exail has no intuitive way to clear the playlist or get a new one

[ex-oficio]

Binary package hint: exaile

XXXXXX@orion:~$ apt-cache policy exaile
exaile:
  Installed: 0.3.0.1-0ubuntu6

since upgrading to ubuntu karmic the clear playlist button has gone. so now you either have to go into the menus with the mouse (very inconvenient) or issue a keystoke crtl+l to clear the playlist.

since there is no button to add a new tab, that route is no less inconvenient, requiring the same action as to clear the existing list.

in fact having to start a new tab means more eventual clicks to close old ones, since i don't believe most people want multiple tabs, just a playlist to add/remove songs from.

i discovered today that if, like me, you just want one list you can just click the X on the only open playlist which automatically re-opens empty. this is the desired functionality, but it was not at all obvious or intuitive. please don't deprive me of that as well. As it stands i can clear the list with one click albeit in a rather clunky way, and anything else is unneccesary hassle. i agree that the tabbed, multiple playlist option is nice, and it's good that it's there, but it shouldn't be foisted upon people who just want to listen to a list of tunes now and again. there was a clear playlist buttin in the last version and it was good.

i switched to exaile because the others were either shoddy or over complicated or couterintuitive or all three (e.g. amarok). while i would still choose exaile over everything else, the current state of the application is a bit tatty what with the old notification leftovers still there but not functional, and the above-mentioned displeasing playlist issue.

of course i am more than happy to bear with the developers while things are sorted out, but i question whether the current code was in a fit state for release. no offence intended.

good day.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Nov 6 20:48:23 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: exaile 0.3.0.1-0ubuntu6
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: exaile
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic x86_64

[Adam Olsen (arolsen)]

You were aware that CTRL+T opens a new tab?

Exaile users and developers have fought over that clear button over and over. I personally like it, but the other devs don't. I eventually compromised with a keyboard shortcut (because that's what I used anyway) and a menu item. I don't agree that a keyboard shortcut is less convenient than the button was.

Also, if you're having issues with the old notification leftovers, please open a new bug for that. As far as I was aware, the old notifications are fully functional, they just need to be enabled.

[ex-oficio (wilkinson-luke)]

adam,

yes i was aware about the new tab keyboard shortcut, but the point i was making was that it wasn't really any better than the ctrl-l shortcut to clear the existing tab. in fact its worse because then you still have the old playlist.

clearly this is a matter of (strong?) opinion... i wasnt aware this had already been argued. i do find it odd that the decision fell in favour of making exaile less usable for the great majority of computer users who dont really grasp keyboard shortcuts. im a convert to keyboard shortcuts in general, but in the case of exaile its really all mouse with me. i tend to just open up exaile, find an album in the library and double click it. i have no desire to build up a list of tabs, because for me the library already serves that function.

clearly the devs havent considered the full set of "use-cases", only considering how they would use the program (or maybe decided to "encourage" users to bend to their preferences), and have therefore misunderstood the requirements of the users at large.

i know its free software, but that's all the more reason for it to be universal, special interest .

regards.

[ex-oficio (wilkinson-luke)]

that should have said "NOT special interest". you probably understood.

[Johannes Sasongko (sjohannes)]

> clearly the devs havent considered the full set of "use-cases", only
> considering how they would use the program (or maybe decided to
> "encourage" users to bend to their preferences), and have therefore
> misunderstood the requirements of the users at large.

Ugh. There are 4 ways to clear a playlist:

1. View -> Clear Playlist.
2. Right-click on tab title -> Clear All Tracks.
3. Ctrl+L.
4. Ctrl+A on the listbox -> Delete.

Close Tab -> New Tab also achieves similar result. You can even do it
by middle-clicking the current tab, then middle-clicking empty space
on the tab bar.

The functionality is there. How we present it is the question, and we
decided to remove the old Clear button. Don't twist this into a "the
developers aren't listening to users" argument, because during the
discussion Adam was in fact the one most reluctant to remove the
button.

You can start the discussion again if you want to, but I'll warn that
we are generally tired of debating over UI design because everyone has
a different opinion.

[Andrew Starr-Bochicchio (andrewsomething)]

Closing the Ubuntu task as Won't Fix. We're obviously not going to go against upstream on this. If you wish to continue the issue, please open an upstream task.

[ex-oficio (wilkinson-luke)]

guys, i didn't want to come across as acrimonious. Johannes sorry you felt the need to take it in the way you did.

just trying to help keep a good program good.

hopefully you can at least see the lack of clarity on how to clear the playlist, even in light of johannes' list of ways to do it in his last post. i wasnt aware of all those ooptions. they arent made clear. actually the best solution is a clear way. if the consensus isto favour making unclear then fine. im not here to argue.