Re: Customize UI

[Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com>]

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:34:35 +0200 Juri Linkov <juri@jurta.org> wrote: 

>> * Improving the Customize user interface (I have some working in this
>> area that I'm going to commit soon).

JL> I propose more improvements for the Customize user interface:

JL> ** Move sub-group links to the top of the Customize buffer.
JL>    This will make the group tree navigation much easier.
JL>    Most file browsers do the same: they put links to subdirectories
JL>    before links to files (in Customize, options are analogous to files,
JL>    and groups - to directories).

JL>   So UI would look like:
JL>   _____________________________________________________
JL>   Parent groups: Environment Files
JL>   Subgroups:
JL>     Dired Faces : Faces used by Dired.
JL>     Dired Mark : Handling marks in Dired.
JL>     Dired X : Extended directory editing (dired-x).
JL>     Find Dired : Run a `find' command and dired the output.
JL>     Ls Lisp : Emulate the ls program completely in Emacs Lisp.
JL>     Wdired : Mode to rename files by editing their names in dired buffers.
JL>   _____________________________________________________
JL>   Dired group: Directory editing.
JL>         State: visible group members are all at standard values.

JL>   Directory Free Space Args
JL>      Options to use when running `directory-free-space-program'.

JL>   Directory Free Space Program
JL>      Program to get the amount of free space on a file system. More

JL>   [more options...]

I like the goal (immediate visibility of the available subgroups), but
would suggest that instead of putting them first in a vertical list,
perhaps they could be arranged horizontally (wrapped as needed) by
default.  The `t' key, for instance, could toggle between a horizontal
and a vertical list; that way the user can see the details or hide them
as needed.  In a 80x25 terminal that would make a big difference to
usability, as others have mentioned.

A smaller font (80% of normal) could also be appropriate, and a
graphical indicator stamping each subgroup would be nice.

Ted