This page summarizes the investigations into an updated visual design (default stylesheet) for the e4 workbench.
Goals
The goals of this work are:
- design a compelling visual style for e4
- reduce visual noise, focus on the data
- investigate additional breathing space, lessons learned from publishing and web
- sleek/modern
- drive the ability/flexibility of the CSS styling for SWT widgets
- demonstrate the ability to keep a "classic" look and supply alternate designs
- identify the major interaction design issues (workbench model) that might block visual design
Timetable/approach
- October
- Investigate/define implementation constraints
- Bogdan - explore tab shape definition, border control, Windows 7 implications (if any)
- Prioritize visual design areas
- Susan - work within e4 plat UI team to prioritize focus areas for design exploration
- November
- Visual design explorations
- Linda - multiple design explorations with limited constraints
- Susan - solicit team response/consensus on alternatives
- Choose a direction by end of November
- Interaction design explorations
- Susan/Eric - work within e4 team to develop default workbench model [Bug 292789 [1]]
- Dec/Jan/Feb
- Visual design
- Linda/Susan/Bogdan - Iterate (push/pull) on default design
- Susan - project team consensus, communicate to community
- Susan/Bogdan - investigate programmatic reduction of clutter (fades, decorator removal, etc.)
- Bogdan - implementation/evolution of CSS/SWT styling engine, CTabFolder, etc.
- Interaction design
- Eric/Susan (?) - implementation
- March
- EclipseCon goals
- Show the new design
- Show a "classic" stylesheet based on 3.x
- Show radical alternatives to demonstrate CSS flexibility
- April
Visual Design Items
Design element
|
Requirement
|
Implementation constraints
|
Priority
|
Status
|
Tabs
|
Ability to define custom shapes. Shape should be specified in CSS (ie, you shouldn't have to write Java ownerdraw code to get custom shapes).
|
Consider use of sprites/images and prototype the performance. Look for other standards for specifying custom shapes.
|
High
|
Bogdan investigating SVG as descriptive format for tab shapes. Linda to provide SVG file(s) of previous tab shape designs.
|
Tabs
|
Custom highlight colors and gradients
|
An approach using images limits the ability to honor platform themes where the color does not need to be specified.
|
High
|
SVG would solve this issue.
|
Tabs
|
Separate background color for area behind tabs (blank space on right)
|
None - Can be drawn by ETabFolder
|
High
|
|
Tabs
|
Specify custom fonts/bolding for normal/selection
|
None - Can be drawn by ETabFolder
|
High
|
|
Tabs
|
Ability to remove keylines or specify their color independently
|
None - Can be drawn by ETabFolder
|
High
|
which borders do we need to control (remove top border without removing tab tops? position of bottom line?)
|
Widget borders
|
reducing key lines within tab content, etc.
|
Need to determine which borders can be removed/controlled easily at platform level.
|
Medium
|
Bogdan to provide summary of OS limitations
|
View and editor toolbars
|
Consistent location of view and editor toolbars. Consider a local editor toolbar. Consider a static position for view toolbar (always below?). Location of min max controls
|
|
Medium
|
|
View and editor visuals
|
Visual separation of view stacks without using keylines (coloring?).
|
|
Medium
|
|
Perspective Switcher
|
Look and feel of switcher in e4, location of switcher
|
|
Medium
|
Susan to push on default workbench model for SDK and use of perspectives.
|
Workbench background
|
Specify an image as the background for the workbench
|
?
|
Low
|
|
Toolbar
|
Specify transparency or customizable background
|
Current assumption: limited by platform
|
Low
|
Bogdan looking at Windows 7, any changes here
|
Menubar
|
Specify transparency or customizable background
|
Current assumption: limited by platform
|
Low
|
Bogdan looking at Windows 7, any changes here
|
Decorations
|
Don't show decorators for 90% case
|
would need new graphics for "exception case"
|
?
|
|
Fades
|
Fade non-active views
|
?
|
?
|
|
UI Forms
|
Are there additional requirements for styling ui forms components?
|
Apps desiring styling control over forms should be encouraged to use web UI technology to achieve this. There will be no more effort applied to styling ui forms.
|
Low
|
No work to be done
|