Hi,

I have another version of my improved Configure Build Lazarus dialog. There are basically 2 ways to go with the GUI design here:
1. Build profile centric. You select the profile and maybe change it.
2. Build options centric. It lets you forget the profiles if you don't want to use them.

The feedback was that "super-users" don't want the profiles get into their way. My new design follows that (nro 2).

It is like the old advanced page but has a combobox for profiles: http://koti.phnet.fi/juhamann/Lazarus/BuildLaz2.jpg

and when you click the '...' button you get:
http://koti.phnet.fi/juhamann/Lazarus/BuildLazProfiles.jpg

In the previous thread there were ideas also for the profile centric approach. Then editing the actual build options would require more mouse clicks.

My first version was also very functional. It allowed the user to use profiles or then not use them, and it was intuitive. But yes, it was crowded because everything was visible on the same dialog.
For repetition, this was the first version:

http://koti.phnet.fi/juhamann/Lazarus/BuildLazSimple.jpg http://koti.phnet.fi/juhamann/Lazarus/BuildLazDetails.jpg

Regards,
Juha Manninen

I like this new dialog.

Felipe Monteiro de Carvalho wrote

I like this new dialog.

Me too, this is much better than the previous attempt.

Michael.

Why Save profiles button is needed? Can this be done automatically?

and when you click the '...' button you get: http://koti.phnet.fi/juhamann/Lazarus/BuildLazProfiles.jpg

Ok.

Best regards,
Paul Ishenin.

I agree with Paul. I can't see the point of the "save profile" button? It seems the "..." button is only to add a new item in the profile combobox and reorder them, so why not simply make it a editable combobox that auto saves newly entered items (though I'm not a big fan of edit combos myself). The items must also be sorted then (I think this is a requirement for edit comboboxes).

Overall, the dialog looks much better now, than it did before. Less clutter. Good work.

Looking at the dialog again, I guess the "save profiles" button is useful if you are setting up a few profiles at once before you click "build". Giving the user a clear indication that they are saving the profile (similar reason why FPDoc Editor has a save button now).

Regards,
- Graeme -

I guess it is the former button: 'Save settings' which means 'Save and exit without building'.

Mattias

Yes, That's the case. I changed the text back to 'Save settings' now.

The logic is now that all changes made in this dialog remain until you click 'Save settings' or 'Build' to save them or 'Cancel' to not save them. Changed settings are copied to the selected profile automatically 'on the fly'.

The same thing in the profiles' manager dialog. You can 'Cancel' all your addition and reordering if you like.

This is quite standard and logical. I was also thinking of making changes to a profile's settings more difficult. There would be a 'Refresh' button and the settings would move to a profile only when you click it. It would complicate the program code but also create other UI problems. What is the user selects another profile after changing settings? Then he would be warned like:
"You have changed settings. Do you want to save them before moving to another profile?* Yes, No...
That would be a very irritating UI design. Some earlier KDE versions had it between config window panes. They fixed it fortunately.

The basic assumption must be that the user knows what he is doing and if he screws up badly then he can click 'Cancel'.

Regards,
Juha Manninen

I was also thinking of using this one dialog for all editing but it would end up being messy and illogical.
We need 4 function: Add, Delete, Rename and Reorder. Renaming of course could be done as deleting and then adding with new name, but still...
A separate clean dialog is better IMO.

Juha

Juha Manninen wrote

Renaming of course could be done as deleting and then adding with new name, but still... A separate clean dialog is better IMO.

I see you point and agree - in this case a separate dialog is better. Also changing the "save profiles" to "save settings" is a lot more logical.

Regards,
- Graeme -

I uploaded the new version to bugtracker issue #0015336.

I finally didn't change the Widgetset radiogroup to combobox. Main reason is that now the radiogroup is resized when the form is resized. If it is taken away then the make-mode listbox should be resized. It is owner-drawn and its column widths should be synchronized with its header by adding some program code. Is it easy or difficult, I don't know.
However, now I would like to have some version of this Build Profiles ready. Other improvement can be made incrementally later if needed.

ComboBox OnChange and OnSelect events behave differently between GTK2 and QT bindings. Now the code works for both.

Also added items in the Target OS and Target CPU comboboxes. This mostly solves the case #0013941: Lazarus Build Dialog additions by Graeme Geldenhuys.

Regards,
Juha Manninen

Hello,

I was asked at Lazarus chat about when my patch will be included in Lazarus. I understood some people really need this feature and are waiting for it. I myself have been waiting for the patch to be accepted or then feedback about why it can't be accepted.
If it still has issues, I am ready to work on them. I don't know of any such issues now myself. I feel it would be safe to accept it. It makes things better for some people but doesn't make things worse for anyone.

Regards,
Juha Manninen

Sorry, busy week.
I had not the time to look at the code.

If it still has issues, I am ready to work on them. I don't know of any such issues now myself. I feel it would be safe to accept it. It makes things better for some people but doesn't make things worse for anyone.

I have some minor doubts that it is easier for newbies.

Mattias

Mattias Gaertner wrote

I have some minor doubts that it is easier for newbies.

Yes, good UI design is difficult because there is no single "right" solution.

I think even newbies soon go to advanced page editing the actual options (like me some time ago).
At that point the current UI sucks because it gives an impression that Quick Options and Advanced Options are 2 separate things while they are not. So, I really believe the new dialog is good for newbies, too, because it is more logical.

Juha

My + for new build dialog and comboboxes for target os & cpu. I need such build dialog too.

zeljko

Me too
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