terminology bug: Popup Window, Window Button
| Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DockbarX |
Fix Released
|
Medium
|
Unassigned | ||
Bug Description
DockbarX (0.39.7 on Ubuntu 9.10) preferences refers to the window list menu as "Popup Window." I consider this a terminology bug, and not likely to be understood by end-users.
While technically menus are a type of pop-up window, traditionally that term applied to small accessory windows that are usually detached from the application that created them (and often movable). While a menu is attached to the application in some fashion, and is used to show a list of items.
Despite knowing the technical definition, when I first saw "Popup Window" in the preferences dialog, I assumed it referred to the preview pop-up windows.
I recommend changing the terminology to something like menu, window list, window list menu, etc.
To a lesser degree, I also find "Window Button" to be a less than ideal way to reference the window list items. One doesn't normally refer to the items in a menu as buttons. Though I can see why that might be done for consistency with "Group Button," however the two objects are rendered quite differently, with a "Group Button" taking on the appearance of a UI button. So I'd recommend a terminology adjustment here too.
| Matias Särs (msevens) wrote | #1 |
| Tom Metro (tmetro+ubuntu) wrote Re: [Bug 652382] Re: terminology bug: Popup Window, Window Button | #2 |
| Changed in dockbar: | |
| status: | New → Confirmed |
| importance: | Undecided → Medium |
| Changed in dockbar: | |
| status: | Confirmed → Fix Committed |
| Changed in dockbar: | |
| status: | Fix Committed → Fix Released |
I agree about pop-up window. The only reason it's called that way is because of internal naming in the code (window list is used especially for the list). But keeping the consistency between code and the interface isn't worth confusing the end users! I'd prefer "window list" personally since it doesn't feel like a menu to me (a menu is about choosing things, this list has an informal dimension as well).
I love to change the terminology for window button, as well. It wouldn't only make more sense to call it something else, it would make the code more clear as well (no more window_
Please continue reporting terminology bugs and similar. I have a feeling that the preference dialog is full of hard to understand options, but I'm too attached to see them myself.