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Bug 336098

Summary:	Build Console problems
Product:	[Tools] CDT	Reporter:	James Blackburn <jamesblackburn+eclipse>
Component:	cdt-build	Assignee:	cdt-build-inbox <cdt-build-inbox>
Status:	NEW ---	QA Contact:	Jonah Graham <jonah>
Severity:	normal
Priority:	P3	CC:	cdtdoug, yevshif
Version:	8.0
Target Milestone:	---
Hardware:	PC
OS:	Windows XP
Whiteboard:

Description James Blackburn

2011-02-02 11:44:25 EST

We're seeing bad usability problems with the build console.  In particular two major complaints:
  - during build, where referenced projects get build, it jumps about a lot, with the scroll bar wrapping back to the top (rather than tracking output at the bottom).
  - it randomly opens editors.

The issue seems to be caused by two 'features':
  (1) "Show Error in Editor" is checked by default.
  (2) First error in the console is selected by default

Because of 2, when you click between projects, the console scrolls back to the top.  It doesn't remember what you were looking at.  
With (1) not only does the console scroll to the top, but it opens an editor _stealing_ focus.

I think there are two things that can be fixed:
  - Don't automatically select the first error. This should stop the console jumping around when build references, and when buffer is exceeded.
  - Consider the usefullness of "Show Error in Editor" toggle.
  At the moment double clicking on an error open an editor with the error.  Pressing the down / up arrow should show the next/previous error in an editor automatically.  Where's the value in having an link-with-editor that steals focus whenever selection changes?

Comment 1 Andrew Gvozdev

2011-02-02 11:58:07 EST

The second issue (randomly opens editors) is a duplicate of bug 306388.
"Show Error in Editor" is useful but I think that with problems like that we should by default have both features disabled.

Comment 2 Andrew Gvozdev

2011-02-02 12:06:58 EST

> At the moment double clicking on an error open an editor with the error.  Pressing the down / up arrow should show the next/previous error in an editor automatically.  Where's the value in having an link-with-editor that steals focus whenever selection changes?
This is the whole point of "Show Error in Editor" as coded. If you disable that next/previous only show in the console without opening editor. There is a room to improve usability of course.

Comment 3 James Blackburn

2011-02-02 12:10:34 EST

(In reply to comment #2)
> This is the whole point of "Show Error in Editor" as coded. If you disable that
> next/previous only show in the console without opening editor. There is a room
> to improve usability of course.

Sure I just don't see the value in that. If I press the down / up arrow I want to iterate through the errors, and the editor should update.  

This is equivalent to iterating through search results in the search view.  There's no equivalent tie-with-editor here.

Comment 4 Andrew Gvozdev

2011-02-02 12:34:25 EST

>  (2) First error in the console is selected by default
Where did you get that from? This is not happening automatically. You have to press Next or Prev to navigate. Perhaps the user pressed Next while console was running?

Comment 5 Andrew Gvozdev

2011-02-02 13:12:33 EST

(In reply to comment #3)
> (In reply to comment #2)
> Sure I just don't see the value in that. If I press the down / up arrow I want
> to iterate through the errors, and the editor should update.
Yes, I actually like that idea. It improves usability and lets to get rid of that nasty problem with switching focus in PE. I almost removed a wrong file from context menu in Situation 2 scenario from bug 306388 once.

> This is equivalent to iterating through search results in the search view.
> There's no equivalent tie-with-editor here.

Comment 6 James Blackburn

2011-02-02 13:21:54 EST

(In reply to comment #4)
> >  (2) First error in the console is selected by default
> Where did you get that from? This is not happening automatically. You have to
> press Next or Prev to navigate. Perhaps the user pressed Next while console was
> running?

Try the example in the performance bug. And set the console limit to 50lines. As soon as the console wraps, the top error is always selected. And switchig between projects causes it to scroll to the top.