Projects/Usability/HIG/Contributing

Report problems

If you found an area that was unclear or is not even covered in our HIG, tell us about it. We can be reached on the kde-guidelines mailing-list.

Conventions

Following is a set of guidelines to ensure the HIG itself is consistent.

Terminology

• Use the word Control, not Widget to refer to a user interface element. Rationale: "Control" is more widespread outside the UNIX community. It is also reasonable to expect more and more applications will be written using QtQuick and QtQuick controls in the future.

• Use check box and combo box, not checkbox or combobox.

TODO

Start page

• Figure out what to do of the legacy stuff (at the bottom of the page)

Projects/Usability/HIG/Dialogs

• Fix missing page: inline-editing
• Fix missing page: info panels
• Review guidelines about alignments: they duplicate/contradict the one from Form: Label Alignment

Projects/Usability/HIG/ListView

Purpose

Recommendation should be checked

Guidelines

Add subsections

Selection

Check against recommendation.

Choose between either:

1. In any other case, use the dual-list pattern because it allows users to easily see which items are selected at any point, without having to scroll through the available options
2. Use a list box for multiple selections with more than five options.

Get a new type of check boxes for list views implemented: KCheckBoxes:

• KCB are flat (no frame, no shadow, no bevel) for clear differentiation from normal check boxes.
• KCB are hidden by default, that means when no list item is selected.
• KCB have a fade-in effect on mouse over to introduce themselves to users.
• KCB are transparent and therby clearly part of the list item.
• Legacy keyboard use applies to KCB as well. Thus, the whole item can be clicked to toggle option.

Multiple selection

A proposed layout for selection of multiple items in long lists.

• Checking an item in [Available Items] includes it in [Selected Items]
• Unchecking an item in [Available Items] removes it from [Selected Items]
• Clicking an item in [Selected Items] removes it from [Selected Items] and selects it in [Available Items]

If the workflow doesn't require remembering which items have been included so far, [Selected Items] can be hidden.

Projects/Usability/HIG/Radio_Buttons

• Add inline examples of do and don't

Projects/Usability/HIG/Check_Box

• Redo screenshots using Designer
• Fix missing page: list

Projects/Usability/HIG/SOU_Workspace/Two_Lists

• Move to Projects/Usability/HIG/Two_Lists? That is, drop "SOU_Workspace" from the url
• Redo screenshots using Designer
• Fix missing page: Selecting Items from a Pool
• Fix missing page: Picker Dialog

Projects/Usability/HIG/Slider

• Refresh page: it is copied from GNOME guidelines and contains references to figures we do not have

Projects/Usability/HIG/Notifications

• Finish it (currently marked "Under Construction")

Projects/Usability/HIG/KNS

• Redo screenshots

Projects/Usability/HIG/Wording

• Use Options for a configuration dialog which provide.: Ask Celeste what she meant to add after provide.

Projects/Usability/HIG/Exclamation_points

• Redo screenshots

Projects/Usability/HIG/Date_Time_Pickers

• Pick one of KDateComboBox and KDateWidget or provide guidelines explaining when to use one or the other
• Review the dropdown of KDateComboBox: it is probably too big

Projects/Usability/HIG/Menu_Bar

• Redo screenshots

Projects/Usability/HIG/Slider_and_Spin_Box

• Examples and illustrations
• What happens if when SSB gets the focus?
• Do we want to encourage the use of combined control?
• In which case should the simple slider be favored?

Projects/Usability/HIG/edits

• Split in two pages: line edits and text edits

Projects/Usability/HIG/Combo_Box

• Split in two pages: drop-down and combobox

kdehig repository

• Document how to use it
• Move it to KDE playground
• Integrate designer files from http://techbase.kde.org/File:HIG-UI-Files.tar.gz

Wish list

• Balloons