GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 631688
Remove horizontal scrolling
Last modified: 2014-05-29 14:24:48 UTC
original Ubuntu bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gcalctool/+bug/656696 Binary package hint: gcalctool First, kudos to the calculator team for the new look, the colours, and the novel bolding of the computed results. Its nice to know that improvements can always be made to familiar tools like this. However... while we are all familiar with text editors that support scrolling to reveal off-screen content we can usually tell when we are missing something because the text does not make sense without the hidden parts. We don't have that luxury with numbers. It isn't immediately obvious that I'm not seeing the entire sequence of a really large number when it is cut off on one side. Scrollbars are primarily adjustment tools, not visual indicators. While you can tell the user that the computed results lack precision for financial values, it takes on a whole different meaning when hidden numbers skew the apparent results by several orders of magnitude. I would suggest a couple of approaches to the problem: 1) Enlarge the window gradually as the displayed text grows, leaving the keypad the same size and centered in the middle. The window would not shrink but would remain at the largest size. Allow the user to resize the window manually. 2) Place a prominent marker beside the cut-off edge to flag the hidden text. For example if I had the numeric sequence 1234567890 showing in a too-small window it could be marked as: 567890 << (in red) Again, thanks for the improvements and I hope this bug can be stomped out! Brian ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10 Package: gcalctool 5.32.0-0ubuntu1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4 Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic x86_64 NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia Architecture: amd64 Date: Thu Oct 7 22:43:52 2010 ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gcalctool InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100429) ProcEnviron: LANG=en_US.utf8 SHELL=/bin/bash SourcePackage: gcalctool
I think the described problem is real, however, I disagree with the solution. Red characters below the number is supposed to mean that something broke. Instead, I suggest we do what every pocket calculator does, and show the part that doesn't fit the screen as an exponent. That way should be familiar to many people, couldn't be mistaken for an error message, and would immediately reveal the magnitude of the number. As long as it automatically adjusts the number of digits visible as the window is resized, I think it would be the clearest way.