[Qt-creator] Tab UI in Projects mode to TreeView

[Nikolai Kosjar]

On 08/03/2015 05:21 PM, Ziller Eike wrote:
>
>> On Aug 3, 2015, at 4:48 PM, Kosjar Nikolai <Nikolai.Kosjar at theqtcompany.com> wrote:
>>
>> On 08/03/2015 02:46 PM, Ziller Eike wrote:
>>> Qt Creator-style would possibly be to replace the top level tab bar (the project selection) with a combo box?
>>
>> This would add one extra click to switch the current/active project and to inspect how many and/or which projects are open. I can live with that.
>>
>> The remaining tab bar (Build & Run, Editor, ...) could still be too wide. So what do we do with that one?
>>
>> 1) ...transform it into a list view. However, I already have 7 entries there and this will be problematic for displays/resolutions with limited vertical space.
>>
>> 2) ...move the items to the corresponding projects in the combobox (as sub items). Disadvantages:
>> a) To switch to another project, you would need to visually skip several sub items (Build & Run, Editor, ...) of the current project.
>> b) If you switch to a concrete item of another project, e.g. ("Editor"), you would implicitly switch the project, too. This might be not that obvious.
>
> Especially 2b) is also true for using a tree view, as long as the selected project in projects mode defines the startup project.

Yup. That could be mitigated by a proper visual representation, e.g. by 
giving the project node and its sub items a frame and/or background 
color that is different from other non-current projects. It would help 
for the tree view, but not for the combo box (since after choosing one 
item in the combo box, all alternatives will be hidden).

I would prefer to keep switching between projects and project setting 
pages separate and to pick up already familiar ui/controls where 
applicable, thus:

* Switch projects with a combo box on the top.
* Switch project setting pages with a list/tree view on the left (like 
in the options page)

The list view on the left wouldn't take so much more space if we move 
the bigger project settings page icons, e.g. hammer/play button for 
Build&Run, into the list view. We could also shorten some project 
setting page names, e.g. some of them end with "Settings" ("Clang 
Settings", "To-Do Settings"), which is superfluous.

Nikolai