After triggering actions, close shutter *OR* restart event

narayan · 2010-05-21 03:16

In settings, the following options are mutually exclusive:

* Restart events after actions have been triggered
* Close program after actions have been triggered

Problem: If the program is closed, triggering the event has no meaning.

Therefore, the GUI should not allow the user to select BOTH these options simultaneously.
(Instead of a check box, provide radio buttons and separate these two options from others with a line.)
***

BTW please change the term "program" to "Shutter" to make the meaning clearer.

Reason: Shutter also deals with other programs with its actions (e.g. it can run programs and close program windows). Therefore, the user may be confused as to whether "program" means Shutter or the target program.

den4b · 2010-05-21 11:08

I am thinking of a different approach to this problem. Convert these options to actions: Restart Events and Exit Application. In this way users will be able to specify these options for each preset individually as opposed to globally.

What do you think about it? Also about the names for the events.

narayan · 2010-05-21 16:39

That's a fantastic idea!

In place of "Exit Application", use "Close Shutter".

BTW once the "Close Shutter" is added, the user should not be able to add any other action (pop up an error message).
(Why: Once the Shutter instance is closed, it cannot do the next action! )

Speaking aout word-selection, how about using "Triggers" in place of "Events"?
Reasoning:
The terms "event" and "actions" are too close to each other.
On the other hand, the term "Trigger" clearly means that the specified condition triggers off the action(s).

Last edited by narayan (2010-05-21 16:43)

den4b · 2010-05-22 14:44

Since both of these actions do not require any configuration and they are related to the workflow of the application maybe it would make more sense to group them into a single action? Call action something general, like Utilities or Application. In action's configuration there would be a choice between "restart events", "close application" and possibly "pause" for specified amount of time.

I know that you have good explanation for using "Shutter" in place of "Application" and "Triggers" instead of "Events", but I have reasons for choosing these terms and I want to stick to them if you don't mind.

narayan · 2010-05-22 16:03

@wordings:
Ah well, you are the boss!

Anyway, it's the functionality that's more important!
***
If "Close Shutter" is offered as a choice, then it will have to be added to ALL the actions.
(And so also the other choices of similar kind).

But this raises a logical problem: When there are multiple actions, such a choice may be selected in one action but not in the other action. What then? How is Shutter supposed to behave?

den4b · 2010-05-23 11:54

narayan wrote:

If "Close Shutter" is offered as a choice, then it will have to be added to ALL the actions.

I don't follow you... "Close Shutter" should be added only once and as the last action. Every action after this option is useless because Shutter will close. Remember that actions are executed one-by-one, top-to-bottom.

narayan wrote:

But this raises a logical problem: When there are multiple actions, such a choice may be selected in one action but not in the other action. What then? How is Shutter supposed to behave?

Sorry, you totally lost me with this one... What do you mean??

Btw, latest development version contains this new action. You can try it.

narayan · 2010-05-23 12:47

Well, I thought you wanted to add "Close Shutter" as a "post-operation" option for an Action (not a stand-alone action by itself).
All those remarks are based on that (mis)understanding.

I will try out the latest version and see what it is really about!

narayan · 2010-05-24 02:25

Checked out the new version, and it is exactly what I had understood first.

But this still does not meet the following requirements:
1. User should not be able to add more than one "Utilities" in the "Actions" queue (it is self-conflicting)
2. This option should be the last in the queue.

IDEA!!
It is best to insert a third section in the GUI, below the Actions table.
Then the operating logic becomes extremely simple!

1. Wait for the triggers (Events specified at the top of the GUI)
2. Launch the Actions (listed in the middle of the GUI)
3. Do the post-action activities (listed in the bottom of the GUI).

In other words, everything is arranged "top-down" in Shutter's GUI.

When saved, the preset saves all three sections as a set.

Last edited by narayan (2010-05-24 02:55)

den4b · 2010-05-24 11:00

If you try to start Shutter with Utilities action not being the last one on the list you will get a message:

---------------------------
Warning
---------------------------
Planner cannot start!
Terminal action "Utilities" must be last on the list.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

You see, several of the actions from the actions list are so called Terminal, e.g. Shutdown, Reboot. You will get the same warning message if you use these actions but they will not appear last in the list.

I think that it is better to leave all of these Terminal actions as they are, otherwise, all of them will have to be transfered into this 3rd section (post-action). Logically, they are still actions so it may not make the usage simpler by breaking down them into 2 separate sections. This will also introduce clutter on the main interface.

What do you think?

narayan · 2010-05-24 15:25

You are right!

I had missed those other "terminal" actions that were already there in the "Actions" list.

BTW the name "Utilities" does not make sense.
What's the actual practical use of the "pause" option?

den4b Forum

#1 2010-05-21 03:16