Re: [PATCH 7/7] perf ui/gtk: Use struct perf_error_ops

[Ingo Molnar <mingo@kernel.org>]

* Namhyung Kim <namhyung.kim@lge.com> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> On Mon, 7 May 2012 10:10:51 +0200, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> > * Namhyung Kim <namhyung.kim@lge.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >> 
> >> On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:31:28 +0300 (EEST), Pekka Enberg wrote:
> >> > On Mon, 30 Apr 2012, Namhyung Kim wrote:
> >> >> Define and use perf_gtk_eops to provide a GTK2 message
> >> >> dialog for error reporting. To do that, we need global
> >> >> main_window variable for tracking UI state.
> >> >> 
> >> > I think this is an usability glitch waiting to happen - especially so if 
> >> > you use it for warnings. There's no reason to require the user to react to 
> >> > warning messages in the GUI because there's absolutely nothing they can do 
> >> > about them.
> >> >
> >> > I guess we could do something like the "ui helpline" thing used by the 
> >> > newt front-end if we really wanted to.
> >> >
> >> > 			Pekka
> >> 
> >> I did quick grep on ui__warning and found that most of its 
> >> users are trying to show the messages before exiting. I think 
> >> some (at least) of them can be converted to ui__error(). And 
> >> as existing implementation (TUI) already requires user input 
> >> for this, I thought it's ok.
> >> 
> >> But I agreed with you that ui__warning should not be used for 
> >> showing non-critical messages and converted to helpline-style 
> >> ones.
> >
> > If they are in essence ui__error() already then please convert 
> > them to ui__error() instead of perpetuating the mistake - don't 
> > force annoying pop-ups for warnings that may or may not be 
> > fatal. Spurious pop-ups are sad and people hate them.
> >
> 
> Ok, will do that in another patch (series). So you mean 
> ui__warning should not be a pop-up dialog, right?

Pekka, is that what you meant too?

If there are *real* warnings that are not followed up by some 
fatal close of the application then those should probably be 
displayed in some sort of unintrusive manner - a scrolling list 
of events, a small status display box that can be clicked on if 
people get curious, etc.

Small, well-thought out details like that are nice in a GUI. 
Create enough of them and people start not to hate the app 
(people generally hate computers, so GUIs have an uphill 
struggle). Break a critical mass and people will actively love 
the app.

Thanks,

	Ingo