Daniel Vainsencher wrote:

>[extra pane for installed packages]
>Sounds like an excellent solution - whats the problem? seriously,
>currently SM Loader doesn't help you do anything interesting for
>installed packages (as far as I know). Are you interested in just seeing
>them? Whether it is worth including depends on whether it serves
>something lots of people care about.
>  
>

Yes, I guess I'm just interested in seeing them.  Is it worth having a 
separate pane just to be able to see which packages have been 
installed?  I would say yes, but reasonable people may disagree. :-)  (I 
need to play with the Categorical SM Loader a bit for comparison...)

>[use indicators in package list]
>For exactly this kind of thing, I think it's really improtant that we
>seriously consider functional improvements to common widgets for
>inclusion in the image. There is an extension for colored PLMs on SM,
>and another for keyboard control of hierarchy lists (the latter I've
>nominated for inclusion) but it seems this is much less important to
>people than pure Look enhancements, which I find quite curious.
>

Agreed.  I'd forgotten that the current PluggableListMorphs don't handle 
colors... we do need to seriously consider these sorts of enhancements.

>[not finding categorical loader]
>Use the Search! :-) Last time I looked, it was
>not-quite-ready-for-prime-time, IMO. I've stated before that SMLoader is
>optimized for very-different-than-current conditions, and when something
>superior appears, it should be replaced. But if we deny the alternatives
>feedback, SMLoader will never be replaced...
>

Yes, I just looked at Bijan's Categorical SM Loader again, and it's not 
bad.  Unfortunately most people don't think to try one of the 
alternative loaders, but I guess that's the nature of having a default 
choice.  (Also it would help if it were listed as 3.6-compatible.)

But yeah, with a bit more work I think the categorical loader could be a 
good replacement for the current SMLoader.  I'd say the "sweet spot" for 
the UI is perhaps somewhere in between the current loader and the 
categorical one.  For example, an option to hide the hierarchy pane 
might be handy.  I do prefer having the tall pane for the package 
description on one side that the SMLoader has... that's where you need 
to see a lot of information at once.

On the other hand, having filters for things like Maturity Level, 
Licenses, etc., might be a good way to handle narrowing down the list, 
without the need for a hierarchy pane.  Then you could have multiple 
filters on at the same time, too.  (Then again the hierarchy pane is 
probably simplest to use...)

- Doug Way