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Bug 468945

Summary: [Graphics] Replace gif icons with png files in Eclipse platform projects
Product: [Eclipse Project] Platform Reporter: Lars Vogel <Lars.Vogel>
Component: UIAssignee: Matthias Becker <ma.becker>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED QA Contact:
Severity: normal    
Priority: P3 CC: arunkumar.thondapu, david_williams, Lars.Vogel, ma.becker, peter
Version: 4.5   
Target Milestone: 4.7 M2   
Hardware: PC   
OS: Linux   
See Also: https://git.eclipse.org/r/80658
https://git.eclipse.org/r/80659
https://git.eclipse.org/r/80683
https://git.eclipse.org/c/platform/eclipse.platform.images.git/commit/?id=d2319f5c05a55c8428e1c42f9bc61d16b3dc7bae
https://git.eclipse.org/c/platform/eclipse.platform.ui.git/commit/?id=5584fa93d816398c7a9aca86ea5ec0e6848f37c5
Whiteboard:
Bug Depends on: 422139, 425987, 463032, 466253, 466761, 468937, 472552    
Bug Blocks:    

Description Lars Vogel CLA 2015-06-01 05:52:57 EDT
Master bug for the icon work in Neon.
Comment 1 Matthias Becker CLA 2015-07-28 07:26:55 EDT
The eclipse user interface guidelines make detailed statements about icons.
See: https://wiki.eclipse.org/index.php/User_Interface_Guidelines#UI_Graphics_.283.x_updates.29

I don't see any adaptions of this guidelines regarding high-res displays as we have them today. So what's the recommendation for icons. Should we use PNG? Is the 16x16 pixel size still the correct on?
Comment 2 Lars Vogel CLA 2015-07-28 08:52:13 EDT
(In reply to Matthias Becker from comment #1)
> The eclipse user interface guidelines make detailed statements about icons.
> See:
> https://wiki.eclipse.org/index.php/User_Interface_Guidelines#UI_Graphics_.
> 283.x_updates.29
> 
> I don't see any adaptions of this guidelines regarding high-res displays as
> we have them today. So what's the recommendation for icons. Should we use
> PNG? Is the 16x16 pixel size still the correct on?

png files have a alpha channel, e.g., they support real transparency. Hence they are better than Gifs. For high resolution icons, see Bug 382972. Currently Mars does not support this
Comment 3 Matthias Becker CLA 2015-07-28 09:07:28 EDT
Hi Lars,

thanks for the quick answer. So is the gerneral recommendation to use PNGs everywhere instead of GIFs? If this is the case: Can we please state this clear in the Eclipse UI Guidelines?

Regards,
Matthias
Comment 4 Lars Vogel CLA 2015-07-28 09:10:57 EDT
(In reply to Matthias Becker from comment #3)
> Can we please state this
> clear in the Eclipse UI Guidelines?

Make sense. Can you please update the wiki page?
Comment 5 Matthias Becker CLA 2015-07-28 09:20:20 EDT
Okay I can try that.

Guideline 2.7 says: Use the file format specified for the graphic type.
and the following sections
https://wiki.eclipse.org/User_Interface_Guidelines#Specifications states 
states "GIF" as file format for almost all types. So I would exchange "GIF" with "PNG (preferred) / GIF" and also would add a general remark about the advantages of PNG at the top of the "Graphic Types" section. 
Does this sound reasonable for you?
Comment 6 Lars Vogel CLA 2015-07-28 09:56:01 EDT
(In reply to Matthias Becker from comment #5)
> Okay I can try that.
> 
> Guideline 2.7 says: Use the file format specified for the graphic type.
> and the following sections
> https://wiki.eclipse.org/User_Interface_Guidelines#Specifications states 
> states "GIF" as file format for almost all types. So I would exchange "GIF"
> with "PNG (preferred) / GIF" and also would add a general remark about the
> advantages of PNG at the top of the "Graphic Types" section. 
> Does this sound reasonable for you?

IMHO you can remove GIF altogether and describe the usage of PNG as the correct approach.
Comment 7 David Williams CLA 2015-07-28 17:27:34 EDT
Adding SWT to CC. They would know if PNG is supported on all platforms. I suspect it is ... but, not many of us use AIX, HP Servers, s390, etc.
Comment 8 Lars Vogel CLA 2015-07-28 17:42:17 EDT
(In reply to David Williams from comment #7)
> Adding SWT to CC. They would know if PNG is supported on all platforms. I
> suspect it is ... but, not many of us use AIX, HP Servers, s390, etc.

We are using mostly PNG in Mars so we kind of know that png works everywhere. :-)
Comment 9 Matthias Becker CLA 2015-07-29 02:40:44 EDT
I just edited the UI Guideline wiki page. See: https://wiki.eclipse.org/index.php?title=User_Interface_Guidelines&action=history

Is this OK? I was unsure in the 'Diagram' and in the 'Pointer and Cursor Mask' section.
Comment 10 Dani Megert CLA 2016-05-18 13:19:56 EDT
Moving out of Neon. If you still want to fix something during RC3 then please retarget and make sure you follow the rules: https://www.eclipse.org/eclipse/development/plans/freeze_plan_4_6.php#FixPassAfterRC2
Comment 11 Eclipse Genie CLA 2016-09-08 03:10:22 EDT
New Gerrit change created: https://git.eclipse.org/r/80658
Comment 12 Eclipse Genie CLA 2016-09-08 03:10:37 EDT
New Gerrit change created: https://git.eclipse.org/r/80659
Comment 13 Eclipse Genie CLA 2016-09-08 08:01:57 EDT
New Gerrit change created: https://git.eclipse.org/r/80683
Comment 15 Lars Vogel CLA 2016-09-09 03:30:56 EDT
I'm closing this aggregator bug, we still have lots of gif replacements but we handle them via individual bugs.