[Development] Revisiting high-DPI configuration options

[Edward Welbourne]

On Tuesday 19 July 2016 11:57:20 Prav wrote:
>> it does not matter what is the DPI of screen. It matter only how
>> large PERSON want program font normally be.  So I would expect that
>> the main intention in developing of apps should be moved toward
>> giving the user possibility to scale the app.
[snip]
>> I do not see much trend in Qt-discussions/apps-interfaces about
>> user-defined scale factor. But only THIS is important to user. And
>> NOT DPI ;)

The situation with app-UIs reminds me of that with web-pages.

Back in 1994, when I first met the web, one of the things that delighted
me about it was that the user was in control of how things were
displayed; the author's mark-up said the general necessities
(paragraphs, headings, etc.) and left it to the user agent and user to
find a way of displaying the content that the user found it convenient
and easy to read.

This flew in the face of graphic design orthodoxy, where the author must
control every particular of the user's experience - the size of the
page, the fonts and colours used, the margins and layout.  In time, the
graphic designers got their way and now they are able to impose their
choices on users.  So their lamentation is great when the can't take all
control away from the user.

I'm still entirely sure that "let the user decide" was a better way to
settle how big the page should be, what fonts and colour-schemes to use;
by all means let the author give hints and suggestions to the
presentation system, but let the user have the final say.  I shall like
the look of your document better if it's in a font I've chosen because I
find it easier or nicer to read; I shall like the appearance of your
page better if the overall colour scheme fits in with my desktop
environment; I shall like your web-site better if it adapts itself to my
tastes - and letting it do so spares you the need to agonise over which
entirely subjective details appeal to a bigger audience.

It used to be easy on the web; now it has become difficult, because the
emphasis has all been on giving the author control, not the user.  Let
us try to give app-UI designers the chance to go in the opposite
direction.

Frank Hemer replied:
> Precisely my experience
> +1

Likewise,
+1

	Eddy.