Progster --
You bring up a point that has bugged me for years. Not just with AB but
with most commercial software.
When one is a beginner with any software package, unfamiliar 'features'
are just 'bugs' for someone who doesn't need or want them (at least not
yet). For example, with AB, the 'feature' to be able to drag the
relative positions of information panes, like Layers, Layouts, Notepad,
etc. drives me up the wall. Every few weeks or so, I accidentally set
one of these free, and spend at least a half hour getting it back in
place. But AB is not nearly as bad as M$ Word that has bullets,
automatic paragraph indention, and capitalization of first letter in a
sentence enabled, right out of the box.
Let's have all the features we can USE, but please don't ship new
product with them all enabled.
-- Keith
On 6/19/2010 10:01, progster01 wrote:
--- In amibroker@yahoogroups.com <mailto:amibroker%40yahoogroups.com>,
Tomasz Janeczko <gro...@...> wrote:
>
> > it doesn't remember collapsed/expanded states,
> It never supposed to remember that. By design they are expanded to make
> sure that novices are aware that there are parameters in the sections.
> Otherwise novice user may not know that it has to click to reveal
> underlying parameters.
So, have this behavior be the as-delivered default for "novices", and
then provide an optional config choice that turns on
collapsed/expanded state memory for those who want it.
I can't agree that straight-jacketing the entire user base is ever the
right answer to "protecting novices" - not when the functionality in
question is itself simple, logical, desirable to many.
Further, I'd suggest to add a section to the Help specifically on
"Default Setting for Beginners" (or similar) and offer all the
explanation necessary right there in a living, growing section. Then,
if novices trip-up and send a question, just refer them to the page
(ideally without sarcasm, since these are _anticipated_ trip-ups,
yes?). <g>
The tendency to simply lock things down in the least-capable
configuration, and avoid adding config choices, supposedly in favor of
"limiting confusion for beginners" is way overdone, IMO.
Besides, its' too late. AB is already overwhelming for beginners. A
long steady climb up the learning curve is unavoidable.
> > doesn't allow colors,
> It is also not a bug. Windows UI design guidelines say that UI controls
> should have consistent colors in entire system and all OS. The colors
> used are system colors set in Windows Control Panel.
>
Again, a great choice as a default, a terrible choice for users who
have perfectly good reasons for wanting to color-code their parameter
displays.
It boils down to "No you can't do that, because I don't feel like
letting you."
I know AB is created and viewed as a work of authorship and art - and
it is that. However, it is purchased as a TOOL.
It's perfectly possible to offer a single setting which would
configure the whole shebang into "Art Mode", setting all config items,
looks, behaviors, etc. to those most aesthetic of settings (in the
creator's view). We could flip that bit and mouse around and admire
whenever we like.
The rest of the time, IMO, it would be better to treat a tool as a
tool and let it be used in the most efficient/effective manner as per
the judgment of the customer who has their own job to get done (the
perceptions of each customer being non-identical to other customers or
to the creator).
Let's have less define, impose, require, and more suggest, allow, enable!
