What UI element do you prefer?

What UI element do you prefer?

  • Toolbar system

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Application menu + toolbar system

    Votes: 8 61.5%
  • Ribbon

    Votes: 5 38.5%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

Vestras

Retired
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OK, here's the deal. I'm making an IDE, and I love good looking UI. So of course the IDE needs the best. Now, I have all of these created, and themable, so it's just which one I should use.

Now, since the IDE is for Warcraft and Starcraft, the users would be you, so I want to know - what UI element do you prefer? Vote in the poll above. Here's some explanation:

The toolbars -- these are included in the .Net framework. I have written a deserializer that parses Xml and creates a renderer from the parsed Xml.
The application menu + toolbars - the application menu would bring the coolness of the ribbon (Application menu/quick access toolbar/custom form) along with the simplicity of toolbars.
The ribbon -- the ribbon is probably the best looking UI element, or might be, depending on the time I would use styling it. It is rather big on the screen, and a little bit more complex than the toolbar system, but has a lot of cool features.

There's some disadvantages to bear in mind too - the toolbar system and the application menu + toolbar system are for WinForms, and so is all my components (text editor, docking system, tab control, the whole Storm framework for those who know it), however the ribbon is for WPF. This means that I would have to rewrite all my components to be WPF compatible, and then it would take longer for the IDE to be released to the public.

For those of you who don't know what the different UI elements would look like, here's some screenshots of applications using them:

Toolbar system
Application menu + toolbar system (don't mind the white ribbon, only the top part of the UI)
Ribbon

My personal opinion is that the application menu + toolbar system is the best, as it provides a lot of functionality in very little space while looking good. A nice balance between the toolbar system and the ribbon. (Which it is a combination of, anyways) This is also what the next firefox version might use, so it'll make you more comfortable with it, I suppose. :thup:

I would be happy if you guys could vote fast, as I'm in a hurry of finishing my UI. Then I could go further on to the parser and the template system :)
 

Lyerae

I keep popping up on this site from time to time.
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I agree. The application menu + toolbar looks best to me.
 

Romek

Super Moderator
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I think it depends on the program, in most cases.

I'm a fan of Ribbon though. :)
 

Lyerae

I keep popping up on this site from time to time.
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The ribbon is nice, but it's bulky.
Not really fit for an IDE.
 

Slapshot136

Divide et impera
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Ive gotten used to the ribbon by now and I like it.. however I think it might be hard to make pictures for things as far as an IDE goes for all the options, but if you can pull it off I think it would be great
 

Tru_Power22

You can change this now in User CP.
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Application menu + toolbar system

Looks good. Easy to use.

I hate the ribbon.
 

Vestras

Retired
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Thanks for the votes guys. :)
Seems like the application menu + toolbar system and ribbon are equal. Now that I've voted, they aren't, but the poll isn't over yet.

I need more votes :thup:
 

codemonkey

Code monkey not crazy, just proud.
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You voting makes this thread irrelevant. You'll clearly not be happy unless you do the application + toolbar or w/e. Go with what YOU want.
 

Lyerae

I keep popping up on this site from time to time.
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Galaxy and JASS variants.
> Now, since the IDE is for Warcraft and Starcraft <- his words

Also, I know this thread isn't intended for suggestions really, but still...
I you were to include a way to make GUI triggers in the IDE, it would be AMAZING (and make you amazing in the process).
 

Vestras

Retired
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You voting makes this thread irrelevant. You'll clearly not be happy unless you do the application + toolbar or w/e. Go with what YOU want.

Absolutely not, I'm not making this UI to for myself, I'm making it for the users :)

I you were to include a way to make GUI triggers in the IDE, it would be AMAZING (and make you amazing in the process).

Doable. Very doable. I think MindWorX (the guy that maintains NewGen) once created a GUI trigger editor in C# (which is the same language that this IDE is created in), and since this IDE features a plugin engine, we could easily implement it as a plugin.
 

Tru_Power22

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Would be nice if it h=gave you nice leakless Jass code.

Not just the Blow Jass crap you get with WE.
 

Lyerae

I keep popping up on this site from time to time.
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> It'll need .NET framework

It's already written in C#, so it couldn't need it anymore than it does now.
 

Vestras

Retired
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Tru_Power22 said:
Would be nice if it h=gave you nice leakless Jass code.

Not just the Blow Jass crap you get with WE.

Well it probably would, since there's no reason not to as the code generation process would have to be remade anyways.

> Leak checking options

No.

> optimized syntax

^Above.

> GUI Text macro

No.

But anyways, I'm not the one to decide that as I'm not the developer of the plugin. If you really want it you could just make a plugin anyways.
 

GetTriggerUnit-

DogEntrepreneur
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I'm bad in C#. I'm good with java. If you don't mind, I could do an external tool (launched trought the ide) that could share data with your program trought files or something.
 

Lyerae

I keep popping up on this site from time to time.
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105
Damn, C is the only thing I know (and barely at that).
 
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