RFE: Expandable ABE GUI box

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Tom T.
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RFE: Expandable ABE GUI box

Post by Tom T. »

Per this user's problem, as ABE becomes more and more popular pending actual site-specific-permission menus (NS 3.x), the ABE entries grow to where scrolling is necessary to check or edit one's list of Accept sites etc.

It already seems that the ABE GUI box can have its divider (between SYSTEM/USER and the rules themselves) moved to the left or right, just as, say, the Windows Search Files/Folders box can have the divider moved left or right by hovering the mouse to get a horizontal arrow, then left-click and drag to the desired position.

Would it be too hard to allow the boundaries of the ABE box itself to be expanded horizontally and vertically in the same manner?
Whichever is easier:

1) Leave the NS GUI at current fixed size, but let ABE box expand beyond those borders, or
2) Allow NS GUI to be expanded as necessary to accommodate the user's need for a larger ABE rulebox.

Surely this is only a style-item?

And would not affect the many users who are not yet ABE-friendly, so it doesn't complicate NS any further for the non-tech.

Techies would shrink it back once their editing was done, of course, so that it isn't a monster every time it's opened.
Or it could default to the fixed size each time it's opened.

Until SSP is a reality, it seems that ABE is becoming a victim of its own success. Let's give it the room it needs.

Giorgio?
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Giorgio Maone
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Re: RFE: Expandable ABE GUI box

Post by Giorgio Maone »

Tom T. wrote: 1) Leave the NS GUI at current fixed size, but let ABE box expand beyond those borders, or
Impossible.
Tom T. wrote: 2) Allow NS GUI to be expanded as necessary to accommodate the user's need for a larger ABE rulebox.
Possible, but I should check how the (many) other components of the UI would behave with a variable size window (not so well, I suspect).

In the meanwhile you may want to try copying the content of the box in a text editor for the serious work and copying it back when you're done.
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Tom T.
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Re: RFE: Expandable ABE GUI box

Post by Tom T. »

Giorgio Maone wrote:In the meanwhile you may want to try copying the content of the box in a text editor for the serious work and copying it back when you're done.
Not my problem; it was a user issue, as per link in OP. One that I suspect may become more popular.

That's indeed a possible work-around, but his wish was to be able to view, edit, etc. directly in the GUI without scrolling. The work-around seems like a lot more work than scrolling, IMHO. I had also suggested to him looking in prefs.js, with Edit > Find, and tooltip on Value in ab:conf setting for easy full-screen review without editing.

If this can be done without great difficulty or harm to other components, excellent. If not, it was worth asking.
Thanks.
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