Let's try to summarize this:
L = packet list
D = packet dissection (or packet details)
B = packet (or reassembly) bytes
I'd propose we specify the lay-out of the window in 2 steps.
Step 1: Provide a "Window layout" option.
An end-user can toggle between the following options:
(o) Stacked (.) Large left pane (.) Large right pane
+---+
| 1 | +---+---+ +---+---+
+---+ | | 2 | | 1 | |
| 2 | | 1 +---+ +---+ 3 |
+---+ | | 3 | | 2 | |
| 3 | +---+---+ +---+---+
+---+
Step 2: Fill in the panes.
Here there are many options:
1. Provide a fixed list of entries (6 possibilities)
(o) L/D/B (.) D/L/B (.) B/L/D
(.) L/B/D (.) D/B/L (.) B/D/L
The defaults would be:
- Stacked L/D/B
- Large left pane L/D/B
- Large right pane L/B/D
2. Provide select boxes for the 3 panes, where the choices have
to be made from the 3 possibilities L, D and B.
3. Provide "progressive radio button choices" where the choice
for 1 eliminates it in steps 2 and 3, and the choice for 2
automatically determines the choice for 3.
One must however provide a "reset" option in this scenario,
as an end-user may want to remake his choice.
4. A mix from 2 and 3 where the end-user is offered the
possibility to set the pane type for the first 2 panes only
by means of 2 select boxes; the 3rd panel is automatically
filled in based on the end-user's input of the 2 first panes.
The lay-out of the panes and the mapping of pane number with pane
type must be stored in preferences.
Regards,
Olivier
|-----Original Message-----
|From: Gilbert Ramirez
|
|
|On Tuesday 27 April 2004 13:37, Ulf Lamping wrote:
|> Hi List!
|>
|> I'm currently thinking about Ethereals GUI layout in general.
|>
|> After having a look at the Analyzer program (from the same people as
|> WinPCap), I've got the idea to layout the three main panes
|(packet list,
|> packet details, packet bytes) in a different way.
|>
|> Currently my Ethereal main window will typically look like (L: packet
|> list, D: packet details, B: packet bytes):
|>
|> LLLLLLL
|> LLLLLLL
|> DDD
|> DDD
|> BBB
|>
|> So a lot of screen space at the bottom right edge is usually
|empty. The
|> Analyzer program puts the panes differently than Ethereal:
|>
|> LLLLLLL
|> LLLLLLL
|> DDDBBB
|> DDDBBB
|>
|> ...you hopefully get the idea.
|>
|> This results in much better usage of the screen space (although a bit
|> uncommon).
|>
|> I've implemented the change of the layout in my personal source tree
|> (changed only one single line of code in main.c, thanks to GTK :-),
|> and tried this for some days now. It seems to be very
|useful, at least
|> for me.
|>
|> I would like to add a setting in the recent file, and change
|between the
|> traditional and this new layout with the menu item
|"View->Packet Details
|> and Bytes Side by Side" (does someone know a better name?).
|>
|> What do others think of this?
|
|yes, optional layouts would be nice. For a long time I've wanted:
|
|LLLLDDDD
|LLLLDDDD
|BBBBDDDD
|BBBBDDDD
|
|or
|
|LLLLDDDD
|LLLLDDDD
|LLLLBBBB
|LLLLBBBB
|
|Putting the packet list next to the protocol tree only makes
|sense for big
|screens, but I run my screen at 1600x1200. It makes a big
|difference if what
|you're interested in is looking at a long list of packets (the
|L's) or a
|long, fully opened protocol dissection (the D's).
|
|The point is, we could have more than 2 different layout options.
