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Re: A new graphic user interface

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg111631] Re: A new graphic user interface
• From: AES <siegman at stanford.edu>
• Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 07:21:10 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <i3gpp1$2v0$1@smc.vnet.net>

In article <i3gpp1$2v0$1 at smc.vnet.net>,
 Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu> wrote:

> What iwould you want in the Mathematica front end that could be more 
> user-friendly? In what ways do you find it currently unfriendly?

I've not made much use of the built-in palettes in Mathematica to date, 
but probably should do so.

I have been making considerable use, however, of the "Inspectors" that 
have been showing up in various of Apple's newer apps and other 
third-party apps for Macs, and finding them very user-friendly.  

I suppose these Inspectors are in essence just tall, skinny, highly 
multi-function palettes; but their attractive features include:

*  One single Inspector for the whole app offers direct access to a 
whole bunch of detailed "utility" functions (various formatting tasks, 
for example), all visible in one single tall skinny window which you can 
position wherever you like.

* Open this Inspector with a single click on a single, obvious icon 
that's right there in the application's main Toolbar; dismiss it with a 
single click.

*  Tall window allows you to scan down rapidly (preferably without 
scrolling) to see what task capabilities or utility functions are 
available; and maybe expand the one you want by clicking its triangle.  
Don't have to try to remember the name or location of the function you 
want.

*  Tabs at top can let you quickly select broader categories of such 
functions.

*  Tall skinny structure allows individual task to have a horizontal 
control bar and/or a text box input/

It's just a generally handy, friendly user interface, with a built-in 
"teaching" capability for the user, as compared to multiple palettes or 
dialog boxes, that have to be searched out in multiple menus.