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Re: [Ayatana] Unity and Menus



GNOME programs (gedit, nautilus) and some Ubuntu programs (software-center) follow this approach: menu bar with all options and a toolbar with most used actions (in gedit, common edit operations and in nautilus/software-center, navigation and search). Those applications are single windowed (there are some dialogs, like preferences, but not multiple windows).

ubuntuone-control-panel doesn't follow this guidelines. There is no menubar, neither toolbar: only a tabbed window. Anyway, this is a different kind of application.

Em 22-01-2012 14:06, Ian Santopietro escreveu:

Building on that, it was my understanding that every action should be placed in the menu, but that frequently used actions should be echoed in a button/toolbar.

On Jan 22, 2012 8:37 AM, "Christian Rupp" <christian@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Am 21.01.2012 00:39, schrieb Jonathan Meek:
In my spare time, I'm working on creating a traditional windowed application that will have a menubar. I find it important to integrate with Unity, leading me to an important question: What behavior is the best to adopt?

As I see it, there are three options:
  1. I can have windows each have their own specific menubar as needed and let Unity take it out and put it in the top as is usual now.
  2. I can push the application to use only one window so that the menubar becomes a non-issue.
  3. I can work on an application-wide menu.
And for the issues I see with these approaches:
  1. This creates inconsistencies with the launcher being per-application in its design. The launcher is based on the application, not on its constituent windows.
  2. Not all applications can force their system into a single window interface with the limitations of current GTK technology. (At least to my own satisfaction given the different models needed for different aspects of the application.)
  3. The way that Unity currently grabs the menubar from applications is on a per-window basis. More or less literally ripping the menubar from the application. This makes any application-wide menu feel like a hack personally.
I feel like it's obvious which approach I'd prefer, but I'm interested in feedback in which scenario is the one most in line with Ubuntu's future. I know that one of the ultimate goals stated my MPT was to be able to provide a default set of menus for every application. Then again, we have one of the default applications forgoing menus altogether (Ubuntu One Control Panel).

So which approach is condoned?

Additional question: What should the nomenclature of menus be? Are we to adopt the inherited behavior for classic GNOME applications where the first menu name should be relevant to the application? (I.E. Rhythmbox's first menu being named "Music", or Empathy's "Chat") 

Or the adopt the newer GNOME behavior that will appear when using an application on OS X? (I.E. The name of the application being the first menu [in my opinion alleviating some of the global menu design issues] found in this link from another recent Ayatana posting.)  

Thanks for your time.


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I think this is one of the main problems in the unity design. If you want to be shure you'll have to wait for the HIG for Ubuntu.
Problem: They won't be finished or partly available in the next few months.

What I would do:
It depends on the app you are planning...
But I would try to use one window and maybe some small windows for settings. If you want to be really great you can look up morphing windows, but I don't have any idea how thei are working, just like the idea behind them
Also you have to reduce clutter.
If I have understand the idea behind the design of ubuntu: Every action which is performed regullary should get a button, things like settings or very rarely used actions should be put in the menu, but as I said: it depends on the app and on its complexity

Sorry was in a hurry

Christian Rupp


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