On 01/05/2012 11:08 AM, Matthew Paul Thomas wrote:
I had this same question on Tuesday, because I was specifying how
packaged lenses and scopes should be presented in Ubuntu Software
Center. At a stretch, people might be expected to learn what the
"Dash" is. But "lenses" and "scopes" are developer jargon, best
avoided if possible.
So I asked John Lea, and he clarified that lenses and scopes are
supposed to be just for searching. I asked, what if someone
implemented a calculator lens? (I was reminded of Mac OS X's
Spotlight
menu: for example, if you enter "pi * 2", it will show "pi * 2 =
6.28318351" above any search results.) John replied that he'd prefer
if that kind of thing wasn't possible in the Dash.
So, I specified that the USC subcategory should be called "Dash
Search
Plugins".<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareCenter#lenses>
Given just the architectural constraints, I'd say the text entry part
of the Dash allows queries. One could try to differentiate queries
and
conversions, but on some level they're the same.
What's the difference between Search and Query? Well, I think input
for a calculator woulr rather be called a query then a search.
The rest of the dash is about selection, primarily by means of
browsing and immediate selection.
I do not think that things like a Calculator lense hurt. Considering
how I use the calculator now and then, it's often just one quick
calculation, where not bothering with a separate app would be quite
nice. Then again, I do of course see the issue of duplicated
functionality with diverging interfaces.