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Build Identifier: I20100429-1549 I installed a plugin using p2. I wanted to uninstall it. I couldn't find the UI to do that without asking another developer for help. It would be helpful if install/uninstall was in roughly the same place in the menu structure. Reproducible: Always
This is asked about regularly on IRC.
I was not aware of that. At this point, we have the "already installed" link in install dialog (on the bottom right corner) that leads to the page where you can uninstall. Do you have any suggestion on to how to remediate this? Add a menu entry, change the wording of the "already installed" link, something else?
(In reply to comment #2) > At this point, we have the "already installed" link in > install dialog (on the bottom right corner) that leads to the page where you > can uninstall. I missed that entirely. > Do you have any suggestion on to how to remediate this? Add a menu entry, > change the wording of the "already installed" link, something else? There are two gestures in the "Help" menu that already has two entries dealing with upgrading/installing: "Check for Updates" and "Install New Software". I expected a gesture to manage/uninstall there, so perhaps a third "Uninstall Software" gesture could be added? The other place I expected to find something was in the Preferences dialog. Perhaps there could be a listing of installed features there, with buttons that start the install/uninstall wizards.
Let's review this in the context of 3.6.1
I don't really like the idea of the uninstall menu item, at least not for 3.6.1, because: - it seems wrong to add top level menu items in a maintenance release - it seems wrong to have an "Uninstall" menu item do anything besides bring up the uninstall wizard. Currently, we permit uninstall when the user is browsing what is installed, and they can look at all the detail about what they have and make decisions. Then they select the items and the wizard comes up with the things to uninstall. From a menu, we would have to populate the wizard with "everything that is installed" and then the user would be making decisions there. We would have to make sure that getting at all the relevant info is as easy as it is from installation details. So that level of fix feels more like a release change, not a maintenance fix. For a maintenance fix, we could reword link in the install wizard, and also add a link in the main pref page that guides you to the same page and uses the word "uninstall"
Created attachment 176944 [details] screenshot screenshot showing proposed fix - add an uninstall/update link to the main pref pages
Created attachment 176946 [details] screenshot if the translated string were not there the problem here is that if we don't translate the new string in the maintenance release, then the user would get a random new missing message in the pref page.
Created attachment 176948 [details] proposed patch This is the patch.
I remember feeling funny about this bug being marked for 3.6.1 because it was discussing new/alternate UI. We generally avoid that in a maintenance release. Now I remember why. There is an unwritten rule (thought I saw it mentioned recently but can't find a link) that we don't introduce new strings in a maintenance release. The problem is that someone shipping with the 3.6 translations on top of 3.6.1 would now get a string that had not been translated, and we could potentially be introducing a bogus string in the pref page as shown in the second screenshot. Given we have had this problem since 3.5, I suggest we defer this issue to 3.7. Incidentally, I tried changing the wording of the link on the install wizard (this would not have the problem above whereby a new string is introduced, it would just change its value). However, I don't think this is a good solution, either, because: - note that Evan never noticed that link in the first place - when I tried rewording the link to mention uninstall, it looked out of place in its current location. I agree with Evan's point in comment 3. A user who is looking for uninstall will probably look in the menu, and barring that, will go to the prefs (or we hope to the about dialog). They probably won't go looking in the install wizard. Changing milestone to 3.7.
cc'ing Kit regarding our ability to translate a string in a maintenance release
Susan has already figured out the effect in comment 7. If Eclips projects all follow the "undocumented" rule of not to introduce any new UI strings in maintenance releases, the languge packs for Eclipse 3.6 will work for all 3.6.x maintenance releases. If a project introduces new UI strings in a maintenance release, we will see effect like what Susan saw in comment 7. I recommend targetting this UI change to 3.7, unless we can come up with another fix that can resue some existing strings.
Though I understand the reason for this rule, the implication of this unspoken rule is that we will be shipping eclipse-based products that people will have difficulty using (and they'll likely be stuck with this for 2 years). Susan, as a stop gap for 3.6, can we add a link in the install dialog reusing the text from the "uninstall..." button (see screenshot). Also if we want to add something on the pref page, what about just copying the links from the install dialog page. Even though it may look clunky, at least the user will have guidance.
Created attachment 176955 [details] Uninstall link in the install dialog
these bugs will be my holiday projects...
Fixed in HEAD >20101221 as shown in comment 6. (In reply to comment #12) > Susan, as a stop gap for 3.6, can we add a link in the install dialog reusing > the text from the "uninstall..." button (see screenshot). Also if we want to > add something on the pref page, what about just copying the links from the > install dialog page. Even though it may look clunky, at least the user will > have guidance. I don't think that adding more verbage in the install dialog really helps. See comment 9. Adding a link that says "uninstall" in the pref page (reusing an existing string) for 3.6.2 is a possibility.
verified on Win7, I20110124-1800
