User Interface Feedback Thread

[mikelove]

Instruction Manual / Flashcard Reference / Test Interface and then your hint: "tap on a word to select it, then tap on the > button to bring up a dictionary definition screen for it."
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2823&p=25820#p25830

That's actually a regular dictionary definition screen, not something flashcard-specific. Remembering the last place in there would be tricky, because they can be launched from all over Pleco; in most cases we do want to always start with "Defn" since the idea is to expand on a dictionary definition.

As for the Instruction Manual I have a suggestion: I often scroll through the text of the Manual, trying to find something. Then when I find a heading like "Interface" and try do follow the instructions, I do not know where I am: Dictionary, Flashcards, where at all? I suggest to add some more information to some of the headings, in the example for instance

That whole thing needs to be reorganized, really - we're trying to find some good documentation generation software that we can use to easily make desktop / tablet / mobile / PDF / etc versions from the same source data.

 

[HW60]

Can the order of entries in the dictionary definition screen, Words tab, be influenced? It seems to be pinyin alphabetical order, but often starts again with "a" after reaching "z"; e.g. in PLC dictionary character 极: after 终极 zhongji (end of the first alphabetical order) the next entry is 北极光 beijiguang (beginning of the next alphabetical order), and and there is one more alphabetical order for this character. Is it just the order the words were added to the dictionary?

 

[mikelove]

Can the order of entries in the dictionary definition screen, Words tab, be influenced? It seems to be pinyin alphabetical order, but often starts again with "a" after reaching "z"; e.g. in PLC dictionary character 极: after 终极 zhongji (end of the first alphabetical order) the next entry is 北极光 beijiguang (beginning of the next alphabetical order), and and there is one more alphabetical order for this character. Is it just the order the words were added to the dictionary?

It's actually length + Pinyin order - we find length-based sorting useful in cases like this because most of the time people seem to have a pretty good idea how long the length of the word they're looking for is. Would you prefer something purely alphabetic or sorted in some other way?

 

[Giraffe]

Instruction Manual / Flashcard Reference / Test Interface and then your hint: "tap on a word to select it, then tap on the > button to bring up a dictionary definition screen for it."
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2823&p=25820#p25830

As for the Instruction Manual I have a suggestion: I often scroll through the text of the Manual, trying to find something. Then when I find a heading like "Interface" and try do follow the instructions, I do not know where I am: Dictionary, Flashcards, where at all? I suggest to add some more information to some of the headings, in the example for instance

That whole thing needs to be reorganized, really - we're trying to find some good documentation generation software that we can use to easily make desktop / tablet / mobile / PDF / etc versions from the same source data.

Based on a quick scan of your docs, here are some suggestions from a technical editor who has worked on a ton of handbooks for commercial software:

[*]Avoid words like "Basic" and "Advanced" as headings. They are nebulous and arbitrary and they don't give the user any clue as to how the information is really organized. It's especially weird when you have some of the "Search" help in basic and some in advanced. As a user that makes no sense at all.
[*]Provide better navigation. For example, a list of links at the top of the tutorials page would be better than forcing the reader to scroll down through everything to find (maybe) the information they're looking for.
[*] Use more bulleted lists or, for sequential information like the steps in a procedure, use numbered lists.
[*] Use consistent headings. Right now, the headings are a bit of a mishmash of styles. Generally speaking, in tech writing you should use something like "Search a dictionary" or "To search a dictionary" for specific procedures and gerunds (searching, writing, making etc) should be used for higher level headings like "Using dictionaries".
[*} Try to make the headings task-focused rather than UI-focused. For example, rather than "Stroke Order Diagrams", maybe something like "View stroke order".
[*]Your "Reference" section is seriously misnamed since it seems to contain mostly procedural information. Reference material is typically stuff like lists of acronyms or maybe background technical information.

 

[HW60]

Can the order of entries in the dictionary definition screen, Words tab, be influenced? It seems to be pinyin alphabetical order, but often starts again with "a" after reaching "z"; e.g. in PLC dictionary character 极: after 终极 zhongji (end of the first alphabetical order) the next entry is 北极光 beijiguang (beginning of the next alphabetical order), and and there is one more alphabetical order for this character. Is it just the order the words were added to the dictionary?

It's actually length + Pinyin order - we find length-based sorting useful in cases like this because most of the time people seem to have a pretty good idea how long the length of the word they're looking for is. Would you prefer something purely alphabetic or sorted in some other way?

It is again important what you expect. I would not expect pinyin-words starting with a when a seemingly alphabetical list is beyond c. If I know it before (and remember the next time I need it), I would continue looking for the word I need even close to z because a second or third list may come. I would prefer a list that is pinyin order only.

What is the order of user dictionary entries?

 

[mikelove]

Based on a quick scan of your docs, here are some suggestions from a technical editor who has worked on a ton of handbooks for commercial software:

Thanks - lots of good points here.

It is again important what you expect. I would not expect pinyin-words starting with a when a seemingly alphabetical list is beyond c. If I know it before (and remember the next time I need it), I would continue looking for the word I need even close to z because a second or third list may come. I would prefer a list that is pinyin order only.

Fair enough - I'm lukewarm enough on the current approach that we should probably just change it and see if anyone complains.

What is the order of user dictionary entries?

Do you mean in the entire dictionary? (not just results) Standard Chinese dictionary order - first syllable, first character, remaining syllables.

 

[HW60]

What is the order of user dictionary entries?

Do you mean in the entire dictionary? (not just results) Standard Chinese dictionary order - first syllable, first character, remaining syllables.

I mean results of the dictionary definition screen / words tab. If the order depends on the order of the import file, I can sort the import file before importing. Actually I just export all flashcards from many different categories and import them without doing anything in between. The resulting order is sometimes alphabetical, sometimes there are groups of alphabetical order like "length + Pinyin order". I would prefer standard chinese dictionary order.

 

[HW60]

Looking for the character 徴 in the main dictionary screen I find it in CC as japanese variant of 征 and in the "japanese part" of my user dict. Scrolling through the dictionaries while the Defn-tab of the dictionary definition screen is visible I find it in CC, UNI and my user dict. Scrolling through the dictionaries while the Words-tab is visible, all my dictionaries are shown, but most of them are void. (This is not a big problem actually, as it only happens with characters that cannot be entered by Pleco handwriting).

In self-graded session type flashcard mode with Test writing I was used to use the input screen in WM to write the character and then to compare it with what I should have written. If I want to do the same thing now I have to
- tap the brush in the top right corner
- draw the character
- tap the brush to reveal the reveal button
- tap the reveal button
- tap the brush to compare the drawn character with what I should have written
- tap the brush to reveal the mark correct/mark incorrect buttons
- tap one of those

If there is no other method which I have not found yet, then I think it would be more easy if the handwriting recognizer interface (without handwriting recognition) would be opened and the required buttons (reveal, correct/incorrect) would be visible.

 

[Alexis]

A couple requests for the flashcard "search" screen:

1) Can we add the ability to switch dictionaries for a selected card?
2) Can we add the ability to save searches (and select the saved searches from a drop-down box)?

I mention these two because I often use the "search" screen to study the flashcards that I have gotten wrong that day (I know about the looping through incorrect option at the end of the flashcards, but I usually try to burn through a few different flashcard decks in the morning, then study wrong ones later on in the day).

 

[mikelove]

I mean results of the dictionary definition screen / words tab. If the order depends on the order of the import file, I can sort the import file before importing. Actually I just export all flashcards from many different categories and import them without doing anything in between. The resulting order is sometimes alphabetical, sometimes there are groups of alphabetical order like "length + Pinyin order". I would prefer standard chinese dictionary order.

Understood, thanks.

If there is no other method which I have not found yet, then I think it would be more easy if the handwriting recognizer interface (without handwriting recognition) would be opened and the required buttons (reveal, correct/incorrect) would be visible.

Unfortunately, this is next-to-impossible to do on Android because of the difficulty of getting the definition behind the handwriting box to update reliably when the definition revealed / new card appears. Android's support for transparency in SurfaceViews (the kind of UI element we need to do smooth handwriting capture) is pretty hopeless, so we currently support handwriting / sketching in flashcards via a crude hack that essentially re-draws the text of the definition in the handwriting box. (hence the occasional glitches in that rendering) Getting this to update reliably while keeping the handwriting box open is quite easy on iOS (and in fact we already do it), but until they revamp the Android graphics system it's going to remain very challenging on Android - the sketch box really only works on Android as a modal, frequently-dismissed interface.

1) Can we add the ability to switch dictionaries for a selected card?

Not quite clear on this - so you want a way to change the dictionary without leaving the list of search results? (because you can already change the card's definition with just a few taps)

2) Can we add the ability to save searches (and select the saved searches from a drop-down box)?

Yes, that one we've had quite a few requests for actually.

 

[Alexis]

1) Can we add the ability to switch dictionaries for a selected card?

Not quite clear on this - so you want a way to change the dictionary without leaving the list of search results? (because you can already change the card's definition with just a few taps)

I didn't explain that very well... What I meant was that I was hoping it might be possible to make the search results work in a similar way to the regular dictionary listing (where you can switch dictionaries, click on a selection to view an entry, etc). I don't want to change the cards information, I just thought it would be convenient to use the search results as a review tool.

On a completely different, but somewhat related note, I was playing around with OCR, and then I went back to the dictionary screen. What I saw was very cool. The OCR'd sentence was in the search field, and the dictionary listing displayed a breakdown of each word used in the sentence. Is this an intentional feature?

 

[mikelove]

I didn't explain that very well... What I meant was that I was hoping it might be possible to make the search results work in a similar way to the regular dictionary listing (where you can switch dictionaries, click on a selection to view an entry, etc). I don't want to change the cards information, I just thought it would be convenient to use the search results as a review tool.

So you'd basically like a flashcard field that you can type a search query into? Certainly possible, though I'm not quite clear how the dictionary aspect of that would work - I'm worried that if we made the dictionary switch button behave differently on that screen (changing the definition but not the thing that you're searching) it would confuse matters.

On a completely different, but somewhat related note, I was playing around with OCR, and then I went back to the dictionary screen. What I saw was very cool. The OCR'd sentence was in the search field, and the dictionary listing displayed a breakdown of each word used in the sentence. Is this an intentional feature?

Yes - any time you invoke OCR from the search bar and then exit while paused, whatever is in the recognition area gets copied back to the main search field. And that sentence breakdown feature works for any sentence you enter there.

 

[Alexis]

I didn't explain that very well... What I meant was that I was hoping it might be possible to make the search results work in a similar way to the regular dictionary listing (where you can switch dictionaries, click on a selection to view an entry, etc). I don't want to change the cards information, I just thought it would be convenient to use the search results as a review tool.

So you'd basically like a flashcard field that you can type a search query into? Certainly possible, though I'm not quite clear how the dictionary aspect of that would work - I'm worried that if we made the dictionary switch button behave differently on that screen (changing the definition but not the thing that you're searching) it would confuse matters.

Not quite. I'll take another stab at a clearer explanation though

The current search feature seems geared towards editing flashcards (which makes sense considering it's listed under "Organize" in the flashcards screen). Clicking on an entry in the search screen brings up the same screen as clicking on an entry in organize flashcards does. I'd call this a "Search Interface for Organizing Cards."

However, I would like to use the search functionality as a "Search interface for the Dictionary". A way to filter the dictionary listing so that only entries that match my search parameters show up (perhaps akin to an "advanced search", assuming that the regular dictionary input field is a "standard search"). The only thing this has to do with flashcards is that I'm using flashcard parameters to filter my search results. In this instance, I'd prefer the search results to look like the standard dictionary screen, like the "History" screen does:

When I click on an entry in the search screen I'd like to just view the entry as normal:

Not sure if it would make more sense to implement it as an "advanced search" functionality for the dictionary that let's you use the same type of search parameters that you do in the "Organize->Search Cards" screen OR as a "dictionary" mode in the existing "Organize->Search Cards" screen.

 

[mikelove]

However, I would like to use the search functionality as a "Search interface for the Dictionary". A way to filter the dictionary listing so that only entries that match my search parameters show up (perhaps akin to an "advanced search", assuming that the regular dictionary input field is a "standard search"). The only thing this has to do with flashcards is that I'm using flashcard parameters to filter my search results. In this instance, I'd prefer the search results to look like the standard dictionary screen, like the "History" screen does:

When I click on an entry in the search screen I'd like to just view the entry as normal:

Ah, that's much clearer, thanks. Though in general I'd say this belongs more in the main dictionary screen (as a tap-hold-selectable dictionary option, say) than a flashcard-specific one.

 

[HW60]

I have only custom cards, but my chinese cards are usually created by the "+" button of Pleco. Afterwards I change the cards. When I delete the traditional character headword and save, Pleco sometimes finds out that "This will result in a duplicate card - are you sure you want to continue?" When the answer is yes (because I want to clean my duplicates manually), Pleco returns to the unaltered screen without any hint that "yes" actually was interpreted as "no".

 

[Alexis]

Ah, that's much clearer, thanks. Though in general I'd say this belongs more in the main dictionary screen (as a tap-hold-selectable dictionary option, say) than a flashcard-specific one.

That would be great! Sorry for the initial confusion, I didn't realize what I wanted until I tried to explain it.

 

[HW60]

I have only custom cards, but my chinese cards are usually created by the "+" button of Pleco. Afterwards I change the cards. When I delete the traditional character headword and save, Pleco sometimes finds out that "This will result in a duplicate card - are you sure you want to continue?" When the answer is yes (because I want to clean my duplicates manually), Pleco returns to the unaltered screen without any hint that "yes" actually was interpreted as "no".

I change the cards using flashcards/organize cards. Having reached the final category and selecting a card, I have the choice to "Convert to custom card" and to "DELETE CARD". I made the experience that it is very easy to delete the card when I actually wanted to convert the card. I suggest to include the for elderly people "normal" question "do you really want to ...", because the deleted card is no longer in any category, and sometimes I do not even know what card I deleted.

 

[mikelove]

I change the cards using flashcards/organize cards. Having reached the final category and selecting a card, I have the choice to "Convert to custom card" and to "DELETE CARD". I made the experience that it is very easy to delete the card when I actually wanted to convert the card. I suggest to include the for elderly people "normal" question "do you really want to ...", because the deleted card is no longer in any category, and sometimes I do not even know what card I deleted.

Good point - we actually don't even have that button at all on iOS, but we could at least wrap it up in an alert on Android.

 

[HW60]

I am looking for the exact meaning of the "+" symbol in a (sometimes broken line) square, but cannot find it in the manual. It must have to do with flashcards and user dictionary. Maybe an index added to the manual would help in cases like that - I resigned after 30 minutes looking, but darkly remember that I saw it somewhere.

 

[mikelove]

I am looking for the exact meaning of the "+" symbol in a (sometimes broken line) square, but cannot find it in the manual. It must have to do with flashcards and user dictionary. Maybe an index added to the manual would help in cases like that - I resigned after 30 minutes looking, but darkly remember that I saw it somewhere.

The fully square-enclosed one means that it's part of your flashcards *and* it's in the current default flashcard category, the broken-lined one means that it's part of flashcards but not in the current default category.