UIBPWG070328

Attending

Tod Creasey, Boris Bokowski, Kevin McGuire, Michael Scharf, Dave Mitropoulos-Rundus, Kimberley Peter, Neil Hauge

1. Guideline Updates

• Revise and test template -- See * Template file for adding to the UI Best Practices
• Meet with group of editors to go through process and template for making updates -- after 3:00 PM (EST) Thur, Mar 29 if possible

• Sue = Susan Yeshin ... Message Rules (3.x) and something from TBD (from 2.1)
• Raji = Raji Akella ... TBD (something from 2.1)
• Neal = Neil Hauge ... Properties Tab (3.x)
• Kim = Kim Peter ... UI Graphics conversion (3.x) & image updates to 2.1 wizard sentence issues

• Top Ten Lists : Use as active point of reference for show and tells

2. Improve navigation to UI pages

• Use "Categories"
• Add these on our pages so that we have context -- Michael's will give us pointer on how to do this

3. UI Questions

1) Managing multiple instances of the same view

• Examples include Console Views (switching between data sources or the same), Search, and History views

General case guidelines:

• use multiple view instances, not tabs in tabs
• use unique titles for each view instance to reflect the content
• allow for rapid navigation between the views
• show history, eg. search view

Considerations:

• every time you do a search, you don't want a new view
• how are people going to interact with it

Future:

• Multiple tabs for editors and for views and how they get used
• Use of multiple instances more pervasive

Tips and Tricks

• Use multipage editors if you want to look at same data set in different ways
• Use multiple instances of a view if they contain different content
• like different tabs in a browser with different content, but you may also have the same content in that browser view
• give ability to determine the content in a view instance

Related comments:

• Confusing where the Console View gets put when "new"
• New Console Stack trace = new stack trace inside of Console View
• New Console View = new Console View
• One of goals of UIWG is harmonize these kinds of differences
• Search needs help :-) -- Michael to send comments to Kevin; has also talked with Martin about same

2) When do you use forms inside a view/editor?

• Depends on audience and problem space
• Slickness of look
• Type, amount, and complexity of content, e.g., complex content is good in form content

3) Is it appropriate to use forms in a view that is not

• Yes
• Don't want to over use though since everything ends up looking the same
• Distinguish primary and secondary views by how you render elements in form
• Use forms API to varying degrees for secondary views
• Can also use GEF

Related comments:

• Overuse of model dialogs - eg. launch configuration
• Rethink this one and move it to forms
• Move away from modal dialogs
• Other dialogs that could be (have been) non-modal: Run, Preference -- but have to stay that way to not cause breakages
• Example of something complex that you can see or not see: XRay (by Chris Laffra), floating

Next

• Kevin M to gather group of guideline editors to discuss process and template (aiming for Thurs, Mar 29 after 3:00 PM (EST)
• Next meeting will be on April 11th. Tod Creasey will give a UI walkthough of the Platform UI from Europa M6.