156792 - More Information button does not belong in preferences (it should be a link)

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(SeaMonkey :: Preferences, defect)

Description

[timeless]

1This is how you can tell a button doesn't belong in a pref window:
(from help for the pref window)

Navigator Preferences - Smart Browsing
    * Internet Keywords:
          o Enable Internet Keywords: Select this to enable fast access to services such as stock quotes, search, and other information from the Location bar.
          o More Information: Click this to learn more about using Internet Keywords.

What you have: text which explains that clicking a button will get you information about internet keywords.
What you should have: a link to more information about internet keywords. And *NO* button in the prefs dialog.

Comment 1

[timeless]

Attachment: proposal

putting js into help is probably bad, we probably need a generic system for
this.

Comment 2

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

Mass reassign of my non-Firefox bugs to [e-mail]

Comment 3

[[e-mail]]

Comment on attachment 90867 [details] [diff] [review]
proposal

You don't need region-specific code in help, it's already localized. Just link
directly to the page, possibly with a localization note.
Alternatively make the smart browsing URL an entity in region.dtd and turn the
button into a link like the Get New Themes link.

Comment 4

[Prognathous]

Timeless, how about updating your patch to meet Neil's comments?

Thanks,

Prog.

Comment 5

[benc]

I like the button style because it gives end users a sense that the pref UI is
not the same as documents they view, but I really don't care too much. I'd
rather have Mozilla be clean than overly end-user focused, that is Firefox's
function.

Comment 6

[Prognathous]

(In reply to comment #5)
> I like the button style because it gives end users a sense that the pref UI is
> not the same as documents they view,

How can one mistake the Preferences for a document? It can only be opened
intentionally, when one consciously chooses to change prefs.

> I'd rather have Mozilla be clean than overly end-user focused, that is 
> Firefox's function.

A clean UI has to also be consistent, right? So, would you change
Appearance/Themes/Get-New-Themes to a button instead of a link?

Prog.

Comment 7

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

Attachment: Update of timeless removal of the button

Since I'm updating help file this involves I attach an updated & modified
version of timeless patch. I agree with timeless - the button shouldn't be
there. There is already a help button. It's better to have links to info about
Internet Keywords and Domain Guessing in the help file. This patch is basically
an update of timeless old patch, with a few exceptions:

1) Removes smartBrowsingURL from region.properties as well

2) Lacks the changes made in the help file. They will be done after this patch
has gotten + or - (since this is just a proposal).

Comment 8

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

Comment on attachment 154396 [details] [diff] [review]
Update of timeless removal of the button

Neil, can you give me your opinion, please?

Comment 9

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

Attachment: Changes in help file

Here's a patch that covers the changes in the help file. This patch also adds
some lines about Domain Guessing and a link to the mozilla.org doc about domain
guessing.

Comment 10

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

Comment on attachment 154470 [details] [diff] [review]
Changes in help file

Oops, I see some errors the patch. Will come up with a better one.

Comment 11

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

Attachment: Changes in the help file - better patch

Comment 12

[R.J. Keller]

Comment on attachment 154475 [details] [diff] [review]
Changes in the help file - better patch

r=[e-mail] with the attachment above checked in.

Comment 13

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

Comment on attachment 154396 [details] [diff] [review]
Update of timeless removal of the button

rs=me for the /toolkit change.

Comment 14

[[e-mail]]

Comment on attachment 154396 [details] [diff] [review]
Update of timeless removal of the button

I don't see any changes to the .dtd here. While you're there, I think the
description should be extended to refer to the help, preferably not as corny as
"For more information, see Help."

Comment 15

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

Attachment: New version of timeless patch with changes in the .dtd file

> I don't see any changes to the .dtd here.

Sorry about that!

> While you're there, I think the
> description should be extended to refer to the help, preferably not as
> corny as "For more information, see Help."

Hmm, there is already a Help button and I don't recall any other references
like that in the other prefwindows. Wouldn't it look a bit odd? I mean, isn't
it obvious that clicking the Help button will tell the user more about Internet
Keywords and Domain Guessing?

Comment 16

[jag (Peter Annema)]

Comment on attachment 156284 [details] [diff] [review]
New version of timeless patch with changes in the .dtd file

So this just removes the "More Information" from the pref window. Hmmm...

It'd be nice if there were just a link ("Tell me more") to the web-page in the
preference panel itself, it's an interface the user is familiar with, and the
themes panel uses it to direct the user to new themes.

If we put that link in the help page, and optionally add a hint like "see help
for more" (but less corny), I think that extra level of indirection is kinda
silly.

Also, that web page is being the "help" for that feature, more so than the help
page, which just restates what the description says.

Comment 17

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

> It'd be nice if there were just a link ("Tell me more") to the web-page in the
> preference panel itself, it's an interface the user is familiar with, and the
> themes panel uses it to direct the user to new themes.

In that case there should be two "tell me more"-links -- there are now two
webpages: One for Internet Keywords and one for Domain Guessing (see the help
file patch, http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=154475&action=view). I
just thought since we actually have a help viewer it feels kind of odd to have 
links or buttons in the prefs window to external "help" documents.

Comment 18

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

btw, i removed some "." from the text to the right of the checkboxes. That
appeared to be in order with most of the other prefwindows.

Comment 19

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

No comment in 3½ years. In the mean time, Sm-trunk preferences UI have started being ported to a new backend.

Resetting A+QA -- feel free to "accept" (or re-accept) if you want to work on this.

Comment 20

[Stefan [:stefanh]]

I fixed this in bug 411226.