GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 665255
IM banner should grow taller with conversation
Last modified: 2013-03-02 13:10:37 UTC
After extensive use I have grown to love reposing to people in the middle of my screen, using shell's banner. At the same time, the vertical screen estate it provides is inadequate. I would find it appropriate for it to grow towards the top as the conversation unfolds, until i lose interest and shift my focus, collapsing the banner. For the potential continuation of the conversation in case the person replies again I should still be able to scroll back to see context, but it would again start the same height as we have now, focusing on the last message the person sent me. That way I have a nice glance over the conversation and I can form my replies better seeing the context without scrolling back and forth, but don't have to be burdened by "window management"/resizing. In terms of aesthetics, I see it going to 2/3s of the screen height.
It depends on https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=685152 Right now, with this little context in chat bubbles, growing the notification doesn't change a lot. Also one question, what designers want? Once we grow the notification, when we lost focus of it, we recover its original size? Or we maintain the new size? If we recover the size, I imagine something like: someone talk to me. I expand the notification, it grows until its maximum (2/3 of the screen? Please designers, confirm that), then, when I lost the focus, it recovers a fixed original size, and if the same person talk to me and I expand the notification the original size is displayed and it grows again until its maximum size or until I lost focus. Is it the correct behaviour?
What we need (in CSS speak) is a max-height to be around 15ex rather than the current +- 7ex.
Jakub, In this manner the chat expanded notification will be too intrusive always, not only when you are paying attention to the conversation in a short time.
Created attachment 227291 [details] 25em patch proposed working. We always have this size (if the conversation is long enough) for expandable notifications. So, for me, too intrusive for all the conversations. What do you think?
Created attachment 227790 [details] design guidance (In reply to comment #1) Hi Carlos. Sorry I've been slow getting back to you on this one. I've attached some design guidance. I hope it answers your questions; let me know if it doesn't.
Created attachment 227812 [details] 22em 1366x768 (laptop) patch working into a normal resolution laptop
patch working into a normal desktop resolution 1680x1050 http://postimage.org/image/ghpzevz99/
Created attachment 227815 [details] [review] MessageTray: change height in chat notification to have more context.
I've tried it and it seems good to me. One potential enhancement would be to make it so the expansion of the notification is smooth rather than jumping, but that can maybe be another bug.
One thing that I noticed when testing this this morning - each time you enter text and the notification grows, the text entry field disappears for a moment. The effect is a bit awkward. Do you see that at your end, Carlos?
It's always done that. I'm surprised you never noticed before.
Meh. I'm struggling to reproduce now. If no one else sees that bug, let's try and get this landed.
(In reply to comment #12) > Meh. I'm struggling to reproduce now. If no one else sees that bug, let's try > and get this landed. Comment #11 suggests that this is not a regression, in which case it shouldn't block landing the patch at all.
So, when the code is reviewed, please commit, I haven't got commit rights.
Review of attachment 227815 [details] [review]: Looks good. Will push with the minor nit fixed. ::: js/ui/components/telepathyClient.js @@ +784,3 @@ this._lastGroupActor = null; + + // We override the 'y' size of the scroll area to have a taller notification for chat. This comment isn't really necessary.
Created attachment 228059 [details] [review] MessageTray: change height in chat notification to have more context.
Review of attachment 228059 [details] [review]: bad patch
Created attachment 228061 [details] [review] MessageTray: change height in chat notification to have more context.
Allan I will see into the two bugs you talk about, since they seem to be good for a beginner.
Thanks for the fix, Carlos! This is great. :)
*** Bug 685152 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***