From: Paul Louden <paulthenerd_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 07:42:19 -0500

It also affects those buying a new target. As I said, when you move to
a new software, you expect changes. When you move to the same
software, you expect consistency. If a button does something in one
screen, you expect it to be the "same" button in all the other
screens, as the button that does that thing, in that screen, on your
previous player.

I think for the most part we can match button labels, but I think
there should be an interface... abstraction, I guess, for lack of a
better word. A generic name for a button, such as select, and a list
of what it's expected to do on each screen. Then when a new player is
ported for each of the abstracted buttons (the ones I listed as the
fundamental buttons in my last email) you would pick the closest
matching button on the new target, and assign it that abstraction.

I assume you're talking about the "Power/Menu" button on the Sansa. It
has two labels, Power, and Menu. I suggest we use it as the "Power"
button is used on other targets, because there's also a second "Menu"
button on the Sansa that serves the purpose of the Menu button on
other targets perfectly well. This results in a consistent interface
among targets, and the only thing we ignore is that the button had a
dual purpose in the original firmware. The menu-only button is the
closest match to the "Menu" abstraction, and the "Power/Menu" button
is closest to the "Power/Stop" abstraction.
Received on 2007-05-29