[VS] [some Mac specific] mostly cosmetic issues - new and old

[Jochen Peters]

Hi Michael,

thank you very much for your detailed observations!
Be sure that we will honor each point.

Starting in the last August week we will put all our resources on polishing
Valentina Studio!

I am looking forward that we will get a strong product till october.

-- 
Best regards
Jochen Peters
PIIT GmbH

------------------------
http://www.valentina-db.de


> I apologize to others on the list who are presenting meaty issues, but
> I only have time for fluff right now. My current
> observations/suggestions may seem out of place in these list
> discussions. Please understand that I think Valentina, including VS, is
> a great product that I want to see it get better and I offer my
> observations/suggestions in that vain.
>
> 1. Application icon is still jaggedy. :-)
>
> 2. When I start up the VS program the Schema Browser window is drawn
> then it is very quickly redrawn about 5% larger. I have no idea why
> this redrawn happens. It makes the program start look unsmooth. OS X
> 10.3.9. Dual 1.8 GHz G5. 1600 by 1200 LCD monitor at native resolution.
> Schema Browser window size is the VS program default window size, not
> full screen. Mac VS 2.0b12.
>
> 3. Schema Browser Preferences window opens with the right lower corner
> window resize control (is that the correct name?) overlapping Cancel
> button, which looks a little bad. Also the Schema Browser Preferences
> window can be resized, but the resize is not remembered because the
> default window size is used the next time the Schema Browser
> Preferences window is opened. Does this Schema Browser Preferences
> window even need to be resizable? The only reason I can see for such
> windows to be resizable is that larger fonts might need a larger
> window.
>
> BTW, Schema Browser Preferences window screen location should probably
> be remembered.
>
> 4. Speaking of fonts. It is great that font size can be changed in
> Help. It would be great if font size could be changed in VS itself or
> have I missed that feature?
>
> 5. To my way of thinking, Schema Browser Datasources column + sign at
> the bottom should "create" new datasource not "open" new datasource
> since the next three columns to the right all "create" when clicking +.
> Shouldn't this first column + also create for consistency? How about
> some type of connection icon in the first column in addition to the +
> or in place of it? Besides this column's + mouse over tip says "open
> new datasource", but the window that opens when the + is clicked says
> "Connect to Valentina Server". The tip and window title should probably
> be consistent.
>
> An alternative idea might be to present a different create window when
> + is clicked depending on what the Datatsources top of column pulldown
> list setting is. For example, with ODBC datasource selected in this
> pulldown clicking the + presents ODBC datasource window, with Valentina
> 1.x Database Files selected in this pulldown clicking the + presents
> that type of create window, etc.
>
> 6. VS Preferences might include VS font size default, Valentina 1.x vs.
> Valentina 2.x Database Files default for new local databases, and
> Database File path default.
>
> 7. Speaking of Database File path, I find it curious that File:Open
> local database appears to default to the last Database File folder
> used, while the create new Database File path appears to always
> defaults to the Application folder. The Open folder methodology makes
> more sense to me, however both Open and Create might benefit from VS
> Preferences path defaults.
>
> 8. Shouldn't the very commonly used Mac shortcut command-N do something
> - new Schema Browser, new database, new something?
>
> 9. Quitting VS with databases open presents a dialog window that will
> freak out my end users. For example, "Please confirm 1 databases still
> open, close anyway?" (Of course, "database" rather than "databases"
> should be present in this dialog window.) End users will call me in
> panic about what to do in that dialog window. From the VS web site:
>
> "On Your Desktop. VS.Admin is the easy to use solution for Windows and
> MacOS X. It is easy enough to use by anyone in your office. You can
> even browse and preview databases containing pictures."
>
> However, this dialog will not be friendly for my end users. Maybe a
> database close routine should be presented as an option in this dialog
> window with a list of the open databases? Or maybe create a VS
> Preferences selection that has an option to not allow users to quit VS
> with open databases?
>
> 10. Datasource Elements column appears to use "delete" and "close"
> synonymously. These terms do not intuitively mean the same thing to the
> end users I have shown VS. The end users just stare at me when I
> "delete" a datasource with - click then proceed to open it again,
> especially since the Database Elements - click really deletes tables,
> for example. It seems to me that these various columns need to be more
> consistent in using "open", "close", "new" (which probably the
> preferred term) or "create" and "delete" so that my end users will stop
> staring. :-)
>
> Thanks for reading this post.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Michael Young
>
> PS Product name consistency would probably be helpful to me as I try to
> present VS to others as a viable business solution.
> http://www.paradigmasoft.com/en/products/business/VSTUDIO
>
> Valentina Studio
>
> VS.Admin for Windows $59 Buy Now
> VS.Admin for MacOS X $59 Buy Now
>
> This is pre-release software, but available for pre-sale.
>
> Valentina Studio, Administrator Edition is the first of a new family of
> products from Paradigma Software. VS.Admin 2.0 exemplifies ease of use
> in the creation and management of Valentina databases of any kind:
> desktop, network and internet. Every copy of Valentina 2 Office Server
> includes a free license of VS.Admin. Learn more about the business
> advantages of Office Server.
>
> In just a few lines, one product - Valentina Studio - has been called
> three things: Valentina Studio, VS.Admin, and Valentina Studio,
> Administrator Studio.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Valentina-studio mailing list
> Valentina-studio at lists.macserve.net
> http://lists.macserve.net/mailman/listinfo/valentina-studio
>