[Aptitude-devel] Bug#247487: Bug#247487: Bug#247487: aptitude: Better description text for 'g' in the title bar

[Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo]

2015-09-03 20:01 Axel Beckert:
>Hi,
>
>Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo wrote:
>> > In the title bar, the description text for the 'g' key is always:
>> > "Download/Install/Remove Pkgs". However, compared to 'u', one has
>> > to press 'g' two times to really download, install and/or remove
>> > any packages.
>
>Not necessarily. That's the default setting. You can also configure
>that "g" immediately starts doing things without the preview.
>
>> However, as I say I think that the request makes sense, so to take this
>> into account, I was thinking in changing it to something like "Preview &
>> Perform Actions (Download/Install/...)", but looks a bit ugly/confusing
>> with so many words and spaces (most other elements in a menu are 1 key +
>> 1 word).
>>
>> I later settled on prepending just 'Preview & ' to the same text, so it
>> becomes: 'Preview & Download/Install/Remove Pkgs'.
>
>Which is wrong if the preview has been disabled in the config.

I think that the hint should be targetted to people using aptitude for
the first time(s), not people who already know what they are doing and
configure non-default options -- I think that nobody pays attention to
that line after a while.

In fact, I had the option enabled to hide that line, so I initially
though that he was talking about the title of the 'tab', which already
says "Preview" and then "Package download", respectively.  I didn't
remember that there was such a line until after writing the first
version of the reply.

In the same way, I think that the original complaint is from a
begginner's point of view -- 'g' might perhaps be initimidating at
first, if you think that it's going to take action right away; or
confusing if you think that it will be immediate but the next screen
that you see doesn't show any action going on.

After you know how aptitude works, all of this is unnecessary, I think.

So all of this is to say that my intention with adding "Preview &", or
"Preview + Perform Actions", was mainly to indicate that two-step for
beginners, and to differentiate from immediate actions like 'u' for
Update -- I think that it is a valid point that the request rises.
(Quit does not quit immedialy either, but people expect confirmation
dialogs).


>> I will consider to change it to something else, or to leave it as it
>> was, so if someone feels strongly in one way or the other please tell
>> me, preferably before the next release.
>
>What about 'Preview/Download/Install/Remove Pkgs'?

>From a broader perspective, I think that the current
"Download/Install/Remove" is a bit incomplete / imprecise, because
Download is not necessarily so if somebody uses CDs or local repos all
the time (in the sense of "download" == "getting from a network"); and
there are actions missing like Purge (but it's a kind of Remove), or
Reinstall.

Actions is more abstract, succint and correct, but perhaps beginners are
better served by using "Download/Install/Remove" even if incomplete /
imprecise; because maybe Actions is not clear enough for them.

My opinion of the concrete proposals so far:

- "Preview & Perform Actions (Download/Install/...)"

  is the one that I find more descriptive, but as I said looks a bit
  ugly/confusing in that place and quite long

- "Preview & Download/Install/Remove Pkgs"

  more clearly indicates the two steps, actions are more explicit, and
  is shorter, but still has more spaces / looks odd

- "Preview/Download/Install/Remove Pkgs"

  doesn't indicate so clearly the two steps, for me, but it's again a
  bit shorter and again less spaces

- "Download/Install/Remove Pkgs"

  doesn't indicate the preview at all, but it's shorter and what has
  been for more than a decade


I prefer A, B and C over staying with D to fix the issue raised; A (or a
more radical change than the rest) only if we find something succint
that satisfies most people; B or C otherwise (both have pros and cons
and I cannot decide).


</bikeshedding> :-)

--
Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo <manuel.montezelo at gmail.com>