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[lalittle]

I was recently trying to describe to a new MC user how to set up a custom View Scheme to their liking.  It came to my attention that the terms "Edit View Scheme" and "Customize Current View" were causing some confusion.  Specifically, the use of the word "View" in both of these instances was confusing to the user, and I had to agree.  The term "Customize Current View" seems too close to the term "Edit View Scheme."

I noticed that the MC help manual uses the term "Content Pane" for the lower panel.  I think it would therefore make sense and add consistency to MC if the term "Content Pane" was used for the "customize" process as well.  In other words, instead of using the term "Customize Current View," what if MC used "Customize Content Pane" in the context menus for this task?  This is, after all, what "Customize Current View" actually does -- i.e. it specifically adjusts what MC calls the "Content Pane."

We'd now have "Edit View Scheme" for the "overall" view layout, and "Customize Content Pane" for the specific adjustments to the main window's "Content Pane," which is the terminology that MC already uses.

On a related note, I think it would also make sense to include a "Customize Content Pane" button in the "Edit View Scheme" window (perhaps as an optional "Step 5") since this particular window is a subset of the overall View Scheme layout.  The result would be that the "Edit View Scheme" panel would include the ability to customize the Content Pane -- which makes sense since it's "part" of the View Scheme -- and we'd still have access to the "Customize Content Pane" function via the various right click and view menus.

Thanks,

Larry

[Matt]

Ah, but a "Pane" is a specific thing in MC, so Content Pane isn't so good.  I like "View".

If anything, a View Scheme should be a Library Scheme, or Ralph.

[lalittle]

Ah, but a "Pane" is a specific thing in MC, so Content Pane isn't so good.  I like "View".

If anything, a View Scheme should be a Library Scheme, or Ralph.

Are we talking about the same thing?  "Content Pane" is what this area of the screen is already called in MC.  I got "Content Pane" from you guys -- it's in the MC manual, and I was trying to keep consistency by using established MC terms.  If you don't want to use "Pane" for this area, the manual should change as well, but I don't think it should -- I think "Content Pane" works perfectly.

That said, how is this area not a "Pane"?  I know that Panes are specific things in MC, but isn't this area of the screen one of these specific areas?  Intuitively, a "pane" seems to be exactly what this area is, and the MC documentation refers to this area as one of the "panes" on numerous occasions.

If you really don't like "Content Pane," however, then how about "Content Panel"?  This would separate it from the word "Pane," but it would still maintain the idea of being a "section" of the screen.  I think it's important to keep the terms intuitively descriptive.  The area of the screen currently called the "Content Pane" in the documentation IS, by definition, either a "Pane" or a "Panel."

Regarding the use of the work "View":  To me (and to the other user I was helping today), the word "View" implies the entire screen -- i.e. the "overall" layout.  The term "View Scheme" makes perfect sense to me, and I actually think it works much better than "Library Scheme" since you're describing the way things "look" -- "View" implies a visual "look" of something, but the word "Library" does not.  "Scheme" implies a "design" or "blueprint" for something, so when the words "View" and "Scheme" are put together, it essentially means the "design" of the "look."  "View Scheme" is quite descriptive for what we're talking about.  Also, a "View" is an "overall" term, while a "Pane" or a "Panel" refers to a specific "section" of the overall view.  There's nothing about the word "view" that inherently implies a "section," but the words "pane" and "panel" both do.

If you really want to change "View Scheme," I think you should go with something even MORE descriptive like "Screen Layout."  This would leave no room for misinterpretation, and you could still use either "Content Pane" or "Content Panel" for what is currently called the "Content Panel."  That said, I think "View Scheme" already works fine.

In other words, in MC, the overall "View" is a layout made up of "Panes" or "Panels."  To edit the "View" implies editing the overall screen, which is what "Edit View Scheme" does.  What is currently called "Customize Current View," however, only edits a SINGLE "pane" or "panel" in this overall view, which is why I suggested the more focussed term "Customize Content Pane" (or "Customize Content Panel.")

Larry

[Matt]

I think we'll leave things like they are.  If this is our biggest problem, I'll sleep well at night.

[lalittle]

I think we'll leave things like they are.  If this is our biggest problem, I'll sleep well at night.

No problem.

I was merely offering this as a suggestion since I experienced a new user today that was confused by the terminology, and I agreed with them.  They asked me "what's the difference between a "View Scheme" and a "View."  When I tried to answer, it really struck me that this wasn't very clear due to 1) the dual use of the word "View," and 2) the fact that MC is not consistent with what it calls the lower pane in the main window (calling it the "Content Pane" in the documentation, but simply a "View" in the menus.)

I'm just passing this along since I thought it was a good idea, and I thought it might be a relatively simple change.  I also figured that changing it to "Customize Content Pane" would not confuse the people already familiar with "Customize Current View" since it sounded "similar."

Thanks again,

Larry

[raym]

Larry, if the terminology is confusing, you might be able to change it via the language file.

Just a thought.

[lalittle]

Larry, if the terminology is confusing, you might be able to change it via the language file.

Just a thought.

The point was not that it was confusing to "me" -- I am personally familiar enough with the program that the terminology doesn't have very much impact on my use of the program any more.  The issue was that it was confusing to someone else, and it made explaining how things worked a bit more difficult that I think it needed to be.  Once I said that "Customize Current View" referred to customizing the "Content Pane," they suddenly understood the distinction between this "Customize" feature, and the "Edit View Scheme" feature.  I simply understand why they were confused.

In other words, I brought this up as a user/tester -- i.e. I was suggesting a change based on an experience I had with another user.  I'm just passing this information along to JR to do with as they see fit.

Thanks,

Larry

[thurston]

I have to agree with Larry here.  This was a bit confusing to me at first too.  Terms used to describe areas and functions should be intuitive and unambiguous.

[hit_ny]

Regarding the use of the work "View":  To me (and to the other user I was helping today), the word "View" implies the entire screen -- i.e. the "overall" layout.  The term "View Scheme" makes perfect sense to me, and I actually think it works much better than "Library Scheme" since you're describing the way things "look" -- "View" implies a visual "look" of something, but the word "Library" does not.  "Scheme" implies a "design" or "blueprint" for something, so when the words "View" and "Scheme" are put together, it essentially means the "design" of the "look."  "View Scheme" is quite descriptive for what we're talking about.  Also, a "View" is an "overall" term, while a "Pane" or a "Panel" refers to a specific "section" of the overall view.  There's nothing about the word "view" that inherently implies a "section," but the words "pane" and "panel" both do.

If you really want to change "View Scheme," I think you should go with something even MORE descriptive like "Screen Layout."  This would leave no room for misinterpretation, and you could still use either "Content Pane" or "Content Panel" for what is currently called the "Content Panel."  That said, I think "View Scheme" already works fine.

In other words, in MC, the overall "View" is a layout made up of "Panes" or "Panels."  To edit the "View" implies editing the overall screen, which is what "Edit View Scheme" does.  What is currently called "Customize Current View," however, only edits a SINGLE "pane" or "panel" in this overall view, which is why I suggested the more focussed term "Customize Content Pane" (or "Customize Content Panel.")

Larry

Seems to me the confusion is about not qualifying *which* Pane/View is being referred to. Content Pane(s) or Pane content(s) only implies what a pane contains.

To me a view scheme has two sections, the upper half & the bottom half or pane (as you pointed out). The upper half act like an index, it doesn't contain anything, it points to something. Clicking on an item in the upper part is the graphical equivalent of querying MC's database.

Well...after a query you get results/ answers/ more details.

how about... (Results/Details) (Section/Pane/View) of a View Scheme..for the lower half.

and Index View for the upper half.

..so maybe it should say Customise Details View for the lower half.

[marko]

they are filters and files, so...

customise filters and customise file view!

or leave it as it is and let people work out what does what by clicking on it!

[benn600]

Yep, this is simply changed in the language file you're using.  It is porbably J River/Media Center 12/Data/Languages

Open yours and I already found Customize Current View in there.  Make sure you back the file up before saving over it in case something doesn't go right.  But you can customize about any word in Media Center.  Nice!