[bt-devel] suggested improvements

[Martin Gruner]

Hello Mark,

sorry for not responding earlier.

> 1. Custom scope range editor improvements:
> 	Perhaps we could re-think the current custom range edit interface?
> 	Here's some comments on the current interface:
> 	- if a custom range is selected on the "Search Text" tab such as "New
> Testament", pressing the "Edit ranges" button should bring up the edit
> dialog window using the selected custom range from the previous screen.
>   This means the "Choose custom range", the "Define range text" as well
> as "Range parsing results" should all be related to the chosen range.
> 	- when closing the custom range window, if i've selected a different
> range for editing, say "New Testament", the opening window should
> reflect the last range I was working on.  I shouldn't have to re-select it.
> 	- Possibly consider inproving the ability to copy a custom range.  To do
> it now, I have to create a new range. Go back to the one I want to copy
> and select/copy the text in the "Define range text" area, then go to my
> new range, and paste the copied text in.
> 	- Possibly consider improving the "range definition process". Should it
> be aloud to have overlaps in the range definitions when using multiple
> ranges within the range? Should the UI enforce data consistancy? Such
> that it could prevent a range of "rom 1:1- Rev 22:2; Gen 1:1 - Rom 16:27".

You're very welcome to make a complete redesign of this particular part of 
BibleTime. I basically took the sources of it from the BibleCS project, 
though the port was not elegant enough. You can completely redo it if you 
want. This would be a candidate for BibleTime 1.3. (1.2 will _only_ involve 
the port to KDE3).

> 2. Choose modules tab:
> 	Add other options for moving the items from left (available modules) to
> the left (selected modules).
> 		- click or double click on an item will move it to the other side.
> 		- drag-n-drop items between the sides (multi select would be nice)
> 		-
> 	Buttons should enable/disable when necessarry.
> 		- no items on the right, the right arrow s/b disabled.
> 		- no selected module on either side, and the appropriate button is
> disabled.
>
> 3. Search Result tab:
> 	From the entries found tab, it would be nice to be able to somehow bring
> up the verse in context.  Maybe a right click option to open the verse
> which brings it up in the main work area. I can drag-n-drop it onto one
> of the open modules in the main working area, it doesn't seem intuitive.

As you can see here 
http://sourceforge.net/pm/task.php?func=detailtask&project_task_id=50137&group_id=954&group_project_id=18090, 
there is already plan to redo the User Interface of the searchdialog (of 
which the range chooser is a part). Would you like to take this over?
IMHO the search dialog should be completely redesigned according to a nice 
and functional UI definition which we agree upon before. I would be happy if 
you would like to do this! Your ideas listed above are all good and could be 
included. But by redesigning the whole thing they might become obsolete / 
outdated. So?
 
> 4. Main working area:
> 	If I've maximized a module, and then open another module, my maximize is
> taken away. Once I maximize something, I should have to minimize it :).
>   Maybe this deals slightly with MDI.  I like the way KDevelop handles
> this with tabs.

The MDI stuff will hopefully become better with QT3.
Tabs involve a major architectural change (source and UI), which does not fit 
well into BibleTime's UI concept. Therefore we should decide to leave this 
for now, maybe reconsider it later.

Thanks for your willingness to help. God bless,

Martin