Hi Martyn,
I want to second Miguel: a switch between a "basic" GUI (could be with
even less options) and an "advanced" and "expert" GUI that allows
access to most and all options that can be used in scripts would be
absolutely great! It would allow novice users to do a good job on
"standard" problems, and gives experienced users the freedom to use any
option of a program in more difficult cases. A similar idea is
implemented in the SUSHI GUI of SHARP, where such a switch allows you to
change less or more phase refinement and improvement parameters.
Best regards,
Dirk.
Miguel Ortiz Lombardia wrote:
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Hi Martyn,
I was thinking in the "less scary" widgets-based interface for
not-so-used options. If possible, I think that all options should be
available to the interface. This would make the GUI more consistent, in
a way. I know is a lot more work, but I think that this will be
especially appreciated by people newly approaching CCP4 (students or
not). Those of us who worked with these programs from scripts (and rtfm)
know that there are more options than those exported to the GUI. Others
find this situation confusing.
The Expert switch in Preferences would be excellent.
I'm not sure to have understood the maintainability issue... unless you
mean that it can happen that options that become outdated disappear from
the program, so there would be a risk of having their "ghosts" in the
GUI. But normally programs complain when an option is not available,
don't they?
Cheers,
Miguel
Martyn Winn escribió:
This is timely. We're in the process of a) trying to organise a major
effort to tidy up the existing ccp4i classic (rather than fire-fighting
problems), and b) thinking about designing the next generation. Not sure
which this is. Option b) would be a project over several years.
Can you elucidate further. As an expert user, would you want a less
scary free text box (which is essentially what Run&View Com File is), or
actual widgets for every option. The latter could be done as a hidden
folder, made visible according to an Expert switch in Preferences.
As developers, we also have to think about long-term maintainability.
Options, in particular little-used options, can soon become out-of-date.
m
On Thu, 2007-05-10 at 12:41 +0200, Miguel Ortiz Lombardia wrote:
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Dear all,
I'm a well-known luddite as Eleanor says. However, I shamelessly confess
that the CCP4 GUI is great. Not that I think this is necessary here, I'm
sure most people agree with that.
If I write now is because Martynn's e-mail have reminded me of something
I thought once, but forgot to ask for to the ccp4i developpers: perhaps
the GUI could have "two faces/modes", a basic one and an expert/advanced
one. I understand that they already exist, but the "expert" one is
hidden under the "Run&View Com File", while I'm thinking on a real
expert GUI-mode. Users should be able to choose one or the other in
their defaults, or switch from one to the other on-the-fly.
I don't have a particular problem in editing the scripts as it is done
now, but I have found that students tend to get a bit nervous about
doing it themselves ;-)
Cheers,
Miguel
Martyn Winn escribió:
The level of detail in the GUI is a matter of constant debate. The
underlying programs are far far richer, so the question is how much to
expose in the GUI. We try to get a balance between ease-of-use and
coverage, but it won't always work. BTW I don't think we ever claimed
that ccp4i (or anything else in ccp4) is "finished" ;-)
Having said that, we're always happy to hear about specific defects in
the GUI. When reporting these to [EMAIL PROTECTED] please give as much
information as possible, in particular knowing the context is always
helpful.
Cheers
Martyn
- --
Miguel Ortiz Lombardía
Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas
C/ Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3
28029 Madrid, Spain
Tel. +34 912 246 900
Fax. +34 912 246 976
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
www: http://www.pangea.org/mol/spip.php?rubrique2
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Le travail est ce que l'homme a trouvé de mieux
pour ne rien faire de sa vie. (Raoul Vaneigem)
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Dirk Kostrewa
Paul Scherrer Institut
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Phone: +41-56-310-4722
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E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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