ApplicationLaunchIndication

ApplicationLaunchIndication

Summary

This spec describes the integration of a universal application load indicator into Gnome/Ubuntu.

Rationale

While Gnome includes a basic animation to indicate the launch of an application, this animation is not clear or helpful to many users. Users may be confused by delays between clicking an icon and an application's launch. Large applications with long load times, like OpenOffice and GIMP provide a lightweight progress indication to provide users with immediate feedback and useful information on the progress of the load. Ubuntu should provide some additional information to the user immediately after the icon is clicked and until the program is finished launching. Both the immediate feedback (tying a user action to a system response) and the additional information will further improve Ubuntu's usability for new AND existing users.

Use cases

  • Yvette clicks an icon in the Applications menu to lauch Firefox, but for several seconds is not sure she clicked the icon correctly or that the system has begun loading the program.
  • While his computer is processing another involved task, Sandro attempts to launch Thunderbird to check his email and Rhythmbox to listen to some music. Because the system is under load, he interprets the delay as a failure to launch the applications and clicks the icons several more times, eventually resulting in muliple instances of each application launching. This is not the behavior he intended, and as a kicker it unnecessarily slows down the background task.
  • Naomi is regularly using the Scale feature of Compiz which has eliminated the need for a Window List panel. Because the Window List is not available, she is often unsure if any applications are in the process of launching.

Scope

This may require a modification of Gnome/GTK or D-Bus code, as well as postentially requiring minor modifications to individual apps. This will depend on the implementation strategy.

Design

Perhaps the most useful implementation would just imitate the already working models of this present in OpenOffice and the GIMP. A small, lightweight splash screen would appear immediately indicating that a launch has begun. This could contain a branding graphic and/or the application's icon to increase visibility. A progress bar (possibly only for supporting applications?) will indicate the launch status. Once the application finishes loading, this splash screen will disappear. This feature should be optional (though it should be enabled in a default installation).

Implementation

Comments


CategorySpec

ApplicationLaunchIndication (last edited 2008-08-06 16:39:00 by localhost)