compiz team mailing list archive

[Brad Jensen <bradwjensen@xxxxxxxxx>]

I first came to this bug report because I'm so frustrated with the way
the Global Menu has been implemented.

First of all, WHY are we auto-hiding menu options? The fact that a menu
is hidden without hovering over it with the cursor is insane! All that
does is cause confusion, and hides options that others might be looking
for or wishing they had that they didn't know existed (because they're
hidden)! Menu options should be visible at all times, where they can be
discovered and easily/quickly clicked on.

Right now, with everything being auto-hidden, I have to remember the
menu is up at the top left of the screen (when my window is small rather
than maxed), and then I have to hover the panel to see my options (very
annoying/time consuming), and then I have to find the right option (if
it was always visible I would have already found it), and then continue
selecting what I originally wanted to accomplish.


Comment #24 is 100% correct.

By having the menu on the window itself, when not maximized, people have
to move their eyes less, and move their arms and cursor less. It saves
time and it and makes sense because the menus are connected to the app
you are currently working on. By placing them in the global menu for a
non-maxed window, you are confusing people as to what those menu options
actually belong to, especially when you have to change focus from app to
menu or to other app. Even the desktop has it's own menu..

[x] Global Menu only for maximized windows makes the most sense.

Most people on small screens run their apps maximized to get the most
space possible, so naturally, placing the menu in the global menu when
windows are maximized keeps the menu in the same areas as when the
window is non-maxed (attached to the top left of the app), and it saves
space by removing an extra bar. When people have very large screens they
tend to use smaller windows and would appreciate having menus attached
to each app, so it's easier to know which menu belongs to what app, as
well as keeping the user from having to move their eyes, arms, and
cursor very far to get to what menu they want (it's faster and easier.)
They won't have to worry about what app has focus to know which menu
they're working with..

So the solution is simple! When windows are maxed use the global menu,
and NEVER auto-hide them; at it saves space, but is also technically the
same thing as having the menu on the app window itself because it
appears in the correct area of the window itself (and it's not confusing
because it will never be auto-hidden.) When windows are not maxed, keep
the menu attached to the window itself, so people have less to think
about, and less hand/eye movement (It's also faster and easier.)

On a side note.. Showing the title before the menu is kind of annoying
as well.. If anything, the title should be placed after the menu so the
menu and close/max/min buttons are always in the same place.

-- 
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/682788

Title:
  Improve Unity Global Menu

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