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Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

A screenshot of the last version (clic to see full size):

http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/2o71l5.png

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Aha, so it works now... :-)

Actually it's not even necessary to "install" it to /opt as root, putting it in /home/user works just as well, we just need a Linux fs where files can be executed...

The new UI is nice and getting better all the time. The global "all/unread" setting is just great, and the new list views are nice too, easy to read.

A few more thoughts on usability though :

I like the post count on each line in the feed view, and the feed name in the "all posts" view. Maybe the visual effect would be nicer if they had a coloured beackground instead of white (like the same blue as the selection bar ?).

Also, there is a lot of width space left on these screens, so there could be a vertical toolbar in the side (like in grr) for the frequently used menu entries (sync, fetch more, mark all read, orientation etc.).

In landscape mode my favourite feature is keyboard navigation, but it's not all there yet. It's nice to be able to scroll through the lists with the arrows, select with Enter and go back with Backspace. But when you switch from feeds list to posts list this way, the new list doesn't have focus so you can't immediately scroll or select something with the keyboard.

And when you get to the post view, there is no in-page navigation any more. It would be good to be able to scroll up & down the page with arrows and/or space bar like in browsers.

Still about post view :

- I still can't stand that scrolling "marquee" window title :-)
- the in-page additional title is very nice, but it fades a bit fast for me
- when I'm in "all posts" mode (which is almost all the time), I often can't tell which feed the post is from.

So what I'd really like is an option/preference to :

- Put the feed name in the window title
- keep the in-page title as it is, but fixed (non-fading)

Just call it "the Fred mode" :-)

Also, the zoom keys do work (generally) in post view, and that's very useful. However, I find that I almost always zoom in at the start of the session, meaning the default font size is too small for my eyes. It would be nice to also have an option/preference for that...

Too bad about the buggy orientation change... In my own app, I used the same old hack you had in GRead, only instead of the "sleep(2)" between the two commands, I set a QTimer.singleshot with a callback (am I being clear ? :-). Seems to work OK, even if the screen sometimes flickers once after a change. But then it's a lot simpler than GRead...

Anyway, portait mode is not something I'd use much in GRead right now, because of the lack of navigation. To be usable it would really need a few buttons for the basics (again, like in grr). Or am I missing something ?

Thanks for the new version all the same... and looking forward to the next :-)

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twidi (Post 815230)

Could you please try to "install" GRead inside /opt in a tmp directory (not GRead, try "GRead-dev") and run it from here :

PS : don't copy from your "MyDocs" directory, some permissions may not be goot

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

Aha, so it works now... :-)

Actually it's not even necessary to "install" it to /opt as root, putting it in /home/user works just as well, we just need a Linux fs where files can be executed...

Oops, should have thought of that. I put it into the user directory & works fine from there.

Quote:

I like the post count on each line in the feed view, and the feed name in the "all posts" view. Maybe the visual effect would be nicer if they had a coloured beackground instead of white (like the same blue as the selection bar ?).-

I second that. I find the all white makes it hard to see the unread items. Coupled with that the read items still show until I manually refresh, makes reading a little harder.

Quote:

Also, the zoom keys do work (generally) in post view, and that's very useful. However, I find that I almost always zoom in at the start of the session, meaning the default font size is too small for my eyes. It would be nice to also have an option/preference for that...

+1 vote on that.

Quote:

Too bad about the buggy orientation change... In my own app, I used the same old hack you had in GRead, only instead of the "sleep(2)" between the two commands, I set a QTimer.singleshot with a callback (am I being clear ? :-). Seems to work OK, even if the screen sometimes flickers once after a change. But then it's a lot simpler than GRead...

Anyway, portait mode is not something I'd use much in GRead right now, because of the lack of navigation. To be usable it would really need a few buttons for the basics (again, like in grr). Or am I missing something ?

I for one prefer portrait mode over landscape, so I please really hope you get this fixed. :)

Thanks for the app. Really starting to look good.

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Is there a way to view the oldest items at the top? It seems the most recent are at the top in the current implementation.

thanks,
Frank

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

I don't know if this was posted before, but here's the way to get an icon for GRead on your menu, just make a gread.desktop in /usr/share/applications/hildon with this as the contents:

Code:

[Desktop Entry]

Encoding=UTF-8

Version=1.0.0

Type=Application

Name=GRead

Exec=/usr/bin/python /home/user/.gread/src/gread.py

Icon=grr

X-HildonDesk-ShowInToolbar=true

X-Osso-Type=application/x-executable

Notice I have two things in bold there, for the first one, you have to have where you got the files you cloned from the git repo (~/.gread/ in my case) and on the second is the icon. (icons are stored in /opt/maemo/usr/share/icons/hicolor, choose one and use just the file name without the extension) (I kept grr installed just to use its icon :P)

also; re: suggestions: +1 for not being able to stand the marquee on the title, I'd love an option to disable it :P

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Feature requests:

I have disabled the timer that scrolls the title in the item view constantly, it's too distracting. Maybe make this a preference?

I have disabled the banner title that scrolls up on view and then is hidden. This is distracting as well. Maybe another preference?

I also reversed the sort order that I requested above.

After these 3 changes (of personal preference), this seems like a pretty sweet application.

thanks,
Frank

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

i changed this by used highlight colors instead normal colors (before this change i just used the background as foreground and vice-versa)
And an other change : little feed-name at the right are limited to 1/3 of the total length, to let more place for the feed title (and a bug with multi height lines was also resolved)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

Also, there is a lot of width space left on these screens, so there could be a vertical toolbar in the side (like in grr) for the frequently used menu entries (sync, fetch more, mark all read, orientation etc.).

I have not a lot of space, anybody could have long titles...

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

In landscape mode my favourite feature is keyboard navigation, but it's not all there yet. It's nice to be able to scroll through the lists with the arrows, select with Enter and go back with Backspace. But when you switch from feeds list to posts list this way, the new list doesn't have focus so you can't immediately scroll or select something with the keyboard.

Now all list and internal browser should gain focus each time a now content is selected in the previous window.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

And when you get to the post view, there is no in-page navigation any more. It would be good to be able to scroll up & down the page with arrows and/or space bar like in browsers.

The keyboard shortcuts are not here yet but i know i have this to do :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

- I still can't stand that scrolling "marquee" window title :-)

Thanks to Mavit (someone here ) who made this optional in settings (now available in my version)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

- the in-page additional title is very nice, but it fades a bit fast for me

The delay is a little longer now

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

- when I'm in "all posts" mode (which is almost all the time), I often can't tell which feed the post is from.

With the new limited length of feed titles, it should be better

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

So what I'd really like is an option/preference to :

- Put the feed name in the window title
- keep the in-page title as it is, but fixed (non-fading)

Just call it "the Fred mode" :-)

It could be an idea :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

I will change the default and add an option in the settings window :) I do the same way each time (zoom at the start of the session)...

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

One day i'll try it again :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpp (Post 815720)

Anyway, portait mode is not something I'd use much in GRead right now, because of the lack of navigation. To be usable it would really need a few buttons for the basics (again, like in grr). Or am I missing something ?

With the landscape/mode (which replaces the "auto" mode), i really appreciate the portrait mode. It doesn't go back to landscape mode when i don't want so.
And i have no problem with navigation, you have the menu on the title bar with all the options, and the back button on the title to go back. I use GRead this way all the time, in portrait mode (and yes sometimes in landscape with the keyboard)

Notice that you can now switch to the previous/next item directly while viewing an item with two new "furtive" buttons... (but no currently option to fetch more, refresh (etc) in this view)

BTW, Thanks a lot for your report !

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Quote:

Originally Posted by grog (Post 815908)

I second that. I find the all white makes it hard to see the unread items. Coupled with that the read items still show until I manually refresh, makes reading a little harder.

There is more colors now : the feed name right aligned is now in highlight colors (white on blue with the default theme)

And you can notice a new little horizontal blue (the highlight color) bar on the left side of each category/feed/item unread. Useful to quickly show what is unread.

(and Thanks for you message !)

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Banul (Post 816279)

Is there a way to view the oldest items at the top? It seems the most recent are at the top in the current implementation.

thanks,
Frank

The engine can manage this but sort options are not available yet in the UI

Btw there is another problem with this : more older item can be displayed as they are retrieved from special feeds (it is possible to view a one month old item) and it will not be easy to see what are the really new items.
I have an idea to manage this, but... my todo list is so long :D

Re: [Announce] GRead : yet another Google Reader application... (PyQt)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fwrnando (Post 816393)

I don't know if this was posted before, but here's the way to get an icon for GRead on your menu, just make a gread.desktop in /usr/share/applications/hildon

There is one now thanks to mavit on Github (is that you ?). But i have no icon yet !

Thanks !