Re: brainstorm re: tabs, menus, views

Chris Keane wrote:

> Hello, I have been lurking on this list for a while, and I think I can
> contribute something to this topic.

Yay! I've snagged a lurker! +1 for Chad!


> 1. It creates more visual distinction between folder view options and
> content-specific tabs (edit and properties).  I am often involved in
> training our various clients on managing content via the Plone UI.  The
> current layout, with similar tabs offering views of both content and folder
> information, is confusing to some of the non-technical users with whom I've
> worked.

This is exactly the kind of concern that motivated my post. Thank you 
for stating it so well. Now that I think about it, though, I think we 
would prolly still want one "View" tab, and the "View as..." menu would 
only show up for that tab. Otherwise how would you navigate to the 
"View" when you are on the "Edit" tab for example? I guess if the menu 
was there on every tab, but I think that breaks the paradigm.



> 2. I cannot speak for any inherent value of the Win Explorer interface, but
> it is a very common interface, and a defining element of many nontechnical
> users' interface expectations.  By making Plone similar to Windows, you
> would be creating a more comfortable interface for many users, which would
> hopefully mean shorter learning curves and less frustration.

I think it is a pretty common feature across OS's, but your main point 
is right on: where existing paradigms work, make like a lemming.



> 3. Why stop with existing products? We often create custom views of content
> for our clients' sites, overriding the default views (usually for design
> reasons or for additional functions on a page).  A "View As..." action menu
> lays the foundation for optionally creating custom views without having to
> override/hide default view templates.

Yes! Yes! Custom views all around! We need a modular system that can 
accomodate:

  - Enabling/disabling views per-meta_type and per-object
  - Setting a default view per-meta_type and per-object
  - Custom views -- Not sure what this would be called to be most usable.
  - Stock views ...
      Thumbnail -- default for albumish folders
      Detail -- would include mgmt interface (cut/copy/paste/delete/etc)
      Listing -- perhaps this is the current <dl>-based folder_listing

So the menu would look like:

   View as ...
     Custom/Pretty
     Thumbnail
     Detail
     Listing


> From a producer/project manager point of view, this "View As..." proposal
> would be a great addition to the Plone UI.  I think it's an awesome idea.

That's a point of view that we need more often, IMO. Thanks for chiming in!





chad



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