[9.0b2] Panel separator context menu

[wanderer]

I have hidden the vertical button bar, to be honest i don't like it very much (maybe i need some time). Rightclicking on the separator between the two panels, i see that the context menu has items "20/80", "30/70", etc and at the end, there is a "change vertical button bar".

1. Since the vertical bar is hidden, i'm not very sure this menu item should appear. IMO it shouldn't.
2. One would expect to have a "show vertical button bar" item there. I would find that more useful than the "change button bar" one.

[ghisler(Author)]

It's there so you can re-add the vertical bar. The bar itself can only be chosen in that dialog, via >> button, that's why I show this command.

[wanderer]

It's there so you can re-add the vertical bar. The bar itself can only be chosen in that dialog, via >> button, that's why I show this command.

So, you have to edit the button bar if you wish to just show it?

Wouldn't a "Show vertical button bar" be more clear to the user?

[petermad]

Wouldn't a "Show vertical button bar" be more clear to the user?

I agree.

[ghisler(Author)]

The problem is if the user has set the vertical bar to no.bar, the menu item would have no effect.

[wanderer]

The problem is if the user has set the vertical bar to no.bar, the menu item would have no effect.

Just a suggestion: Change the menu item to "Show vertical button bar". Then:

Code: Select all

If VerticalBar.Buttoncount=0 then
  Do what "change vertical button bar" does now
else
  Show Vertical ButtonBar

Would seem more natural to the user and will also cover the case you're concerned about.

[ghisler(Author)]

Then TC has to load the bar every time the user opens the context menu.

[wanderer]

TC has to load the bar

OK, i see where you're going with that and i agree. The only other thing i can think of would be to have a "Show vertical button bar" and if the user clicks on this, load the bar and then do something like

Code: Select all

If VerticalBar.Buttoncount=0 then
  Show message "The vertical bar contains no buttons, so it will not be shown"
  Set Vertical_Bar_Visible to False

or like

Code: Select all

If VerticalBar.Buttoncount=0 then
  Show message "The vertical bar contains no buttons. Are you sure you wish to show it?

Otherwise leave it as is (which i still believe looks unnatural).

[petermad]

Hmm, can't you just check the ini-file:

If no.bar is loaded then [Buttonbar]Buttonbar= will contain \NO.BAR
If vertical bar is closed, then [Layout]ButtonBarVertical=0

BTW what are these items for?:
[Buttonbar]IconDll_xxx.bar=

[wanderer]

If no.bar is loaded

Well, from what Christian has said, i guess the problem is that a bar may be named with another name (i.e. Foo.bar ) and its Buttoncount may be 0, so nothing will be shown. Checking this property means that he would have to load the .bar file and parse it (which in certain cases may not be desired - i.e. when the .bar is in a slow network location).

[petermad]

If somebody loads an empty bar - he is asking for trouble! And he can always use the menu to open the bar again - that's no different than for the horizontal button bar.

[wanderer]

Well, it seems that in b3 it works in a more orthodox way. If no.bar happens to have been selected, it opens the bar editor, otherwise it works as a show/hide option.

Thanks for the change.

[petermad]

Considered fixed in TC9b3