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[Ayatana] File menu




The File menu should probably not be used on a lot of applications, since they don't do anything with files.
The calculator can easily do without it, for example.
Besides, the File menu has been overloaded with actions that have nothing to do with files anyway, and should therefore at least be cleaned up.

As long as for example in the case of Rythmbox, 'Music' would not be an overloaded menu (doesn't practically everything it does have to do with music?), it would be an acceptable name for a menu. But that would mean that closing an app, printing, and whatever other non music-related actions should NOT be there.

Saying that this has been a convention and changing it will be confusing might be a good argument, although it is easy to change that habit for something more logical, and who closes his app from that menu anyway? I only do that in Empathy, because it's the only way to really close the app (,which I prefer to having it linger and taking up limited resources). This behavior is already wrong itself and should also be fixed (Android app management anyone?)

2010/11/9 Walter Wittel <wittelw@xxxxxxxxx>

Taking Calculator as an example, I personally prefer "File". Putting
Copy / Paste / etc. there means I can now no longer look to Edit menu
on any application to find this common functionality. Might as well
have Menu 1, Menu 2, etc. because I'll have to open it up to discover
the functions.

I believe anything that is the same across applications should be on
the same named menu (with few or no exceptions). The Calculator menu
should be for things that are specific to the calculator application
and not likely to apply to other applications.

On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 7:23 PM, frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx
<frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> hello there,
> thinking about the File menu, it has become clear to me that the known
> approach is the best:
> replace "File" with either [Application Name] or alternatively, as Rhythmbox
> does it, a title that indicates the main purpose of the respective utility..
> i have checked and found Empathy, Simple Scan, Rhythmbox, Totem, Calculator
> and others implement this.
> Now what is the better menu title strategy?
> a) indicate the name of the application (Gwibber, Calculator)
> b) indicate the main purpose/function of the application ( Empathy: "Chat")
> c) indicate the content of the application is meant to handle (Rhythmbox:
> "Music")
>
> my personal preference is (b), if (b) is not available i'd suggest using
> (a).
> what do y'all think?
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