Bug#484890: mc: 'Find File' box layout vague; which options apply to which fields?
On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 16:49:43 +0200
Michelle Konzack [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Why do you think, are
| Filename: BASH__ [^] |
| [x] Find recursively |
and
| Content: __ [^] |
| [ ] case Sensitive |
| [x] Regular expression |
separated?
Usability researchers advise that users scan an interface, (they don't
read it), hunting for what's needed given limited time. Users muddle
through, or satisfice. (q.v. Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think, et
al)
Suppose that separating checkboxes with a fill-in-blank denotes
incompatibility. The first two fill-ins are:
| Start at: /bin/_ [^] |
| |
| Filename: BASH__ [^] |
| [x] Find recursively |
But Find recursively complements both the 'Start at' and 'Filename'
fields, though separated. (The verb 'find' applies to the 'Filename',
and 'recursively' applies to directories, or 'Start at'.)
This would be less vague, but looks ugly:
+--- Find File --+
||
| Start at: /bin/_ [^] |
||
| Filename: BASH__ [^] |
| [x] Find recursively |
||
| +---+ |
| | Content: __ [^] | |
| |[ ] case Sensitive | |
| |[x] Regular expression | |
| +---+ |
||
| [ OK ] [ Tree ][ Cancel ] |
++
...maybe there's some better way.
I'm not a new user and am credited in the 2003 'mc' changelog. Though
I've no means of measuring statistically how many users have been
confused by this particular layout, it's plausible that if it confuses
one longtime 'mc' fan, then it'll confuse others.
Maybe they could be a second case Sensitive checkbox
for the Filename: which would be usefull.
Are two case Sensitive checkboxes worth the screen real estate, (four
states: 00,01,10,11), versus one checkbox that could be made to apply
to both (two states: 0,1)? The {01,10} states might be needed less
often.
HTH...
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Bug#484890: mc: 'Find File' box layout vague; which options apply to which fields?
Why do you think, are | Filename: BASH__ [^] | | [x] Find recursively | and | Content: __ [^] | | [ ] case Sensitive | | [x] Regular expression | separated? Maybe they could be a second case Sensitive checkbox for the Filename: which would be usefull. Greetings Michelle Konzack Systemadministrator Tamay Dogan Network Debian GNU/Linux Consultant signature.pgp Description: Digital signature
Bug#484890: mc: 'Find File' box layout vague; which options apply to which fields?
Package: mc Version: 2:4.6.2~git20080311-1 Severity: normal In 'Find File', it's unclear that the case Sensitive and Regular expression boxes apply only to the 'Content' field. Example: +- Find File --+ | | | Start at: /bin/_ [^] | | | | Filename: BASH__ [^] | | [x] Find recursively | | | | Content: __ [^] | | [ ] case Sensitive | | [x] Regular expression | | | | [ OK ] [ Tree ][ Cancel ] | +--+ The search returns nothing, which some users don't expect, since case Sensitive is unchecked. Since 'Filename' field does process command line wildcards, (e.g. [^d]ash would return 'bash'), it's natural to suppose that regex could be an option. 'man mc' doesn't describe which pattern matching character sets 'Filename' allows: man mc | grep -n -A 4 Find File | head -n 6 874:Find File 875: The Find File feature first asks for the start directory for the search 876- and the filename to be searched for. By pressing the Tree button you 877- can select the start directory from the directory tree figure. 878- 879- The contents field accepts regular expressions similar to egrep(1). Possible fixes: 1) Add regex case sensitive searching for 'Filename'. (It would be useful.) 2) Or graphically segregate the 'Content' field and its options in a surrounding sub-box; and add text to 'man mc' explaining how 'Filename' accepts command line wildcards only. Hope this helps... -- System Information: Debian Release: lenny/sid APT prefers unstable APT policy: (500, 'unstable') Architecture: i386 (i686) Kernel: Linux 2.6.24-1-686 (SMP w/1 CPU core) Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968) (ignored: LC_ALL set to C) Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash Versions of packages mc depends on: ii libc62.7-12 GNU C Library: Shared libraries ii libglib2.0-0 2.16.3-2The GLib library of C routines ii libgpmg1 1.20.3~pre3-3.1 General Purpose Mouse - shared lib ii libslang22.1.3-3 The S-Lang programming library - r mc recommends no packages. -- no debconf information -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
