Panel menu [was Re: [Usability] 'Capplets' ]

[Bill Haneman <bill haneman sun com>]

Seth wrote:
> On Fri, 2002-04-12 at 15:32, Nils Pedersen wrote:
...

> > Another idea that was tossed around while I was in Dublin was to rename
> > the Actions menu Desktop and then stick preferences in there (maybe even
> > Search for files as well?).
> 
> Search for files is in there currently (well, "Actions").
> 
> Desktop seems reasonable, probably better than "Actions" or "Commands".
> 
> -Seth

Hi Guys:

Is there a strong objection to adding a "Panel" menu item to
every panel?  I know it takes up real estate, but it would
let us circumvent some current issues around focussing the
panel (as opposed to a panel child).  The only compelling reason
we have know, AFAIK, for focussing the panel container, is
to allow keynav of the right-click panel menu.  If that menu
were provided as a "normal" panel menu instead, we wouldn't need
to focus the panel separately from the children, and thus we mightn't
have such a strong need to highlight/prelight the panel when
navigating to it.

I would however lobby for prelighting panel children (i.e. launchers
and, if possible, applets) rather than just drawing a focus rectangle,
much as the GNOME1.4 panel did, to enhance the visibility of the 
panel focus indication.  This would also be consistent with what
we're already doing for panel menubars and toolbar items when 
using keynav; i.e. we already "overload" the PRELIGHT visual indication
for keynav as well as mouse navigation.

I suggest this only because I don't believe we have a solution
for panel focus indication that satisfies both accessibility reqs
and objections of some list-members.

-Bill