Does it annoy anyone else that if you create a custom control and add some properties to the inspector behavior that have fairly long names, the contents of the ID section gets pushed over way to the right?
I understand that it’s being aligned with the labels and fields in the bottom sections, but they are so visually separated the it just looks goofy and makes the inspector more difficult to use because content is cut off in the text fields.
It’s a really minor thing, but every time I see it is gets on my nerves for a second and if Xojo is developed in the Xojo IDE, I would have to imagine that it annoys the staff as well.
Anyway, here’s the ticket that I opened to see what they have to say. Give it a thumbs up if you agree.
An argument could be made to align the labels only within a group. I’m not sure if that would trade one visual annoyance for another, but your point is valid. I’m just not sure what the logic should be.
Checkboxes do not go on the right. Switches are now a standard UI element in most operating systems, and fit the use case perfectly. There’s nothing silly about them.
This is understandable, but in most implementations, there is a way to add more visual cues. I don’t believe Xojo’s can do that, but they should. But at the same time, every implementation uses left for off and right for on. So the habit should have been built by now.
In a thread specifically calling out alignment problems, you want to do that?! That would look so much worse.
I proposed a solution to move the labels to the top above the control, rather than next to them.
For certain items it would be a massive gain. For example the Constants and Method panels. Likely even the ID block for other things. Below locking it could stay the way it is.
I’ve also got one somewhere for Method parameters to be one item per line with horizontal and vertical scroll (if required). Which would leave the parameter names always nicely aligned on the left (most of the time anyway, Extends etc)
No - such a move would be really really bad. It uses up vertical space rather than horizontal space. A smartphone is used, typically, in vertical orientation. Most desktops are used with displays which are wider than they are tall. Which is why Apple’s attempts to have message panels designed for iOS showing on macOS is so stupid.
The panel scrolls up and down as it is. It doesn’t scroll sideways. This leaves little space for the window / code editor on even a 16" screen. Not everyone is on a massive screen
The constant editor is the worst offender, with almost no space what so ever for the actual important item, the constant.
Checkboxes never go on the right. The moment you have to use a label and a captionless checkbox should be setting off alarm bells that you’re doing something non-standard.
So given the constraints:
Can’t put the checkbox on the right.
Left checkbox can’t fit while staying aligned.
Use a switch
Yeah… I made the right choice. I’m very receptive to the IDE’s shortcomings. There’s plenty I wish I had an opportunity to finish. But this isn’t one of them. The switch was (and still is) the right control to use for this design, and that’s a hill I’ll die on.
