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Bug #2343

closed

add welcome screen for release 1.0

Added by Laura Downey over 18 years ago. Updated over 16 years ago.

Status:
Resolved
Priority:
Normal
Category:
interface
Target version:
Start date:
01/20/2006
Due date:
% Done:

0%

Estimated time:
Bugzilla-Id:
2343

Description

One of the prioritization decisions for Release 1.0 was to get rid of the html
page and open a blank workflow canvas but to also open on top of that
a "welcome" window with links to documentation. The welcome window should
also offer the user the option of not displaying the window upon startup if so
desired. In the future we hope to add links to online tutorials here also.
Draft design can be seen at: http://kepler-project.org/Wiki.jsp?
page=WelcomeScreen

Related bug: 2032

Actions #1

Updated by Christopher Brooks over 18 years ago

I can take this bug, but I'm not sure how it is different from
http://bugzilla.ecoinformatics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2343
Maybe these should be merged in to one bug?

I've often thought it would be great to have a "Don't show me this window again"
checkbox, but what has stopped me was that we need persistent storage
of the user's choice. Perhaps Edward's preferences manager
(ptolemy.vergil.VergilPreferences)
can be used?

Actions #2

Updated by Christopher Brooks over 18 years ago

My bad typo, the other bug is
http://bugzilla.ecoinformatics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2032
About the difference between the two bugs, Laura says:

Not quite the same -- one is to remove web page and the other is to add the
welcome screen.

Historically, we've referred to the current html page that comes up as
the "welcome window", hence my confusion.

It seems like we need to:
1) Change how we start up Ptolemy/Kepler so that an empty graph editor
is created under the Welcome Window.
2) Modify the Welcome Window so it has a "Show this dialog at startup"
checkbox and looks like
http://kepler-project.org/Wiki.jsp?page=WelcomeScreen
Probably we need to subclass the HTMLViewer and create a new class.

Actions #3

Updated by Christopher Brooks about 18 years ago

I added ptolemy.actor.gui.WelcomeWindow and WelcomeWindowTableau and modified
kepler/configs/ptolemy/configs/kepler/welcomeWindow.xml to use WelcomeWindow.
I copied intro.htm to introScientists.htm and introProgrammers.htm.

Todo:

  • introScientists.htm and introProgrammers.htm need to be updated.
    I'm not sure who should handle this.
  • The WelcomeWindow needs to have a "Show this Dialog on Startup" checkbox
    and a close button. The size of the window is a little odd, it is set in
    kepler/configs/ptolemy/configs/kepler/welcomeWindow.xml
    Nandita, could you handle this?
  • The preferences system is in flux. At the minimum, VergilPreferences
    needs to be moved to gui. I'll work this out with Edward.
Actions #4

Updated by Christopher Brooks about 18 years ago

I created "Preferences System needs to be resolved":
http://bugzilla.ecoinformatics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2352
and "Welcome Window Programmer/Scientist docs"
http://bugzilla.ecoinformatics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2351
I'm turning this over to Nandita for GUI work.
Also, I think Kevin had a start on a splash screen?

Actions #5

Updated by Matthew Brooke about 18 years ago

Now this has been added, here is a very common use case, which seems incorrect
(reported by Kevin):

1) User starts kepler - gets blank graph frame, with new welcome screen in front

2) User dismisses welcome screen, and is left with blank graph frame

3) User then does "File->Open" and opens an existing workflow

4) The workflow then opens in a new graph frame, leaving the original, empty
graph frame on the screen.

Proposed resolution:

BEST: at startup, if user does the above, then the workflow gets opened in the
existing blank graph frame. Subsequently-opened workflows open up in new
graph frames, as before

INTERIM: if we don't have time to implement the above for this release, then
check to see if we are in the above use-case, and if so, close the blank graph
frame after the first workflow has been opened

Any other thoughts/comments/ideas?

Actions #6

Updated by Christopher Brooks about 18 years ago

Probably File Open should be smart enough to realize that the current window
is mostly blank and a candidate for replacement. I'm not sure if
this will be very easy. For example, when one does File -> Save As, and
uses a new name, a new window appears. We need to handle "Unnamed" models
specially. I can take a look at this at some point, but probably not before
early March.
Nandita, why don't you work on the GUI stuff here and then reassign the bug
back to me if I have not yet fixed this File Open problem.

Actions #7

Updated by Laura Downey about 18 years ago

for the record -- meant this to go the list but somehow I replied
incorrectly....

I expected step 4 (of the original set of steps presented) to open in the
blank graph frame, not open another window and insert the workflow.

But just to be very clear here....

1. user starts kepler and blank graph frame appears with SPLASH screen in
front

2. after initialization, splash screen disappears on its own and welcome
window appears

3. user dismisses welcome window at their discretion

4. user wants to load an existing workflow so chooses file-open and an
existing workflow appears in the current blank graph frame

5. if user opens another existing workflow or chooses to create a new
workflow, then another graph frame opens and either loads with the existing
workflow or appears blank for a new workflow... and so on

Actions #8

Updated by Nandita Mangal about 18 years ago

I have checked in the GUI part of the welcome screen in src/org/kepler/gui with
the kepler logo under lib/images. I looked at the VergilApplication which
currently uses the HTML welcome window from configs. Christopher,I wanted to ask
you how to integrate the welcome screen with the above.

Scientists/Programmers Links on the welcome screen open following wiki pages for
now:
http://kepler-project.org/Wiki.jsp?page=Documentation
http://kepler-project.org/Wiki.jsp?page=DevelopmentForKepler

Actions #9

Updated by Laura Downey about 18 years ago

In the latest nightly build 2/16, the following happens upon startup:
-splash screen appears
-splash screen disappears
-new welcome window appears
-blank main Kepler window appears on top of new welcome window (hiding welcome
window)
-modified version of intro.htm appears on top of main Kepler window

Previously I had specified that a blank main Kepler window should appear first
with splash screen, then welcome window etc but this is not possible without
significantly re-writing things so taking this fact into account the sequence
should be:

-splash screen appears
-spalsh screen disappears AND main Kepler window appears
-new welcome window appears on top of main Kepler window

The modified intro.htm welcome window should not appear at all.

Actions #10

Updated by Nandita Mangal about 18 years ago

Sequence changed to have :
First Splash Screen
Then Kepler Main Window (Blank Workflow)
And Kepler Welcome Screen (On top of the Kepler Main Window)
Let me know if welcome screen still is hidden/acting wierd for anybody.

Remove max/min icons from WelcomeScreen.

NOT FIXED:Remove old window
Vergil Application still expects (& pop ups) intro.html. I have to change
VergilApp for this and want to work with Chirstopher on modifying VergilApp.
Any suggestions?

Actions #11

Updated by Nandita Mangal about 18 years ago

Intro.html hidden for now.
(commented out code to start welcome window in /exp/ptolemy/vergilVergilApplication)

Actions #12

Updated by Matthew Brooke about 18 years ago

Another way to do this might be to re-use the ptII welcome screen, but have it
display your new html page instead of the old intro.html - Christopher has
already changed it so it pops up at the correct time and place, and shows a
place-holder html page.

All (!) you'd need to do is make the html-viewer class configurable, so it:

- shows or hides the "show me next time" checkbox (by adding a setting to the
user settings file - which you have to do anyway), and

- hides the max/min buttons for this particular instance (maybe by adding a
property to configure.xml, since this is an "application" setting, not a user
setting?).

Actions #13

Updated by Ilkay Altintas about 18 years ago

This was fixed.

Actions #14

Updated by Laura Downey about 18 years ago

Reopenign this bug for 2 reasons.

1) user guide and workflow cookbook links need to be removed since that
documentation will not be included in release 1.0

2) the welcome window does not appear in the last couple of nightly builds.
Just for information there seems to be some timing issues also. I observed
the following:
-system window appears
-13 seconds elapsed before splash screen appeared
-splash screen remained for 18 seconds
-then nothing for 12 seconds (except system window still there)
-then main Kepler window appeared
-welcome window never appeared.

What is desirable is the following:
1) system window (if it remains) and splash screen appear at the same time
2) simultaneously: splash screen disappears and main window with welcome
window on top of it appear

Actions #15

Updated by Nandita Mangal about 18 years ago

The welcomeScreen has been moved to the orginal HTML Tableau form (intro.html)
under configs (like orginal). However popping up welcomeScreen attempts in newer
kepler versions are currently leading to possible threading issues and
displaying blank graph editors as well. Matthew is currently looking into the
issue as well. Once the bug is solved, the welcomeScreen will appear like the
orginal HTML Kepler Welcome Screen.

Actions #16

Updated by Nandita Mangal about 18 years ago

Hi Laura,
The welcomeScreen should be showing with new kepler updates now and menu bug
fixes.I had to put dialog checkbox and close in a separate panel when using
HTMLViewer.
Let me know if the design is alrite? or changes need to be made.
Also if the menu should be tried to be deleted from the welcomeScreen?

Christopher: Anything new for setting global preferences issue from the
welcomeScreen?

Actions #17

Updated by Laura Downey about 18 years ago

Okay we are getting there but some other changes need to be made to get the
dialog to look like what is spec'd on the wiki. Here they are:
-title of dialog should be Welcome, not that url string currently there
-remove the ptolemy icon in the title bar
-remove the menu bar
-remove the scroll bars and size things so no scroll bars are needed.
-the border/background around the inner square should be as spec'd on the wiki
-the logo should be aligned as spec'd on the wiki
-remove the links to User's Guide and Workflow Cookbook since those won't be
ready for release 1.0
-remmove the min/max controls in the title bar
-up the font size a little to look like wiki
-align the indented text under the "E" in Welcome
-make the checkbox "checked" as the default

And just to note, we still have some timeing issues going on. This is what I
measured when launching Kepler this moring:
-command window appeared
-5 seconds elapsed before initialization window appeared
-init window remained for 20 seconds then disappeared
-25 seconds elapsed before main window and welcome window appeared
simultaneously

Actions #18

Updated by Christopher Brooks about 18 years ago

I moved the WelcomeWindow code out of exp and back to ptolemy.
WelcomeWindow now uses ptolemy.actor.gui.PtolemyPreferences to save
the preference.

Laura writes:

Okay we are getting there but some other changes need to be made to get the
dialog to look like what is spec'd on the wiki. Here they are:
-title of dialog should be Welcome, not that url string currently there
Fixed in Ptolemy, but the URL still appears in Kepler.

My fix for Ptolemy was to add a setTitle() method to WelcomeWindow which
always sets the title to "Welcome". To see this change, you may
need to run "ant clean ptolemy run-dev"

-remove the ptolemy icon in the title bar

The icon is set in ptolemy.actor.gui.TableauFrame._getDefaultIconImage()
and defaults to "/ptolemy/actor/gui/PtolemyIISmallIcon.gif"
Since there is already a Kepler specific copy of this class, I created
be able to either create kepler/src/exp/ptolemy/actor/gui/PtolemyIISmallIcon.gif
or else edit the Kepler copy of TableauFrame and change the name of the gif.
I tried some things, but the icon was not displayed properly. It looks
like a threading issue? I'm not sure what's up.

-remove the menu bar

The menu bar is not present in ptolemy when I edit
ptolemy/configs/full/welcomeWindow.xml so that we are using the WelcomeWindow.
I'm not sure where in Kepler the welcome window is coming from. This
might take Matthew's keen eye.

-remove the scroll bars and size things so no scroll bars are needed.

I don't see the scrollbars in Kepler, I suspect Nandita fixed this already.
The size of the window should be set in welcomeWindow.xml, probably
kepler/configs/ptolemy/configs/kepler/welcomeWindow.xml

-the border/background around the inner square should be as spec'd on the wiki
-the logo should be aligned as spec'd on the wiki

I'm not sure how much we can do here, the HTML is rather primitive.
The file to edit is
kepler/configs/ptolemy/configs/kepler/intro.html

-remove the links to User's Guide and Workflow Cookbook since those won't be
ready for release 1.0

Done.

-remmove the min/max controls in the title bar

I think Nandita did this.

-up the font size a little to look like wiki

Nandita is looking at style sheets, but we might have to live with what
we have.

-align the indented text under the "E" in Welcome

This would be nice, but I'm no HTML Guru and the HTML widget is somewhat borken

-make the checkbox "checked" as the default

Done.

About the startup time, I thought there was an open bug for this, but
I could not find it. The short answer is that Kepler is instantiating all
the actors, which takes lots of time. Implmenting some sort of proxy loading
scheme would be nice, but probably won't happen before 1.0. The splash screen
is there to cover up this bug. The splash screen should probably stay on
longer, or somehow get closed once the main window is up.
There are still problems with the empty main window, if we click on a link,
then the model should open in that empty graph editor. I won't have time
to implement this before 1.0.

Actions #19

Updated by Nandita Mangal about 18 years ago

Christopher:Thanks for updating the WelcomWindow and putting it in ptolemy tree.
I updated intro.htm to make it look like more Laura's design.

Okay we are getting there but some other changes need to be made to get the
dialog to look like what is spec'd on the wiki. Here they are:
-title of dialog should be Welcome, not that url string currently there
Fixed in Ptolemy, but the URL still appears in Kepler.

My fix for Ptolemy was to add a setTitle() method to WelcomeWindow which
always sets the title to "Welcome". To see this change, you may
need to run "ant clean ptolemy run-dev"
Nandita--> thanks.

-remove the ptolemy icon in the title bar

The icon is set in ptolemy.actor.gui.TableauFrame._getDefaultIconImage()
and defaults to "/ptolemy/actor/gui/PtolemyIISmallIcon.gif"
Since there is already a Kepler specific copy of this class, I created
be able to either create kepler/src/exp/ptolemy/actor/gui/PtolemyIISmallIcon.gif
or else edit the Kepler copy of TableauFrame and change the name of the gif.
I tried some things, but the icon was not displayed properly. It looks
like a threading issue? I'm not sure what's up.

Nandita-->When WelcomeWindow was in Kepler tree, the following seemed to remove
the icon image../hide it..
setIconImage(new BufferedImage(1, 1, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_ARGB));

-remove the menu bar

The menu bar is not present in ptolemy when I edit
ptolemy/configs/full/welcomeWindow.xml so that we are using the WelcomeWindow.
I'm not sure where in Kepler the welcome window is coming from. This
might take Matthew's keen eye.

Nandita--> Mathew is developing a centralized way to remove menus.

-remove the scroll bars and size things so no scroll bars are needed.

I don't see the scrollbars in Kepler, I suspect Nandita fixed this already.
The size of the window should be set in welcomeWindow.xml, probably
kepler/configs/ptolemy/configs/kepler/welcomeWindow.xml

Nandita--> This should be resolved. Let me know if you see them.

-the border/background around the inner square should be as spec'd on the wiki
-the logo should be aligned as spec'd on the wiki

I'm not sure how much we can do here, the HTML is rather primitive.
The file to edit is
kepler/configs/ptolemy/configs/kepler/intro.html

Nandita--> Ok I did some tweaking /and HTML tricks to make it look like somewhat
Laura's design :)

-remove the links to User's Guide and Workflow Cookbook since those won't be
ready for release 1.0

Done.

-remmove the min/max controls in the title bar

I think Nandita did this.
So Min Control is removed, but Max is not removal unless we switch to JDialogs
or something /OR I couldn't find a trick to make JFrame not show min,max from
appearing at all...Anybody?

-up the font size a little to look like wiki

Nandita is looking at style sheets, but we might have to live with what
we have.
Nandita-->The "Welcome to Kepler 1.0"requires CSS for sure....I don't know how
urgent this is to make CSS work with JEditorPane...or if possible screen is
acceptable with normal HTML fonts?
I will try looking into this more.

-align the indented text under the "E" in Welcome

This would be nice, but I'm no HTML Guru and the HTML widget is somewhat borken

Nandita--> did HTML tweaking...I think its aligned now..

-make the checkbox "checked" as the default

Done.

Actions #20

Updated by Matthew Brooke about 18 years ago

Nandita is looking at style sheets [..]

Nandita-->The "Welcome to Kepler 1.0"requires CSS for sure....I don't
know how urgent this is to make CSS work with JEditorPane...

I've done quite a lot of css in Swing before, and it all seems to work pretty
much as advertised, provided you stick to old-style CSS, not CSS 2 (similarly,
the HTML needs to be HTML3.2, not 4.0+). I found it best to use tables for
layout, not css layout, but apart from that, you can set margins, padding, fonts
etc, which should be all you need. You can inline the style elements in the html
<head>:

<head>
...
<style>
body {
font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: 11px;
margin: 20px;
padding: 0px;
...etc
}
<style>
</head>
<body>...etc

Or you can just add the styles inline -

<td style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 10px; ...etc">your text here<td>

Let me know if you need any other pointers

Actions #21

Updated by Nandita Mangal about 18 years ago

Right now the CSS just shows up as plain text as its on a JEditorPane.

Actions #22

Updated by Matthew Brooke about 18 years ago

I think the plain text you're seeing may be caused by something not being quite
right with the html/css source code. I just tried it (both methods shown in my
previous post) and it seems to work fine on the welcome screen, in its JEditorPane.

Actions #23

Updated by Matthew Brooke about 18 years ago

I just checked an edited version into CVS that uses css - please feel free to
tweak the fonts, positioning etc as needed.

Just FYI, also note that the height of the inner light-blue box changes,
depending on the JDK used (for me, on winXP, anyway - 1.4 and 1.5 give different
heights)

Actions #24

Updated by Matthew Brooke about 18 years ago

Changed so menubar no longer appears

Actions #25

Updated by Christopher Brooks about 18 years ago

I'm closing this bug, which is "add welcome screen for release 1.0"
There is a related bug,
"Opening a preexisting model should open in a blank viewer"
http://bugzilla.ecoinformatics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2414
However, that bug is not yet blocking the 1.0 release and could be
fixed after 1.0.

Actions #26

Updated by Laura Downey about 18 years ago

Just looked at splash screen and it is very very close. Just 2 items remain to be adjust so that it matches the spec'd design.

1) border of the most inner box should not be raised but flat -- we don't use the raised visual style.

2) there should not be a small white border directly inside the frame of the window.

Actions #27

Updated by Laura Downey about 18 years ago

oops sorry, meant the welcome screen not the splash screen as I referenced in the last note.

Actions #28

Updated by Christopher Brooks about 18 years ago

I'm changing the target milestone to 1.0.0.

Actions #29

Updated by Dan Higgins over 16 years ago

Remaining complaints are judged minor and will not be fixed in foreseable future

Actions #30

Updated by Redmine Admin about 11 years ago

Original Bugzilla ID was 2343

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