Please move search to header

[Omer Akram]

The search box in the main app needs to be moved to the header of the settings app, as in every other application to make it consistent.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: ubuntu-system-settings 0.3+14.10.20140730-0ubuntu1
Uname: Linux 3.4.0-5-mako armv7l
ApportVersion: 2.14.5-0ubuntu1
Architecture: armhf
Date: Fri Aug 1 03:33:31 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-07-31 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu Utopic Unicorn (development branch) - armhf (20140731-161506)
SourcePackage: ubuntu-system-settings
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

That's not how it is on the design, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SystemSettings

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

I doubt that's intended, the design was probably not updated, lets see what mpt has to say.

[Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)]

Thanks for the suggestion.

Frequency of search varies widely across apps. In a browser or address book, it's fairly frequent throughout your use of the app. In a calendar or music app, it's a bit less important. In a weather app, it's probably infrequent (unless you're a globetrotter or similar). In a notes app, it's something you'll usually use when you've just started using the app after minutes/hours/days of not using it. And so on.

So we shouldn't necessarily expect a search feature (or a share feature, or a print feature...) to be accessed in exactly the same way in every app. Consistent position can be good for learnability, but it also risks making a feature invisible. (The same is true on the PC: "Find" might always be in the "Edit" menu, but outside of menus, the prominence of a search command varies widely between apps, as it should.)

The case of System Settings is similar to a notes app: search is something you're most likely to use when you're entering the app after some time not using it. Specifically, when you've decided to change a setting and you're looking for that setting. So I think it's correct for the search to be visible by default on the main screen, not even requiring a tap to get to; for it to scroll out of the way if you move down to the categories; and for it not to be present at all on secondary screens. And the first two of these mean that it can't be in the header.