradney Unable to choose scale frame to image size, does not exist, only exists in the context menu of "adjust frame to picture" 

Activities

Tsoots

2005-03-13 19:45

manager   ~0003906

I'd say make context menus customizable by a user and deliver something like your simplified suggestion as a default.
What I currently use the most in the context menu are Get/Edit text/image, Undo and Show Properties. These all seem to be hidden behind another level of menus in your suggestion. I'd love to do some more research before doing anything too radical on these.

ringerc

2005-03-14 08:38

reporter   ~0003907

Last edited: 2005-03-14 08:40

I'm against having context menus with submenus that the user will need to use regularly, eg get text. I'm not convinced it's a good idea to have submenus in the context menu at all, at least by default.

I agree the context menu is too long ... but I'm not sure making it multilevel is the right solution. That's what the main menus are for. Perhaps making things easier to find in the main menus and just removing some things from the context menu (possibly user configurable?) would be a plan.

alexandre

2005-03-14 09:45

developer   ~0003908

BTW, in 1.3cvs there still is no possibility to open current text frame in Story Editor. At least I haven't found it. Indy uses Ctrl+Y.

alexandre

2005-03-15 14:40

developer   ~0003913

I want to take a time to rethink about it and come up with a full reasonable proposal. If you have any ideas what other menu items are both short term and long term goals, please leave a comment here ;)

cbradney

2005-04-02 20:03

administrator   ~0004047

Moved "Insert Sample Text" to Insert->Sample Text

christoph_s

2005-07-24 01:03

administrator   ~0005684

Considering the recent discussion on the list, and the re-integration of "insert sample text", I would like to add a few comments.

1) My impression from the discussions is that the context menu and shortcuts are regarded as the most (advanced) user friendly ways of doing things. Mouse trips to the main menu in layout operations are to be avoided at any cost.

2) An advanced user will (and has to) easily use these opportunities for the sake of productivity and speed.

3) Alexandre's attempts of regrouping make a lot of sense to me. IMHO, having submenus to the context menu doesn't hurt at all. OO.o and QXP have them too, and it works. The "properties" palette is nothing but a huge and powerful submenu.

4) A customisable context menu would be nice, but I don't think it should be a top priority as long as it does respond to the kind of frame it is applied to enough.

cbradney

2014-06-04 20:05

administrator   ~0032019

I think this is basically done, no?

christoph_s

2014-06-04 22:45

administrator   ~0032020

Still open:

- "move Info to status toolbar: there's plenty of unused space there." THE CM entry provides more info than the status bar.

- "We can merge them all in one submenu like "Change contents."

- "move "Undo", "Redo", "Cut", "Copy" and "Delete" to "Edit" submenu."

cbradney

2014-06-05 05:08

administrator   ~0032021

Yes, do we want those?

christoph_s

2014-06-05 06:47

administrator   ~0032022

I'm not not sure.

As for # 1, most certainly not, because it would require too much info being on display in the status bar.

# 2 seems to be a matter of taste.

# 3: Yes, definitely.

cbradney

2014-06-05 19:48

administrator   ~0032031

2&3 done. Bug is done now. Further changes require more bugs, emails or updates on IRC.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2005-03-13 09:18 alexandre New Issue
2005-03-13 19:45 Tsoots Note Added: 0003906
2005-03-14 08:38 ringerc Note Added: 0003907
2005-03-14 08:40 ringerc Note Edited: 0003907
2005-03-14 09:45 alexandre Note Added: 0003908
2005-03-15 14:40 alexandre Note Added: 0003913
2005-03-19 08:31 plinnell Summary decrease bnlosting in context menus for frames => decrease bloating in context menus for frames
2005-03-29 10:36 cbradney Status new => assigned
2005-03-29 10:36 cbradney Assigned To => cbradney
2005-03-29 10:37 cbradney Relationship added related to 0001102
2005-03-29 10:38 cbradney Relationship added related to 0001771
2005-04-02 20:03 cbradney Note Added: 0004047
2005-07-24 01:03 christoph_s Note Added: 0005684
2006-01-15 00:02 cbradney Relationship added related to 0003014
2014-06-04 20:05 cbradney Status assigned => resolved
2014-06-04 20:05 cbradney Fixed in Version => 1.5.0svn
2014-06-04 20:05 cbradney Resolution open => fixed
2014-06-04 20:05 cbradney Note Added: 0032019
2014-06-04 22:45 christoph_s Note Added: 0032020
2014-06-05 05:08 cbradney Note Added: 0032021
2014-06-05 06:47 christoph_s Note Added: 0032022
2014-06-05 19:48 cbradney Note Added: 0032031
2014-06-05 19:48 cbradney Status resolved => closed