User Interface Specification: Search Results
Author: Jan Rojcek
$Revision: 1.2 $
Document History: available in
CVS
Abstract: This document specifies appearance and behavior of Search
Results window in the new windowing system.
- Table of Contents:
- 1 Introduction
- 2 References
- 3 Detailed Spec
- 3.1 Search Results Window
- 3.2 Menu Item
1 Introduction
The new windowing system keeps all the windows inside the main window.
Therefor all windows from the old window system that used to be open as a
separate windows outside of the main window have to be either presented as
non-modal dialogs or moved into the main window.
The Search Results window presents output of Find in Files action and allows
the user to click on search results and open document windows and navigate
among them by selecting search string occurrences in search results list. The
Search Results window also interacts with Filesystem window as it allows to
switch directly to Filesystem window and select the node shown in search
results list. Therefor the Search Results window would be shown as a window in
the window area inside the main window (at the same place as Output window).
Note that this is not a complete redesign of search functionality or search
results presentation. All the changes of current state are mostly layout
changes due to the layout constrains of window area. Presenting the window in
the window area also requires changes in command buttons, as windows in window
area are not dialogs (e.g. remove Close, Help buttons).
2 References
Search Results window modifications are initiated by new windowing system:
3 Detailed Spec
3.1 Search Results Window
The Search Results window is open at the same layout position as Output window.
It is open either manually by user via the Window menu. Or automatically after
pressing the Search button in Find in Files dialog.
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Figure 1: Search Results Window
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The window components are following:
- Search Results list - an unlabeled list containing results of searching.
- Search Results list root node - a node informing about the search
process status.
- Path text field - a non-editable textfield showing path from filesystem
root to the selected item in search results list.
- Show in Filesystems button - activates the Filesystems window and
expands and selects the item currently selected in search results list. The
button is disabled if no item is selected in the search results list.
- Position within the file list - a list containing positions of searched
string within currently selected file (item) in search results list.
- Sort by Name radio button - sorts the search results list by name.
Unselected by default.
- Do Not Sort radio button - sorts the search results list in order as
the items appear in Filesystems window. It is selected by default.
- Show All Details button - activates the Output window and shows text
stream of searched string occurrences. Enabled only if the search list is
not empty.
- Modify Search button - opens the Find in Files dialog allowing the user
to change the search parameters. Always enabled.
- Stop Search button - stops the current search process. Enabled only if
the search process is running.
- Split - a draggable split divides the search results list on the left
and path textfield with positions list on the right.
The search results root node states and names are following:
- "Search in <current_search_folder>" - this shows up when the
user opens the window manually using Window|Search Results menu item. It
is in a state when no search process is currently running. The current
search folder is the previous search folder, or Filesystems if the window
is invoked for the first time.
- "Searching in <current_search_folder>" - the search process is
running.
- "Found <number_of_matching_nodes> node(s) [searching in
<current_search_folder>]" - the search process is running and a few
occurrences has already been found.
- "Found <number_of_matching_nodes> node(s) in
<current_search_folder>" - the search process has finished.
Where the <current_search_folder> is:
- "Filesystems" - if the search was invoked on the Filesystems node.
- Filesystem name - if the search was invoked on a filesystem node.
- Relative path to folder - if the search was invoked on a folder. The
path is relative to its parent filesystem.
3.2 Menu Item
The Search Results menu item shows up in the Window menu.
Figure 2: Window|Search Results menu item
| Window |
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...
Output
Search Results (t) [Ctrl+Shift-0]
HTTP Monitor
...
The menu item characteristics are following:
- always enabled
- mnemonic is 't'
- shortcut is Ctrl+Shift-0 (zero)
- it has an icon
