Re: [Usability] Tab implementation review

[Allan Day <allanpday gmail com>]

On Mon, 2009-02-09 at 19:22 -0500, Randall Wood wrote:
> On 9 Feb 2009, at 12:12, Allan Day wrote:
> 
> > Hey all,
> >
> > I've been working (on and off) on reviewing all the bugs and other
> > discussions on tabs in GNOME [1]. It's reached a fairly mature stage
> > now. I think the review contains useful information about how tabs  
> > could
> > be improved in GNOME. Any comments or suggestions?
> 
> 
> I would suggest the following:
> 
> - The display of a single tab (show tab or collapse tab bar) should be  
> user configurable and universal across the entire desktop (A user may  
> find that screen real estate is more valuable than consistency). I  
> would make showing the tab bar when there is only a single tab the  
> default.

There has been some recent discussion about the display of the tab bar
in Gedit (this is the only GNOME app to display the tab bar when only
one tab is open) [1]. In that bug, a number of devs state a preference
for hiding the tab bar by default.

You might also want to read this discussion on the Usability list:
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2005-June/msg00133.html .

So let's review the arguments:

*Tab bar hidden by default*

Advantages: clean, simple interface. Apps look very minimal without it,
which can be nice. Makes learning the basics of the interface easier
(since it is simpler). Conforms to current practice amongst GNOME apps.

Disadvantages: makes tab functionality less discoverable. Means that it
isn't possible to introduce additional functionality to the tab bar.
Clicking on empty space in the tab bar could trigger the creation of a
new tab, for example. Or it might be possible to drag tabs and windows
from elsewhere into the tab bar. (Maybe the first step is to decide
whether this functionality is desirable?)

> - Perhaps the close button should be hidden when there is only a  
> single tab?

I'd say leave the close button there, for sake of consistency.

> - Use Ctrl+{ / (Open brace) Ctrl+} (Close brace) to move between tabs

Oh? Why not Ctrl+PgUp/PgDown?

> - Tabs should be included in the Window menu

Agreed. There are decisions to be made about what this menu entry should
be called and what it should contain. Most GNOME apps call it 'Tabs'.
Gedit is the exception - it calls it 'Documents'.

> - There should be a menu item "Window->Merge All Windows" to move all  
> tabs in all windows to a single tab bar in a single window

Sounds like useful functionality. The main argument against might be in
terms of keeping things simple. Also, I'm not sure whether this is
something that could be done by the window manager - might have to go
into the File menu.

Allan

[1] http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=547848