Wappler interface

[Rodolfo_Gamberale]

While, on one hand, it’s nice to hear about frequent new releases, on the other hand I have a few comments which I’d like to share with the Wapppler Community.

1. Too frequent new releases may be a symptom of a somewhat buggy and unstable program, and I just say “may be”

2. It’s nice to see the Monaco Editor, it’s not so nice to realize that it can’t be used yet where it would be mostly needed, at least in my view, to edit HTML, CSS, ASP, ASPX. As is stands, I hope temporarily, is of little use to me.

3. The more I get acquainted with Wappler, which undoubtedly is a very ingenious piece of software, I continue not to feel at ease with the user interface, which is far from standard, at least in Windows and in Linux. Here I have a few suggestions on which I’d like to insist:

4. Please, please, do not use the X symbol to indicate the erasure of a file: it’s misleading. This symbol should Always means “close”, not “erase”, or maybe both.

5. The Wappler main application menu is on the right side of the window, whereas most contemporary Windows and also Linux (I use also Linux Mint in addition to Win 10) have it on the top left, according to a well established practice. This is where most users, myself included, expect to find it, so excuse me, why re-invent the wheel ?

6. If I were to redesign Wappler, which thing of course I’m not going to do, I’d swap the menu position, moving all those nice looking icons related to files, servers, assets, setup, etc. to the right side and the main menu to the left where it should belong.

7. Hope I’ve not been nitpeeking, but I like to be somewhat involved.

Best Regards

Rodolfo Gamberale

[JonL]

The Wappler main application menu is on the right side of the window

I don’t know if this is the reason but worth mentioning that Wappler is built with nwjs and nwjs is based on Chromium and Node. The default side for the menu on Chromium is the right side.

[scott]

If I were to redesign Wappler, which thing of course I’m not going to do, I’d swap the menu position, moving all those nice looking icons related to files, servers, assets, setup, etc. to the right side and the main menu to the left where it should belong.

I disagree. By moving the files, servers, assets, setup, etc to the right side, you would have it on the same side as the App Structure, Design, Styles, and DOM menu. This would prevent having both panels open at the same time while working. This would be counter-productive. The ability to have both panels open at the same time is very useful when working on files.

[TomD]

I answered, or at least responded to, some of these questions in this thread.

[scott]

Too frequent new releases may be a symptom of a somewhat buggy and unstable program, and I just say “may be”

I disagree with this as well. Frequent updates shows connectivity between the developers and the users of Wappler. It shows that the developers listen to feedback and implement feedback. It also shows a desire to improve the program by adding new features more often than other software developers.

[Rodolfo_Gamberale]

Yes, but if you swap the panels, not only move, but swap, both panels can be opened at the same time.

[UKRiggers]

I disagree with most of your comments Rodolfo, I have been using Wappler (infrequently) over the past year and I like the fresh approach.

The frequent new releases is a very positive thing. They introduce new features and new ways of doing things, and it ensures any error or bugs are fixed quickly, not that there are many of them.

The Cross symbol has been discussed before and consensus of opinion is that it is the right thing to have and is always about logic. The correct symbols used in the correct place. You view it as something that is out of position.

Why re-invent the wheel you ask. Simple. When the original wheel is square and this new wheel is round. You wonder why you should go back to a square wheel. In numerous Adobe products such as Photoshop, Illustrator etc you have the option to move the application windows around, and I move my main windows to the right and have done for years. You assume to know what ‘most users’ want simply because of your own experience. Well I assume that you have not done a study of millions of software users around the world to come to the conclusions that you have. Sorry but to make such a broad, sweeping statement is wrong, if not a little foolish.

Believe me when I say I am not having a go at you, we all have our own thoughts and opinions about things in this world, that’s what makes it so great, but when you say “… suggestions on which I’d like to insist”, it is not really your place to insist. By all means make suggestions and comments but don’t dictate without discussion.

[Rodolfo_Gamberale]

Thanks, Neil, for your sincere comment, on which I’d like to add some new comments of mine.

First of all, in my country we often quote an old proverb in Latin, which goes like: “The gustibus non est disputandum” “There’s no discussing about tastes”.

That said, let me add that the cross symbol is almost universally used, in Windows, Linux, MacOs to mean “close” and not “delete”. There are examples galore in all windows apps as well as in Linux. I just think that the cross symbol as used to mean “delete” in Wappler may be misleading and I suggested using something like a waste bin instead. It’s not up to me to change it.

Please forgive my habit of insisting, as a user of course: I can assure you that I’m not willing to dictate at all, and I apologize for giving someone the impression that I’m dictating. I’m just expressing my opinion, maybe somewhat frankly, like many others. And, of course, discussion is warmly welcome.

One upon a time, I was the Director of Information and Communication Technology for a large aerospace company for which I worked over 35 years in design and devepoment of hardware and software for ESA and NASA spacecraft, and I have to admit that the life-cycle of professional software, especially when targeted to life-critical applications, is very different to the life-cycle of commercial software, where parameters like “time to market” and “user community support” are much more important. So I agree that you and other users are right about the usefulness of frequent new releases.

Concerning the UI of Wappler, I’m a very frequent user of Photoshop and Lightroom, as also of DxO PhotoLab, as Photography has always been one of my greatest passions and, yes, you can move the tool windows around to suit your taste, but the main menu, which starts with “File”, always stays to to top left, whereas the application-specific menus, which are movable, normally occupy the right side of the screen; this is (and I can assure you once more that I’m not dictating) is exactly the opposite of Wappler. In Microsoft’s Visual Studio family of programs, which are the mainstay of my web programming weaponry, the approach is very similar.

So, may be the wheel is square, as you say, may be it’s round already, as I say.

Once again, thanks for your sincere comments and let’s enjoy working with Wappler.

Rodolfo Gamberale from Rome, Italy

[JonL]

I love frequent relases. So I must disagre with you there. I just wished I didn’t have to download that amount of data every single week

On the other side I agree with changing the X for delete.

From an UI/IX perspective if you are going to use math symbols you should adhere to best practice.

“+” Add
“-” Delete
“x” Close

I believe wappler team should change X for - which is the right math UI/UX icon for delete.

It’s worth mentioning of course that I am already used to the X for delete in wappler so it really doesn’t bother me much.

[Teodor]

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments, i am just not sure what’s the issue with the x icon exactly?

Whenever it is used in the top right corner of a dialog window, of course that would mean it’s a close button:

But when used in a toolbar, in the middle of the toolbar, or in a context menu … does it really look like a close button?

I thought it is obvious enough that it doesn’t mean “close me”… ?
But if it is really that confusing, probably we can change it in the future updates.

[Mr.Rubi]

Joining the discussion, I can assure you that I like everything about Wappler!

I’m literally in love with a project called Wappler, which includes a development and support team, software and community. My only really strong desire is that the harmonious development of this wonderful project should not stop, but continue also in all planes.

Regarding the interface, I really like it. Many things are intuitive. Separation on left and right parts of find extremely useful. The icons too, no questions. Of course, sometimes there are situations when I can not understand how to do this or that action, but it is rather not a question to the interface, but a question to understand the process itself. In such situations, comes to the aid of support and community, for which many thanks!

On suggestions and improvements, there are some things. But I want to work more with the program, and only then formulate really interesting (in my opinion) proposals. Because in the process, some ideas disappear by themselves when you realize that the current version of the implementation is already the best.

Good luck all!

[Rodolfo_Gamberale]

Concerning the Program Interface, I suggest all interested users to have a look at a competing program called “Pinegrow”. Here too the interface is non conventional, but the general menus are on the left and the rest of the UI is widely customizable to suit individual needs.

To me it’s an interesting comparison.

Rodolfo Gamberale

[Freddy_Blockchain]

The ability to have both panels open at the same time is very useful when working on files.

Why not let these Left and Right Panels as dragable elements, so a user can decide.

• This will solve two problems
• Flexible so a User can also put Panels on a 3. Monitor or wherever he wants
• Arabic users may be also happy as @Rodolfo_Gamberale
• Solve problems like Monitor sizes discussion

[Rodolfo_Gamberale]

I understand it’s a joke, but why arabic ? I’m old now, but when I was younger, most people mistook me for swedish or american. Jokes apart, yours is to me a good suggestion.

[Rodolfo_Gamberale]

I’d like to add that this apporach is very similar to the one followed by the “Pinegrow” competitor, where yoy can put almost any screenful where it best suits your monitor configurations. I regularly use two monitors and would very much appreciate if Wappler could be split over two screens and use all the available real estate.

Rodolfo Gamberale

[JonL]

why arabic ?

Right-to-left

[TomD]

the “Pinegrow” competitor, where yoy can put almost any screenful where it best suits your monitor configurations

I haven’t used Pinegrow much, but it’s an impressive program. I don’t think detachable panels was originally a feature but I think it’s been very well implemented. I asked about flexibility in organising the layout in Wappler long ago, and I think @George mentioned that he wanted to keep things simple and not include such options. I think he has a good point (but I would nevertheless like the feature, despite using a very large main monitor).

By the way, I wouldn’t consider Pinegrow a competitor. I imagine for most Wappler users, Pinegrow lacks the most essential feature - enabling the development of dynamic websites.