A Request for New Pane Arrangements

[RobM]

While the current pane arrangement options are currently fantastic, there is more arrangement option I think that I would like.

 

Right now, the panes can be arranged all vertically (i.e., multiple columns), all horizontally (i.e., all rows), or "tiled" (i.e., two rows of two or more columns).

 

I would like to be able to have one vertical pane that stretches from the top of the tab to the bottom while also having two (or more) other panes that are to the left or right of it but that are also one on top of the other. (see figure below: I am not as savvy with constructing screen shots of the Accordance tabs into currently impossible configurations as some are, so I have simply drawn them in Word)

 

 

I have no idea what it would take to make this possible, but I would definitely use this option frequently.

 

Anyone else agree?

 

N.B. Ignore the the second screen shot below.

[Timothy Jenney]

Hi, Rob!

 

I am all for new and nifty ideas (just ask the people around here that keep shooting mine down for, well, practical reasons! ).

 

However, I am not sure if I am following your logic here. The way Accordance's interface currently works, parallel panes scroll and sync to the verse at the top of the pane. That way you can skim across the page and see the relevant material.

 

With the way you have the panes arranged here, it looks like only the top small pane would match the verse at the top of the longer pane. The other pane looks like it is supposed to sync with some other verse in the middle of the long pane.

 

What did you have in mind?

[RobM]

My end goal would be to have, for example, two user notes (I typically dedicate one to translating and the other to exegetical notes) stacked on top of one another with either BHS or GNT in the long vertical pane. That way I could see a larger amount of Bible text all at once while minimizing the space my user notes take up. Perhaps an "ideal" set up for me would be to have three columns: the first with two stacked panes for user notes, the second (middle) be one pane for bible text from top to bottom and then the third column have (for OT studies) LXX and BHS Apparatus stacked on top of on another.

 

I would think the scrolling for all the panes would stay in sync with each other. So that whatever verse is displayed at the top of any given pane, it is the same way in all the other panes (as it is currently set to do).

 

My desire is: to be able to see the following context of whatever verse I am working in without have to scroll every pane. The context would simply be displayed in my long vertical column. Now, I obviously would not be able see the longer context in the other smaller panes, but the advantage to this set up is that I would be able to see the context of whatever bible text is in the long vertical column.

 

Am I making sense? What do you think?

 

It would look something like this:

 

[Helen Brown]

While it might be wonderful to have totally flexible arrangements of the panes, we do have to be practical. How would that be programmed, and more importantly, how would the user control and determine the arrangement. These interface issues are very important to us. Right now you have an upper switch button to toggle between the vertical and horizontal arrangements, and pane switch buttons to move a pane between the upper and lower rows. Plus you can drag the bar of a pane to rearrange it. This all works cleanly without requiring a totally new interface element.

 

Even if there were sufficient demand for this new feature to justify the programming investment, we would also need to come up with an interface. We have so many exciting new features in the pipeline, should we delay them for this?

[RobM]

While it might be wonderful to have totally flexible arrangements of the panes, we do have to be practical. How would that be programmed, and more importantly, how would the user control and determine the arrangement. These interface issues are very important to us. Right now you have an upper switch button to toggle between the vertical and horizontal arrangements, and pane switch buttons to move a pane between the upper and lower rows. Plus you can drag the bar of a pane to rearrange it. This all works cleanly without requiring a totally new interface element.

 

These I am aware of and use variations of these arrangements. And I'm very happy with these improvements to flexibility from older versions.

 

Even if there were sufficient demand for this new feature to justify the programming investment, we would also need to come up with an interface. We have so many exciting new features in the pipeline, should we delay them for this?

 

I confess, my request is purely based on whim and personal preference with zero understanding of the kind of programming work it would take to implement it. If it is something that would delay other really cool "features in the pipeline" then certainly do not "delay them for this." However, I would certainly appreciate it being put on the list of possible things to do, be it 6 months or 5 years from now when you all actually consider implementing it.

 

I guess, I was wanting a little more flexibility to an already flexible and versatile tool.

 

As I think about it. I could probably construct a work around. I could have two tiled work spaces, one with the bible text from top to bottom and another with multiple panes and tie the two so they scroll together. This could work sufficiently, but it wouldn't provide the seamlessness of having it all within one tab. But I guess this will remain in my list of out-of-reach hopes and dreams .

 

Thanks for all your hard work and innovation (and responses to all the demands both great and small from your users)!

[SRASLAN]

Maybe when the touch screen capabilities that are now available for the iPhone we will see something like this on Accordance?