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Bug 144284 - need section in menu item names for difference between GenericName and Name
need section in menu item names for difference between GenericName and Name
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Product: gnome-devel-docs
Classification: Applications
Component: hig
unspecified
Other Linux
: High normal
: ---
Assigned To: HIG Maintainers
HIG Maintainers
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2004-06-14 01:36 UTC by Bryan W Clark
Modified: 2020-12-04 18:19 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---



Description Bryan W Clark 2004-06-14 01:36:41 UTC
The menu item section, see: desktop-integration.html#menu-item-names describes
naming conventions for launchers.  This section needs an adjustment for the
difference between a GenericName and a Name wto the .desktop file.

For a .desktop file there should exist a Generic name as well as a regular name.
 Where the generic name provides only a description of functionality without the
proper name.  This description is intended for use when there are no other
applications with the same generic name (i.e. when there is only one IRC Client,
xchat assumes the name IRC Client, when there are multiple IRC Clients each uses
the "[Proper Name] [Description of Funcionality]" format.)

Example: 

In the application X-Chat there should exist both

> Name=X-Chat IRC Client
> GenericName=IRC Client

This is just a bug to remind myself to get to work.
Comment 1 Bryan W Clark 2004-06-15 00:30:31 UTC
I've updated the section with an explaination, example, explanation, and example
of how it works at the end of the Menu Item sub-section in the Desktop section.  

commited to CVS
Comment 2 Tommi Komulainen 2004-06-15 04:57:13 UTC
Which specification is the above based on?  Last time I checked Desktop Entry
spec says to use just the 'specific name of the application, for example
"Mozilla"' for Name - without the generic name.

http://freedesktop.org/Standards/desktop-entry-spec/0.9.4/ar01s04.html
Comment 3 Bryan W Clark 2004-06-15 14:39:26 UTC
Yes, that's why the freedesktop spec needs to change.  The GNOME HIG spec is
based on the desire for clearer, more understandable menu entries.  Having only
the application proper name appear when two of the same applications are
installed would be a mistake.  

This would cause a person who has only one web browser with the "Web Browser"
menu entry to possibly be changed to "Mozilla" and "Epiphany" entries after
installing a second web browser.  Since neither "Mozilla" or "Epiphany" names
have any relation to the functionality of the application it would just be plain
confusing.  Allowing the names to be "Mozilla Web Browser" and "Epiphany Web
Browser" gives the user some clue as to the nature of the application. 

In terms of the .desktop entry, for the english language we can auto-generate
the "Mozilla Web Browser" name from the Name + GenericName, however other
languages don't give us that freedom.  Since we can't be expected to generate
such names on the fly we need to change the spec.  

Mail has been sent to the f.d.o. xdg list:
http://freedesktop.org/pipermail/xdg/2004-June/004102.html
requesting this change be made in that spec as well.