[Synaptic-devel] filter and buttons in the new user interface

[Sebastian Heinlein]

Hello,

I am little bit uncertain about relaying on the menu as the single
visible methods to perform package actions in the new user interface. 

I would appreciate to add some action buttons above the package
description: "Install", "Remove", "Upgrade" and "Unmark". If one of the
actions is not available or useless it should be grayed out, e.g. if you
press the "install" button on a not installed package the button would
be grayed out and the "unmark" button would be 'ungrayed'/enabled.

The Gnome Human Interface Guideline is also sceptical towards the use of
context menus:

"Be aware that popup menus are used primarily by intermediate and
advanced users. Even some users who have used graphical desktops for
many years do not know about popup menus until somebody shows them."

[http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/1.0/menus.html]

Another point is the filter combo box. Michael and me already discussed
about its use. And Michael came up with the idea to remove it and move
the filters to the new left browser as its own group in addition to
"section", "alphabet", "status" and "keyword" (tag).

This would allow to expand the interactive filter field to the whole
width.

A modified glade file is appended to this email.

Input and comments are welcome.

Regards,

Sebastian

newgui.tgz
Description: application/compressed-tar