Re: BonoboPreview initiative - png in a control

[Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>]

On Mon, 2001-12-10 at 10:26, Ryan Marsh wrote:
> 
> Or you don't have to show all the file previews at once. In windows I
> can put the focus on an html, word, etc... file in the file manager and
> in the sidebar I will see a preview of it. Same idea goes for a file
> selector dialog. You click on the file before a preview is
> generated/retrieved. I think that's a smarter way to approach it, but by
> all means if you can render all the previews in a directory without
> slamming my CPU I'll buy you a pitcher of beer. So far however, Nautilus
> fails this test, can it *really* be done?

Hrm, using Nautilus as a comparison isn't the greatest of ideas.

As for the rendering, there are three things that must be done:

A) render one (or a small number of) previews at a time.
B) make sure the apps uses little CPU - set resource limits, change
priority, whatever, but keep the CPU usage low.
C) keep the components light, we shouldn't have to start up all of
gnumeric just to render a small preview - hell, the data doesn't even
have to be 100% accurate, so long as the general gist of the document
can be understood.

> 
> To the naysayers: Yes it's good to get a preview of a gnumeric, et.al.
> spreadsheet. One of the ways I keep myself sane when working in windows
> is that I can get a preview of an HTML, Word, or other doc just by
> clicking on it. It's a big time saver, and generally a small image is
> adequate to give you context.

Yes, I agree.  I think that showing a preview of one file at a time is
the best way, but as far as Nautilus goes... well, Nautilus stinks at
that stuff anyways.  ~,^  The whole thumbnail "feature" of Nautilus
should be removed.  Turning them off makes it *so* much more
responsive...

> 
> -ryan
>