GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 332753
dictionary window should be resizable
Last modified: 2006-07-21 22:50:41 UTC
It would be nice if the word lookup display window for the dictionary applet in gnome-utils-2.13.93 were resizable. At present when a search word is entered, a display window roughly 4cm x 8cm in size, including the buttons and scroll bars, appears. The actual word definition is in a text panel that is about 1.8cm x 7.4 cm. -Joseph
I'm seeing this too on 2.14 and agree it's a problem. No activity yet on this bug? I can at least confirm this isn't isolated to the original reporter. Hopefully it hits someone's radar soon.
the window should resize itself if the definition is too large, but its maximum width and height are clamped to the size of the display to avoid it going off screen. I need a word (and the dictionary used) with the definition that makes the window not to resize, or to resize too little, in order to replicate the bug. Thanks. and no: I won't add resizing to the applet's window, because it's a docked window and because it should not require user's intervention.
Created attachment 66528 [details] Side by side example of applet from help screenshot vs. reality This shows an example using the word "Dictionary". The screenshot on the left is lifted from the Dictionary applet's own help file, which shows a much-larger window which although still requiring a significant amount of scrolling, doesn't require as much as the example on right. The right screenshot is a real action shot from my own desktop, showing how very little of the definition is viewable in stark contrast to what the help file suggests I should be able to see.
The window doesn't seem to resize itself at all. I tried several words and all came up too small. I'm not sure I understand the logic of not adding resizing to the window. If the goal is to eliminate or reduce user intervention, being able to resize it big enough to see the entire definition allows for the smallest amount, as a single click and drag gets the user there. With the current situation, the user must do many clicks and drags using both the horizontal and vertical scrollbars in order to ultimately see the entire definition. It is impossible to view more than a keyhole's worth (a few words) at a time. Personally, I preferred the method used in Gnome 2.12: when a word was typed in and [Enter] pressed, a separate floating resizable window (in effect, the same window you'd get if you went to Applications -> Accessories -> Dictionary) popped up. I can see the intended UI style that you were hoping for with the drop-down instead of the floating window, but unfortuantely it's not working out too well and is feeling like a step backwards. I'd suggest one of the following compromises: 1) Have the drop-down resize automatically so that a lot more of the definition is visible initially, and then allow the user to make it bigger if necessesary/desired. 2) Have an option in the prefs for the applet allowing the defintion to appear as a drop-down (current style, although in its current state I don't see it of being of much value without at least some tweaking), or a separate window (2.12 style). This pref could be a single checkbox, and there are hardly any options in the prefs for the dictionary applet right now so this would not add to clutter.
where is the dictionary applet placed on the panel? > I'm not sure I understand the logic of not adding resizing to the window. the "window" is a dock, much like the clock's drop-down or the drawer applet; docked windows are not supposed to be resized, just like you don't resize a menu. what's to be understood is: why the dock doesn't resize itself like it should. I'll attach a screen shot of the applet (2.14.0) showing the definition of "dictionary" on my box. are you sure that you are using the gnome-dictionary-applet binary frnom 2.14.0? previous beta versions didn't resize correctly and thus lead to behaviours like what you screen shot shows.
Created attachment 66529 [details] screenshot of the applet the applet correctly is correctly resized. I've used the stable gnome-utils as packaged by ubuntu to make sure this behaviour is present in gnome-2-14 and not only HEAD.
I am using Gnome 2.14.1 from ports on FreeBSD 6.1-RELEASE. /usr/X11R6/libexec/gnome-dictionary-applet --version Gnome gnome-dictionary-applet 2.14.0 Although gnome-dictionary-applet is at 2.14.0 this seems to be the latest version with Gnome 2.14.1: http://www.freshports.org/deskutils/gnome-utils/ Hopefully Joseph will chime in with his info (or whether he's still experiencing this problem on 2.14). If it is changed for him and isolated to me now, maybe there's a problem with the FreeBSD port and I should get Joe Marcus Clark's input on this.
This was also a bug in the Ubuntu launchpad (https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/gnome-utils/+bug/48386). I would like to reiterate my comments from there: Moreover, most keystrokes, such as arrow navigation or page down, which might be able to help this situation, are not accepted by the applet (it doesn't take the focus? when clicked in). I think the window must be resizable, the lookup-word font smaller, less space under the title, and a vastly better scrolling interface is needed. The only way to use it right now is to try to highlight everything in the window, and then paste it into another application to read it! I also think there needs to be SOME way to make the window go away other than mouse-clicking on the dictionary icon in the panel. I'm using the latest Dapper. The problem exists regardless of whether the panel is on a side edge or top/bottom. I believe things were much better under breezy, but I can't remember exactly how it worked. I'm attaching a screenshot showing version number, 2.14.0, since there seems to be skepticism still...
Created attachment 67371 [details] test case "dictionary" under Ubuntu Dapper, dictionary 2.14.0 (temporary attachment)
> Moreover, most keystrokes, such as arrow navigation or page down, which might > be able to help this situation, are not accepted by the applet (it doesn't take > the focus? when clicked in). this might be a bug. > I also think there needs to be SOME way to make the window go away other than > mouse-clicking on the dictionary icon in the panel. have you tried pressing Esc, as stated on the applet'smanual? as for the screenshot: I can't reproduce the behaviour you showed on my dapper either with gnome-utils 2.14.0 or gnome-utils 2.15.4/HEAD.
(In reply to comment #10) > this might be a bug. Meaning I should file it seperately? > have you tried pressing Esc, as stated on the applet'smanual? Yes. I can't get the applet to get the focus.
I just received an automated update today, which has corrected the definition window size to something readable. The applet version still reads 2.14.0. I have submitted the focus issue as a separate bug, http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=345117
thanks christopher. may I close this bug,now? is anyone still getting wrong window resizing?
No, my dictionary applet has reverted to the unuseful, small, unresponsive behaviour I had before the upgrade! I don't think I have done anything relevant lately except that I ran the non-docked Gnome Dictionary once. Baffled, c
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 346893 ***