[kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles

[Shawn Bowers]

Sounds reasonable.

You can count me though as one user who doesn't like the folder icon for 
data.

-shawn

Laura L. Downey wrote:
> No Shawn.  I'm not officially proposing two kinds of file folders in the
> tree at this time, just said I had thought about trying it, meaning mocking
> it up to see what it looks like.  Another idea I thought about was making
> the file folders teal too but I worry that would just look very similar to
> the regular actor icons.  And yes, another idea is to do away with the file
> folders for data and use a different symbol as you mentioned.
> 
> But since we are making incremental changes, and since there didn't seem to
> be an issue with a standard file folder representing a directory in a tree
> and a larger file folder with some differences as data in the workflow, I
> haven't concentrated on this.  There are many other higher priority
> usability issues to concentrate on than the file folder.
> 
> Laura L. Downey
> Senior Usability Engineer
> LTER Network Office
> Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
> 1 University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
> 505.277.3157 office
> 505.610.9657 mobile
> 505.277-2541 fax
> ldowney at lternet.edu
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Shawn Bowers [mailto:sbowers at ucdavis.edu] 
> Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 11:43 AM
> To: Laura L. Downey
> Cc: 'Kevin Ruland'; 'Matthew Brooke'; Kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org
> Subject: Re: [kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles
> 
> Laura L. Downey wrote:
> 
>  > The only real technicality here regarding standard design principles
>  > is that we might think there would be a little confusion when
>  > dragging a data file from the tree that turns into a different large
>  > file folder on the workflow canvas.  I wondered the same when I
>  > first looked at Kepler.
> 
> So basically you are proposing we have two kinds of folders in the
> actor/data trees: one signifying normal folders (i.e., something that
> can have sub-folders and actors and/or datasets), and one signifying
> datasets themselves -- and both of these essentially look the same (at
> least closer now), except with slightly different yellow colors and
> shading.
> 
> Also, a folder to me signifies something that can be hierarchically
> nested (i.e., containing subfolders) and can contain multiple files
> ...  I don't see how this reflects the notion of a tabular dataset
> (*maybe* XML, but that makes it even more confusing) --
> 
> -shawn
> 
> 
>  >
>  > But we haven't had any feedback during training or basic testing that
>  > indicated people were confused with a directory file folder in a tree 
> and
>  > the large file symbol being used in a workflow.
>  >
>  > I haven't tried it yet but did think about representing data files in 
> the
>  > tree that can be dragged as the flat dark gold file symbol so that they
>  > looked different than the standard directory file folders in the 
> tree.  Also
>  > users can't drag the directory file folders but they can drag the 
> data file
>  > folders.
>  >
>  > Laura L. Downey
>  > Senior Usability Engineer
>  > LTER Network Office
>  > Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
>  > 1 University of New Mexico
>  > Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
>  > 505.277.3157 office
>  > 505.610.9657 mobile
>  > 505.277-2541 fax
>  > ldowney at lternet.edu
>  >
>  >
>  > -----Original Message-----
>  > From: Shawn Bowers [mailto:sbowers at ucdavis.edu]
>  > Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 8:55 AM
>  > To: Laura L. Downey
>  > Cc: 'Kevin Ruland'; 'Shawn Bowers'; 'Matthew Brooke';
>  > Kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org
>  > Subject: RE: [kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles
>  >
>  >
>  > So, according to this argument, we need to change the folder icons in 
> the
>  > actor library, right?
>  >
>  > -shawn
>  >
>  > On Fri, 3 Feb 2006, Laura L. Downey wrote:
>  >
>  >> Yes consistency is important, especially in symbology and color.  We 
> don't
>  >> want two different colors meaning the same thing, or two different 
> symbols
>  >> meaning the same thing either. Conversely we don't want one symbol 
> or one
>  >> color meaning two distinctly different things either.
>  >>
>  >> The current proposal is to establish a baseline set of symbols with the
>  > file
>  >> folder representing data.  So I would expect the set of workflows that
>  >> Kepler ships with originally to conform to our baseline set of 
> symbols and
>  >> with consistency.  But workflow creators will also have the option 
> to add
>  >> their own symbols within the icon style and colors offered.  So it is
>  >> possible that someone will add their own data symbol and use that in 
> the
>  >> future.
>  >>
>  >> Laura L. Downey
>  >> Senior Usability Engineer
>  >> LTER Network Office
>  >> Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
>  >> 1 University of New Mexico
>  >> Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
>  >> 505.277.3157 office
>  >> 505.610.9657 mobile
>  >> 505.277-2541 fax
>  >> ldowney at lternet.edu
>  >>
>  >>
>  >> -----Original Message-----
>  >> From: Kevin Ruland [mailto:kruland at ku.edu]
>  >> Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 8:29 AM
>  >> To: Laura L. Downey
>  >> Cc: 'Shawn Bowers'; 'Matthew Brooke'; Kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org
>  >> Subject: Re: [kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles
>  >>
>  >>
>  >> There is an inconsistency currently, the DarwinCore and EML datasources
>  >> use the folder icon (same object actually) but the GEON uses a
>  >> cylinder.  I think it's best for them to all use exactly the same code
>  >> for easier maintenance and visual pleasure.
>  >>
>  >> Kevin
>  >>
>  >> Laura L. Downey wrote:
>  >>> Keeping the file folder maintains some of the current symbology to 
> ease
>  >> the
>  >>> transition, and also no one previously voiced any problem with its
>  > current
>  >>> use.  Also during training and basic testing, none of the users have
>  >>> reported any issue with a file folder representing data.
>  >>>
>  >>> For many people the cylinder shape implies specifically a database.
>  >>>
>  >>> Laura L. Downey
>  >>> Senior Usability Engineer
>  >>> LTER Network Office
>  >>> Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
>  >>> 1 University of New Mexico
>  >>> Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
>  >>> 505.277.3157 office
>  >>> 505.610.9657 mobile
>  >>> 505.277-2541 fax
>  >>> ldowney at lternet.edu
>  >>>
>  >>>
>  >>
>