What is up with default profiles (style, colors, keymaps)?
IDEA has had for a long time the concept of profiles for different things.
And it's always been the case that the default profile is not modifiable.
I've thought about this for a long time and I could never understand it.
It seems like a huge usability problem (I've seen users struggle with it
more than once) and I don't see any logical reason for it.
So JetBrains, why is this feature there? You guys must like it a lot, or
else it wouldn't be so prevalent in IDEA configuration screens, but why?
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The idea is, no matter how twisted and perverted the user is, there's still salvation: the default style will still be there to be reverted to.
This functionality could easily be implemented using a "Reset to defaults"
button, which I think would be much, much more user friendly. Don't you think
so?
That would get my vote.
Bas
Keith Lea wrote:
>>The idea is, no matter how twisted and perverted the user is, there's
>>still salvation: the default style will still be there to be reverted
>>to.
>>
Bas Leijdekkers wrote:
>> This functionality could easily be implemented using a "Reset to
>> defaults" button, which I think would be much, much more user
>> friendly. Don't you think so?
>>
>>
>>> The idea is, no matter how twisted and perverted the user is, there's
>>> still salvation: the default style will still be there to be reverted
>>> to.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
+1
I don't think so.
If there is no "copy Profile as new" function, then your guys will sound more reasonable.
IDEA just dosen't like other software, it provides many profiles, some with default, some without. And it provides a new solution (as least new to you and me) to handle this two situations. That is , every profile has it's name, with no exception. So you can easily copy your current setting and modify it to make a new one.
If things are like you suggested, what will happen when I clicked the "Reset to default" button and changed some settings? Now you will have a UNCERTAIN profile, it has no name, and it is not the DEFAULT. What is worse, you can't compare between this profile with the DEFAULT one. Obviously there must be another "Save profile as..." button. Then we can easily go ahead, there will be a "Load profile" field. Now we get the place : The UI you want has more buttons : "Reset Save Load Copy Delete".
IDEA's solution is very graceful, it only has "CopyAsNew Choose Delete". Putting away our former expierience, which one is better? I vote for IDEA's.
It has gave us so many new experiences, why not this one?
Sorry for my poor English. And much more sorry for having typed so many wrong characters. :B
Wish you could understand my meaning...
Briefly, it's new, but it's really better :)
I think if it's hard for users, it shouldn't be there, almost without exception.
I'm not saying we should get rid of profiles, or the ability to copy a profile.
I'm saying that either the default profile should be editable, and revertible,
or, as soon as you start IDEA the first time, a profile is created which
is a clone of the default profile, and is set as active profile.
Yes, i understand you.
But let's see it.
first, "make default profile editable". Now user modified the settings, and click APPLY. There are some alternative result: 1) show a dialog to inform user that he just made a new profile, he must save it. 2) automaticly chooses a generated profile name and saved it and active it.
second, "initially make copies of default profile". That dosen't sound good. User can always choose the default one, and again could not changed it.
Hmmm. I see. The first plus (2) may be the best solution. But i think it is almost as confusion to new users as the current GUI.
Hehe. I'm a developer. I can always afford this. :)
Keith Lea wrote:
I think IDEA should offer to make a new copy when you try to edit the
default profile. Or perhaps just silently make the copy?
/Kreiger
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Not really. I would agree with you if IDEA allowed only two sets of preferences: default and modified. In this situation, a simple "reset to defaults" button really makes sense.
Now, once you start having named settings profiles, "reset to defaults" isn't so great anymore. You already have a dropdown to select multiple profiles, so why not make the default profile one of them?
NOW we're talking the same language. +1 for this suggestion.
The answer to your rhetorical question is, because the default profile is
not editable.