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Re: GWorskpace (un)usability
From: |
Stefan Urbanek |
Subject: |
Re: GWorskpace (un)usability |
Date: |
Sat, 14 Jun 2003 19:35:44 +0200 |
Hi,
First of all, I would like to apologize for negative sound of my email. I think
that GWorkspace is a nice piece of software and that is the reason i would like
to use it. I just wanted to point out several inconveniences. (see the bottom
of this email).
On 2003-06-14 12:52:17 +0200 Enrico Sersale <enrico@imago.ro> wrote:
On 2003-06-13 22:22:51 +0300 Stefan Urbanek <urbanek@host.sk> wrote:
Hi,
I would like to use GWorkspace as my default file manager, however...
First thing is that annoying me most is the several seconds delay on gworkspace
launch caused by waiting for Backgrounder to be launched.
I get about 6 secs to launch both the apps... Anyway, I suppose that the user
doesn't need to launch GW many times; usually he leave the app running.
6 empty seconds is too much as a response to program launch. I launch it and i
would like to start using it immediately. Would it be possible to wait for that
connection in background or to use some notification mechanism?
<snip>
Moreover, there is that spacetaking icon of backgrounder application.
To solve this problem i would suggest to remove any required
all-the-time-running background task and use tools instead. I was looking on my
copy of NeXTSTEP and i've seen that there were tools for doing various tasks
like copying/moving, size measuring, compression, searching... Launching one
task per operation seems to me to be better idea. Tasks can run in parallel and
thus we can gain speed when working with different devices.
GWorkspace uses tools for copying/moving/deleting/etc. (fopexec), searching
(findfile), showing contents (ContentViewers/PdfViewer, for example), etc...
Regarding Backgrounder:
Gworkspace is about 3 years old and, in all this time, I think that I've tested
all the possible solutions for the file operations: tools, threads, various
things added to the run loop, etc. The solution that you propose has been used
in the firsts versions of GW. In all the cases, the principal problem has been
the fact that the app is slowed down by the work of updating, in the file
operation window, the progress indicator and the fields with the file names for
each file moved, copied, etc.
Now, with Backgrounder, all the work is done by this app and GWorkspace remains
responsive.
i had similar problem of responsiveness by very frequent updates. i have
created another thread to handle notifications and therefore the main thread
was freed. what do you think about this solution? I think that there is some
solution for that problem (and be able to have file operation window IN
gwrokspace and not in some separate application).
btw. would it be possible to remove that backgrounder application icon?
2. Other thing is a bug: when i open new folder, nothing happens and i see the
contents of parent folder.
When you create a new folder a directory named "NewFolder" (or NewFolder1, 2, 3, etc., if
the name is already used) is created. Then the browser matrix scroll to show the new entry, the
cell is selected and a folder icon appears in the icons path. Here you can edit the name from
"NewFolder" to what you want.
Try this: create a new folder or have a folder without any files in it. Go to
any other folder and go back to the parent folder of that empty folder. then
click on icon of new folder. the path view will show that you are in the empty
folder, but the icon view is not updated. (you have to resize the window to see
the empty folder)
Again, are you sure that you are not using GWorkspace 0.1? :-)
sure, i'm using GW from CVS
3. I cannot use Browser view, i am getting:
Error
(objc-load):/usr/GNUstep/System/Applications/GWorkspace.app/Resources/BrowserViewer.viewer/ix86/linux-gnu/gnu-gnu-gnu/BrowserViewer:
undefined symbol: __objc_class_name_BrowserViewerPref
The browser viewer is a bundle and that object is a NSView that comes from this
bundle and is used by GW to show the browser viewer preferences. Each viewer is
a bundle and uses this protocol.
GWorkspace installs all its bundles, viewers, preferences, etc., in the main
bundle, but they are also automatically installed in
$GNUSTEP_SYSTEM_ROOT/Library/Bundles. Theorically GW ignores these objects,
but, in your case, I suggest to clean all these things and also the main app
bundle.
Then, take a recent version (better from cvs) and install this.
Current CVS version will do this error. I've cleaned everything few minutes
ago, recompiled and installed.
If i do ls -l
/usr/GNUstep/System/Applications/GWorkspace.app/Resources/BrowserViewer.viewer/ix86/linux-gnu/gnu-gnu-gnu/
-rwxrwxr-x 1 me me 52655 Jun 14 19:14 BrowserViewer*
see the date. ... when i openapp GWorkspace i see this among other NSLogs:
Error
(objc-load):/usr/GNUstep/System/Applications/GWorkspace.app/Resources/BrowserViewer.viewer/ix86/linux-gnu/gnu-gnu-gnu/BrowserViewer:
undefined symbol: __objc_class_name_BrowserViewerPref
...
4. Print... menu item is confusing. I would expect it to print selected file
with appropriate application, not currently focused view.
"Print" should print the window if no file is selected and tell to the
appropriate application to print the file if a file is selected.
But, where are these applications? The applications are 90% wrapper for X
applications. So, for the moment...
ok
6. What do you think about renaming GWorkspace to use something withoutprefix?
if Workspace.app is taken by NEXT/Apple, there are still many possibilities
that can reflect what this application is doing: Workplace.app, Desktop.app,
Browser.app (from file/object browser), ...
No problem! Choose a name and I'll rename GWorkspace.
Workplace? :-)
Probably, in this occasion, I'll also assign GWorkspace to the FSF, as
suggested by David Ayers.
(Excuse me, David, if I report here some line from a private mail)
"
...
First of all I'd like to thank you for all the work you put in GWorkspace! Now as
GWorkspace is the "official GNUstep workspace manager" I keep wondering about
something...
"Why is an official GNUstep application not part of the GNUstep project?"
...
"
This only to say that, if GWorkspace is so "unusable", why it should become "part of
the GNUstep project"?
ah, ok. my second apology, the word unusable was not appropriate. it is
unusable for me. as i said, gw is a piece of software that we need and you have
put of your work in it. And I fully agree that such application should become a
part of GNUstep project. It is part of the gnustep environment anyway
(NSWorkspace class).
Workspace should be The Entrance to the GNUstep Environment. (G)Workspace
should provide good user experience. I do not think that scaring away users
right at the front gate is good for gnustep.
Due of my very bad English, I've just looked in the dictionary for the world
"scare" and I must say that I dont like the mean. But I don't want to polemize.
I repeat: get a new version, install it correctly and all the stuff will work.
I have CVS version from today: Jun 14 2003 19:00 CET.
GWorkspace has *many* users. And it helps in finding new GNUstep users; If I
look in my mail, I can find about two mail/week written by people that is
trying to build it without GNUstep...
It should have more :), I think that GW should become integrated part of
GNUstep environment. If i did not wanted that, i would not send an email of
'not content user'. Unsatisfaction should be a step towards improvement.
Best regards,
Stefan
--
http://urbanek.host.sk
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you
win.
- Mahatma Gandhi
- ANNOUNCE GWorkspace 0.5.2 & GWRemote 0.1, Enrico Sersale, 2003/06/10
- Re: ANNOUNCE GWorkspace 0.5.2 & GWRemote 0.1, Tobias, 2003/06/10
- Re: ANNOUNCE GWorkspace 0.5.2 & GWRemote 0.1, Enrico Sersale, 2003/06/10
- Re: ANNOUNCE GWorkspace 0.5.2 & GWRemote 0.1, Tobias, 2003/06/10
- Re: ANNOUNCE GWorkspace 0.5.2 & GWRemote 0.1, Enrico Sersale, 2003/06/10
- Re: ANNOUNCE GWorkspace 0.5.2 & GWRemote 0.1, Tobias, 2003/06/10
- Re: GWorskpace (un)usability,
Stefan Urbanek <=
- Re: GWorskpace (un)usability, Nicolas Roard, 2003/06/14
- Re: GWorskpace (un)usability, Gregory John Casamento, 2003/06/14
- Re: GWorskpace (un)usability, Stefan Urbanek, 2003/06/15
- Re: My GWorkspace feature request, Nicolas Roard, 2003/06/15
- Re: My GWorkspace feature request, Enrico Sersale, 2003/06/15
- Re: My GWorkspace feature request, Nicolas Roard, 2003/06/15
- Re: My GWorkspace feature request, Enrico Sersale, 2003/06/15
- Re: My GWorkspace feature request, Eric Christopherson, 2003/06/15
- Re: My GWorkspace feature request, Stefan Böhringer, 2003/06/16
- Re: My GWorkspace feature request, Alexander Perez, 2003/06/16