[Pkg-xfce-devel] Bug#430184: Bug#430184: xfce4-utils: prevent window resize on startup

Michael Gilbert michael.s.gilbert at gmail.com
Sat Jun 23 16:09:25 UTC 2007


On 6/23/07, Yves-Alexis Perez wrote:
> On sam, 2007-06-23 at 02:13 -0400, Michael Gilbert wrote:
> > the following patch to xfce4-help/info.c sizes the help window to the
> > maximum horizontal width that fits all of the text boxes (590 pixels).
>
> I guess you're speaking of xfce4-about?

oops.  yes, that's what i meant

> > this is currently done with -1 (automatic), and the window ends up
> > resizing a couple times when the application starts up.  this is a
> > disorienting and undesirable effect for the user.  however, it is
> > minor
> > and an easy fix.
>
> I don't really see the problem here, but maybe the computer is too fast
> for this effect to be really noisy.
>
> I don't really think this is really a problem either. Instead, I'd say
> -1 is "the good thing", so there is no change to do in the code if
> there's more thing to add.

i am using a slower computer (1.6 ghz), and the effect is pretty
pronounced.  the gnome hig has a section that discourages showing
windows, then resizing
(http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/windows.html#windows-show-hide).
 i understand that xfce is not gnome, but their hig is a really good
guideline when the right way to do the ui is not known.

the only concern that i can think of with setting the pixel width
statically is if the width of the text in any of the boxes gets
longer.  but since most of the text are licenses, which rarely change,
i don't think this will be an issue.  maybe you just need to make a
choice to keep the text width always less than 80 characters.  i chose
590 pixels because that was just enough to capture the width of the
largest text box, which was the GPL (580 pixels was too small).

i understand that the choice is yours, but i think the change is
minimal, and benefits usability and how professional and polished xfce
looks.  so its worth making the change.

thanks.

mike




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