Tabbed layouts

Ideas and suggestions about new features
mathetes
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Tabbed layouts

Post by mathetes »

I was thinking about what was being said about this topic http://forum.theword.gr/viewtopic.php?f ... 94&start=0 about synced Bible views and had an idea for a future enhancement to the program. I realize this would be a major change but I thought it might be nice to have it sometime. I actually got the idea from the Xiphos Bible program and thought it may take care of the problem mentioned in the link above. My idea is to have tabbed layouts for the views. In this way you wouldn't actually have to close one layout and open another layout or open another instance of The Word program if your studies took you off on some tangent. You could just switch to another tab and go from there. It might even be real nice to be able to right-click on a reference and have it automatically open up in a new tab or one that is already open but not active.
csterg
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by csterg »

How would this be different from opening another view?
I have also thought of being able to stack views on tabs, yet i think this bring in much complexity for the end-user. Personally, almost every program i have seen that 'stacks' tabs in tabs etc starts to get very complex and counter-intuitive.

I don't say that the current approach is the best, but it does server the purpose in a 'balanced' way (I refer to the concept of a view (used for a particular purpose), using tabs/buttons, etc)

Costas
mathetes
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by mathetes »

The difference would be this:

I want to look up some other verse and don't want to disturb the current Bible view window. So I press F11 and open up a new window. Now I have a new window that fits itself somewhere in my current layout and messes up my carefully arranged :P layout. Now after it already messed with my layout once I press ctrl-shift-F11 to close it and my original Bible view window closes and messes up my layout even more. I try to maximize my screen space by having my captions turned off so I can't just close the second Bible view window by clicking the "X" without enabling the captions again. Going through the menu to close it also involve extra steps.

But if each layout was contained inside a tab window I could click on the tab and instantly have a new layout without having to make sure I save my current layout and go through the toolbar button to select a new layout and then when I'm done with that, going back to my original layout.

And what would really be nice would be the ability to right-click on a verse link and be able to open up a pre-defined default layout in a new tab right to that verse.
DarrelW
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by DarrelW »

This is good stuff! And all designed to take an already excellent electronic Bible to a new level!

Darrel
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JG
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by JG »

Hi, all, just as another alternative, using the tools that are there. If you want to open another Bible view and not disturb your layout, just hold down the shift key and press F11 to make a new floating view. Change it to permanent floating in the menu, and there you are. Now click the x to close, as floating views have the title bar.
Hope this idea is of some use.

Jon
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csterg
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by csterg »

OK, i see your point better now.
mathetes wrote:The difference would be this:
I want to look up some other verse and don't want to disturb the current Bible view window. So I press F11 and open up a new window. Now I have a new window that fits itself somewhere in my current layout and messes up my carefully arranged :P layout.
A quick solution is SHIFT+F11 to create the new view floating
Now after it already messed with my layout once I press ctrl-shift-F11 to close it and my original Bible view window closes and messes up my layout even more.
Well, could be if you are not careful, true.
I try to maximize my screen space by having my captions turned off so I can't just close the second Bible view window by clicking the "X" without enabling the captions again. Going through the menu to close it also involve extra steps.
Views can close with the ESC key also. The context menu of views have as the last item the 'Close'. Personally, i never use the Window menu.
But if each layout was contained inside a tab window I could click on the tab and instantly have a new layout without having to make sure I save my current layout and go through the toolbar button to select a new layout and then when I'm done with that, going back to my original layout.
I kind of like this, yet i have no idea how it could be implemented easily. Because, what you propose is not saving/restoring a layout (which takes time and you wouldn't want to see all the views opening closing when you click on a tab) but actually having the view in the other tab already there.
And what would really be nice would be the ability to right-click on a verse link and be able to open up a pre-defined default layout in a new tab right to that verse.
I write this down in my todo list, yet the complexity is not small! Thank you for the suggestion and example,
Costas
DarrelW
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by DarrelW »

Okay, I have a problem (or maybe a lack of understanding!) with how layouts are handled now. I like working with multiple layouts, having a LOT of Bibles and stuff available. But! my wife does not like the clutter - she likes the Bibles she wants and maybe a commentary or two. So I build a layout for her: a couple of Bibles (unchecking all others), and a couple of commentaries, and save that layout under her name. But since I unchecked all other Bibles when I return to my layouts I only have a couple of Bibles. I need to have the Bible text preferences saved with the layouts so I can configure His and Her layouts! Am I missing something? Thanks!

Darrel
csterg
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by csterg »

The number of available Bibles is NOT saved with a layout!
It is a global setting for the whole program,
Costas
DarrelW
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by DarrelW »

I realize that, but it would really be a nice feature in tailoring layouts for specific situations. Just a thought...

Darrel
csterg
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by csterg »

It's on my list to fix the Bible view bar as the Book view (e.g. to create Bible module sets there, etc)
Costas
DarrelW
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by DarrelW »

I already figured you were doing that! :D For that is the best answer.

Darrel
mgiles
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by mgiles »

I just discovered The Word this morning and am loving it. My immediate thought when I opened it (based on the way I study) was to wonder how I could have multiple Bibles or multiple search windows open at once displayed as tabs within a particular layout (not talking about tabbing entire layouts). Having multiple views floating or tiled chews up screen space too quickly. So to add my 2c to this topic, the ability to specify that windows of the same type could be arranged into a tab group would be fantastic.
csterg
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by csterg »

mgiles wrote:I just discovered The Word this morning and am loving it. My immediate thought when I opened it (based on the way I study) was to wonder how I could have multiple Bibles or multiple search windows open at once displayed as tabs within a particular layout (not talking about tabbing entire layouts). Having multiple views floating or tiled chews up screen space too quickly. So to add my 2c to this topic, the ability to specify that windows of the same type could be arranged into a tab group would be fantastic.
Hello mgiles and welcome!
Thank you for your suggestion; very recently a similar discussion took place, yet at the moment it seems that the extra complexity for the end use may not be worth this.
I could see how this can be useful for the search views, yet for the main content view (Bible and Book), the buttons there already provide a functionality like that.
It seems that even now, some users find the interface complex: adding another level of nesting windows may make it much harder to keep up with. Of course, this can be an 'advanced' option, i know ...
Costas
mgiles
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by mgiles »

Thanks for the speedy reply :). When you said "... for the main content view (Bible and Book), the buttons there already provide a functionality like that.", were you referring to the buttons at the top that switch between the versions, or the button on the left (shortcut W) that just creates a new view like the current view? Neither one of those really does what I'm talking about, which would be to have (for example) 10 Bible views, all in KJV and all at a different reference, open at once. With that many open views all tiled I can't even see the full caption to find out what order I opened them in, let alone read the content. With tabbed views, the newest tab would always open on the right so you could easily retrace your steps, and the views would always be at the same size, rather than getting smaller and smaller as more are opened. Like a tabbed browser. Anyway, thanks again...
csterg
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Re: Tabbed layouts

Post by csterg »

mgiles wrote:Thanks for the speedy reply :). When you said "... for the main content view (Bible and Book), the buttons there already provide a functionality like that.", were you referring to the buttons at the top that switch between the versions, or the button on the left (shortcut W) that just creates a new view like the current view? Neither one of those really does what I'm talking about, which would be to have (for example) 10 Bible views, all in KJV and all at a different reference, open at once. With that many open views all tiled I can't even see the full caption to find out what order I opened them in, let alone read the content. With tabbed views, the newest tab would always open on the right so you could easily retrace your steps, and the views would always be at the same size, rather than getting smaller and smaller as more are opened. Like a tabbed browser. Anyway, thanks again...
of course, you are completely right in what you way. I was referring to the buttons at the top of course;
I know that with multiple tabs you can do more things as you said; my only point was that similar functionality can be achieved more or less with the buttons, navigation, history etc. I just made this comment to show that the same Bible view can be used for displaying different translations, etc
I fully understand your point, don't worry. My thought was just that the way it now works is an close to what you say.
In fact, when i designed it i thought of that also, but reminded too much of an IDE and thought it could be complicated for the end-user. But it's surely something that i may consider for the future,
Costas
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