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Re: A new graphic user interface

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg111671] Re: A new graphic user interface
• From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
• Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 05:16:24 -0400 (EDT)

Try the Mathematica Classroom Assistant palette!  I think it fulfills 
many of the desiderata you indicate.

On 8/8/2010 7:21 AM, AES wrote:
> 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.
>

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305