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[MrC]

How about moving the search box to the bottom left of the Options dialog, in the same row as the OK, Cancel, and Help buttons.  It reduces whitespace at the top of the dialog, and allows the box to be larger.

Combined with the suggestion elsewhere to set the focus to the search box upon entry, it doesn't seem likely to present any significant challenges to users.

[Matt]

It does look better.  But search is normally at the top (and top right in Windows).

Other opinions?

[MrC]

Yeah, understood.  Still, it is missed by some.  And Windows search is lower-left (in Start menu).

I took the idea partially from Directory Opus (attached screenshot).

btw. DOpus has a nice feature here too, recently implemented, like MC's Search - auto-trimming of results as you type, for rapid exploration of options (as well as option highlighting).  Very nice.

Thanks for considering...

[Matt]

My instinct is that your proposal is a slight improvement.  It uses screen space better and may actually make the search easier to find since your eye has to find the OK / Cancel buttons.

But I'd like to see a few more yes (or no) votes before charging off to code the change.

[rick.ca]

+1. But equally important is the search box getting the focus on entry. That makes it harder to miss, as well as it's use more efficient.

[glynor]

+1

[rick.ca]

But I'd like to see a few more yes (or no) votes before charging off to code the change.

Wow! The elusive glynor/rick.ca seal of approval.

[marko]

+1

[MrHaugen]

+1

I'll have to say yes to this as well. It's a small but good improvement.
Focus on the search bar would also be nice. That way you could hit ctrl + o and the type directly to search for the correct option. That could save some people a few seconds if they like to use shortcuts.

[StFeder]

+1

There is at least one other program which uses this kind of search box positioning.
Directory Opus uses a search box in options at bottom left (http://nudel.dopus.com/faq/opus-faq-fieldcolors_2.png).
The main program uses the "more standard" position at the upper right (http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/08/fm_directory-opus-5208387.jpg).

[MarkCoutinho]

-1
Although I do see that MrC's suggestion is better, I'd say JRiver better sticks to Windows' default usage/behaviour. Same for shortkeys: Ctrl-A is always 'select all', Ctrl-C is always 'copy' etc.

[glynor]

Wow! The elusive glynor/rick.ca seal of approval.

 

[wig]

My instinct is that your proposal is a slight improvement.  It uses screen space better and may actually make the search easier to find since your eye has to find the OK / Cancel buttons.

But I'd like to see a few more yes (or no) votes before charging off to code the change.

I'm not wild about this idea. There's something to be said for consistency throughout the interface; having the search window in the top-right in the main interface and bottom-left in the Options window is a bit jarring.

[mojave]

+1

In a double blind test, I found I prefer it in the bottom left.

[MrC]

I'm not wild about this idea. There's something to be said for consistency throughout the interface; having the search window in the top-right in the main interface and bottom-left in the Options window is a bit jarring.

Type Ctrl-Q.  Where is the search interface?

[wig]

Type Ctrl-Q.  Where is the search interface?

I'm a Ctrl-F (and now Ctrl-Shift-F) guy.

Just my opinion.

[MarkCoutinho]

I'd like to add one reason why JRiver shouldn't do this: in the post about build 17.0.83 they stated themselves: "Ctrl+W / Ctrl+Q no longer do anything in the search box (since Ctrl+Q is a standard shortcut for closing a tab / program)."
So: stick to the Windows standard consistantly.

[Mr ChriZ]

I'd prefer to see better performance in the options search.
I find it sticks for about 4 seconds after you've typed the first letter.

[MrC]

I'd like to add one reason why JRiver shouldn't do this: in the post about build 17.0.83 they stated themselves: "Ctrl+W / Ctrl+Q no longer do anything in the search box (since Ctrl+Q is a standard shortcut for closing a tab / program)."
So: stick to the Windows standard consistantly.

You misunderstand - Ctrl-Q is still used for Quick Search.  Try it.  The search dialog opens at the bottom, or middle.

It should be made clear - there is NO Windows standard for these controls. Windows 7 itself is wildly inconsistent.  Search can be at the bottom-left (Start menu > Search), middle-top (Help and Support), upper-right (Explorer), upper-left (IE), floating upper-mid-right (WMP), modal dialogs (Notepad, Wordpad), .  And it can be all over the place in other standard, common Windows programs (Firefox - bottom-left, Thunderbird - there are three different searches, in different locations upper-right, upper-mid-right, lower left).

Windows is a hodge-podge of UI elements ranging over 20 years, so using it as the basis for a topic on consistency is troublesome.

What matters is how *useful* the UI model is for a given task.  MC users appreciate this, as many of the excellent UI controls are MC unique and entirely nonstandard.

I won't argue against how people vote, but don't have an issue challenging ad-hoc or invalid rationale.

[glynor]

It should be made clear - there is NO Windows standard for these controls. Windows 7 itself is wildly inconsistent.  Search can be at the bottom-left (Start menu > Search), middle-top (Help and Support), upper-right (Explorer), upper-left (IE), floating upper-mid-right (WMP), modal dialogs (Notepad, Wordpad), .  And it can be all over the place in other standard, common Windows programs (Firefox - bottom-left, Thunderbird - there are three different searches, in different locations upper-right, upper-mid-right, lower left).

Windows is a hodge-podge of UI elements ranging over 20 years, so using it as the basis for a topic on consistency is troublesome.

What matters is how *useful* the UI model is for a given task.  MC users appreciate this, as many of the excellent UI controls are MC unique and entirely nonstandard.

This is why I voted the way I did.

That and it'll look nicer and make the Options dialog fit on my 1080p display with medium fonts better.

[MarkCoutinho]

You misunderstand - Ctrl-Q is still used for Quick Search.  Try it.  The search dialog opens at the bottom, or middle.

It should be made clear - there is NO Windows standard for these controls. Windows 7 itself is wildly inconsistent.  Search can be at the bottom-left (Start menu > Search), middle-top (Help and Support), upper-right (Explorer), upper-left (IE), floating upper-mid-right (WMP), modal dialogs (Notepad, Wordpad), .  And it can be all over the place in other standard, common Windows programs (Firefox - bottom-left, Thunderbird - there are three different searches, in different locations upper-right, upper-mid-right, lower left).

Windows is a hodge-podge of UI elements ranging over 20 years, so using it as the basis for a topic on consistency is troublesome.

What matters is how *useful* the UI model is for a given task.  MC users appreciate this, as many of the excellent UI controls are MC unique and entirely nonstandard.

I won't argue against how people vote, but don't have an issue challenging ad-hoc or invalid rationale.

Okay, okay. Apparantly I misjudged the Windows-standard and the message from JRiver. Sorry for that.
Having said that: I always welcome a better, more logical GUI. So go ahead with the change! :-)

[MrC]

Okay, okay. Apparantly I misjudged the Windows-standard and the message from JRiver. Sorry for that.
Having said that: I always welcome a better, more logical GUI. So go ahead with the change! :-)

Excellent - I was persuasive whilst pretending not to be!  :-)

Really, I'm OK with however this turns out.  Consistency is valuable.

[MrC]

This is working nicely, and is super easy.

The section headers do not appear to be searched, and probably should be.  For example, try going into Options and then typing "File types".

A future feature suggestion: hidden "keywords" for each preference, so that not only would the string (and title) itself be searched, but so would the keywords: eg. "file types", "filetypes", and "file associations" would all yield the File Types section.

[MrHaugen]

I really like this change as well.

[glynor]

I really like this change as well.

+1

I actually have been using the search now.  I never did before.  But I used it twice today already.