Bug 144160

Summary:	Do not show inactive menu items
Product:	LibreOffice	Reporter:	TorrAB
Component:	Writer	Assignee:	Not Assigned <libreoffice-bugs>
Status:	RESOLVED WONTFIX
Severity:	enhancement	CC:	libreoffice-ux-advise, vsfoote
Priority:	medium	Keywords:	needsUXEval
Version:	7.3.0.0 alpha0+
Hardware:	All
OS:	All
Whiteboard:
Crash report or crash signature:		Regression By:

Description TorrAB 2021-08-29 15:39:29 UTC

Why are inactive menu items displayed? Even greyed-out, they distract the user (even tantalizing him|her: ‘Sorry! You can't have this choice.’), and clutter the menu, even pushing some active, applicable items off the window bottom if the document is low on screen and the menu is long, like Insert.
● Inactive menu items should be hidden.

Comment 1 V Stuart Foote 2021-08-29 17:10:51 UTC

Not a fan. It is inherently obvious that a grey'd out menu item is not available, providing direct feedback to user that the function/feature is not available at that particular point of usage.

Also, it is completely the legacy for OOo; and couldn't justify such a major departure.

IMHO a clear => WF

Comment 2 Heiko Tietze 2021-08-30 08:31:49 UTC

Good usability is to disable interactions that don't apply at the current context rather than hiding them. This allows to learn what's possible, makes the UI less varying, and has a meaning itself in terms of "there is a function that can be used in the current situation". Ideally a tooltip explains why it is disabled.

Clear WF.

Comment 3 TorrAB 2021-08-31 21:39:10 UTC

(In reply to V Stuart Foote from comment #1)
> Not a fan. It is inherently obvious that a grey'd out menu item is not
> available.

● yes, but… why bother? Does a store advertize items that are NOT offered for sale?

> Also, it is completely the legacy for OOo.
● Legacy? What may have seemed (at the beginning) like a good concept turns out to be cumbersome, but must be kept because we inherited it?

● As to implementation: It must as easy for the developer to skip (or delete) an unavailable item as it is to format it greyed-out.

Comment 4 TorrAB 2021-08-31 21:40:22 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)

(In reply to V Stuart Foote from comment #1)
> Not a fan. It is inherently obvious that a grey'd out menu item is not
> available.

● yes, but… why bother? Does a store advertize items that are NOT offered for sale?

> Also, it is completely the legacy for OOo.
● Legacy? What may have seemed (at the beginning) like a good concept turns out to be cumbersome, but must be kept because we inherited it?

● As to implementation: It must as easy for the developer to skip (or delete) an unavailable item as it is to format it greyed-out.