[Python-Dev] Please revert autofolding of tracker edit form

[Terry Reedy]

On 3/31/2011 9:59 AM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> Le jeudi 31 mars 2011 à 23:48 +1000, Nick Coghlan a écrit :
>> On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 10:16 PM, Antoine Pitrou<solipsis at pitrou.net>  wrote:
>>> It would be nice if someone with UI design experience was interested in
>>> maintaining/improving the tracker.
>>
>> The challenge is the same as with any UI designer involvement in open
>> source stuff though: they really need to be given the freedom to do
>> proper workflow analysis and come up with something that *works*, but
>> in practice things tend to get derailed into endless bikeshed
>> arguments, since *everyone* has an opinion on the UI design of the
>> tools they have to use.
>
> Well, obviously they have, since they are users and are directly
> impacted by any changes.
> The line this draws is between clean-sheet design and iterative
> improvement. Clearly it would be difficult to try to sell us a wholesale
> change in how the issue tracker organizes things.

Here is my proposal for a redesign based on an analysis of my usage ;-).
I have a 1600x1050 (or thereabouts), 20" (measured) diagonal, 17" across 
screen.

The left column has a 7/8" margin, 2 3/8" text area, and 1" gutter. 
These could be shrunk to say, 1/4, 2, 1/4, saving 1 3/8".
The comment box is 8 1/2", message boxes are wider, but the extra width 
is not used if one uses hard returns in the comment box. In any case, 
the message boxes could be narrowed by 1 1/8".
This would allow a right column of 1/4+2+1/4".

Except for title, comment, and file boxes, we then stack the 
classification and process boxes in the right column.
The nosy box would be last so it can list one name per line.
It would end with an [ add  me ] button. It should also have a box for 
adding people (as with Assigned To). Having to look up tracker names in 
Assigned To and retype exactly in the nosy list is an error-prone 
nuisance. Putting all these boxes to the side leaves them visible for 
those who want them but out of the way and ignorable for those who do not.

I would be nice is both the left and right columns had buttons to hide 
and show. This would help people accessing issues from smaller screens, 
as with a netbook.

The title is not really classification and belongs at the very top. It 
could even go in the 1 1/8" top bar, which is currently mostly empty, 
along with the issue number.

I would like to try putting the comment box after the last (most recent) 
comment, as that is the message one most ofter responds to. Having to 
now scroll up and down between comment box and last message(s) is often 
of a nuisance.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy