IBus UI review

[Huang Peng]

Hi Matthias Clasen,

Thanks for your reviewing. I embedded my comments below. please check them.

Matthias Clasen wrote:
 > Not sure if this is the correct place to send this, but I'll send it
 > here anyway (please tell me if there's a better place).
 >
 > I've recently installed ibus in order to get some impression of how our
 > new im framework will integrate in the desktop. While playing with it, I
 > took some notes, that I'd like to share.
 >
 >
 > Matthias
 >
 > ---
 >
 > Status icon
 >
 > - The tooltip "IBus - Running" is pretty pointless less and should be
 > removed until there is something useful to say

I'd like use "IBus" as other applications do to indicate this icon is 
for ibus.

 >
 > - There is no way to switch back to "no input method" from the status
 > icon. I have to press Ctrl-space to go back. Maybe add an "None" entry
 > at the bottom of the menu ?

It is useful. I will add it.

 >
 >
 > Toolbar
 >
 > - Why do input methods seem to fancy these weird undecorated floating
 > toolbars ? Does it add anything that is not already present in the
 > status icon ?
 >
 > - If we can't drop it, can there at least be a way to turn it off ?
 >
 > - The toolbar seems useless if "focus-follows-mouse" is turned on, since
 > it becomes inactive on focus out. This also affects the status icon.

It is useful for some input methods. Some IMs need it to show current IM 
status, and user can use it to change the IME's status and behaviours. 
BTW, ibus has a setting for it. User could hide it when the input method 
is not active. Maybe adding a configure item to always hide the bar is 
better.

 >
 > Menus
 >
 > - What is the plan, going forward, wrt to im-chooser ? I'd hate to have
 > 2 input method related menuitems in the default install. My preference
 > would be to not install the im-chooser by default, since it is only
 > needed to switch back to 'legacy' frameworks.
 >
 > - It would be great if we could use the generic "Input Method" menuitem
 > for the ibus preferences, and maybe rename im-chooser to "Input Method
 > Framework" or something like that.

I think we need discuss it with other i18n team members.

 >
 > - Alternatively, if we can't get rid of im-chooser by default, maybe
 > ibus-setup should not have its own menu item (I notice that scim-setup
 > doesn't have one either), since it is available via im-chooser.

SCIM has one, named 'SCIM Input Method Setup'.

 >
 > - There is a mismatch between the menuitem and the ibus-setup window,
 > both the window title and icon don't match the menu, as they should.

Fixed. I use "IBus Preferences" now.

 >
 >
 > Preferences, General tab
 >
 > - "Auto start IBus on session login" is very techno babble. Can we make
 > that something like "Enable Input Methods" ? I don't think there is any
 > need to talk about sessions and autostart here.

How about "Start ibus on login"?

 >
 > - Keyboard shortcuts: I would love to see these moved to the keyboard
 > shortcuts capplet, which has support for handling application-defined
 > shortcuts. As a bonus, you get automatic conflict handling. The one
 > restriction is that currently, only one key-combination per action is
 > possible. If having multiple is essential, you could either split it
 > into "Trigger", "Alternative Trigger", "Second Alternative Trigger", or
 > file a bug and I'll look into enabling multiple shortcuts per action in
 > the keybinding capplet

What's the keybinding capplet? Is it the 'Keyboard Shortcuts' in 
Preferences->Pernson menu? I tested some keyboard shortcuts, they do no 
work. I use compiz as my windows manager. Is it the reason?

 >
 > - "UI" is a bad section label. How about "Fonts & Style" instead ? Even
 > better would be to split it into two sections, a la
 >
 > Input Window
 >       Lookup table orientation:  [Vertical]
 >   [ ] Use the system font
 >        Input Window Font:  [Sans 10]
 >
 > Language Bar
 >   [ ] Show language bar
 >   [ ] Hide language bar when it is not needed
 >
 >
 > Preferences, Engine tab
 >
 > - "Engine" is a technical term that is not really helpful here. How
 > about "Languages" instead ?

I think "Input Methods" is better. But it is too long, isn't it?

 >
 > - There are some icons missing in the combo box, e.g Telugu-apple,
 > Telugu-rts, Marathi-phonetic, Marathi-itrans...

It is a bug. It has already been fixed.

 >
 > - The main list needs to repeat the language name (like the status icon
 > menu already does) otherwise it is not clear if "phonetic" is Oriya or
 > Marathi.

It is reasonable.

 >
 >
 > Preferences, About tab
 >
 > This should not be done as a tab, it is very much against the style of
 > our preference tools. There is already an About menu item on the status
 > icon. If you absolutely want to have an "About" in the preferences, it
 > should be a left-aligned "About" button in the action area that brings
 > up an about dialog. But I'd really just get rid of it.

It exists before About menu item on the status icon. now it is 
duplicated. I will remove it.