[Scummvm-devel] Windows console

[yotam barnoy]

On Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 1:00 PM, LionsPhil <lionsphil at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 28/10/2010 11:11, Willem Jan Palenstijn wrote:
> > * User feedback for detection
> >
> > If it's important enough to show to users, we should consider GUI dialog
> boxes.
> > I can imagine that failed detection in a directory would qualify.  If a
> user
> > says "add a game" and scummvm replies "sorry, can't find anything", more
> > immediately available info would be useful.
>
> The console is helpful here because it is easy(ish) to copy the hashes
> from, whereas currently GUI dialogues are not. Writing them to a logfile
> may be a workable compromise.
>
> I disagree with the console being helpful here. The average user can't copy
from the console because that 'feature' is disabled by default. The smart
and easy thing to do in that case would be to press alt-print screen and
simply send us a picture of the hash, but they're unlikely to do that also.
They're more likely to copy it by hand and make a mistake in the process.

I don't know about voting, but just to give my opinion here as a user of the
Windows version ie. before I became a dev, I found the console disconcerting
at first. For a new user it's pretty tough to deal with our gui
(unfortunately, regardless of the progress that's been made) and the console
screen makes the software seem fishy. Windows users are very scared of new
software and for good reason (spyware, viruses).

An initial installation of ScummVM is a useless shell (until games are added
-- but you already need some knowledge for that. A wizard would be nice
here) and the console doesn't make that experience better. Even worse is
when you play a game and you suddenly see warnings turn up on the console
for unhandled midi events and stuff like that. This isn't something we want
our end user to see.

Over time you grow used to the console and learn to ignore it until you have
to look for something in it. But it gives the impression of broken software.
I remember the first couple of times with ScummVM trying to close the
console, and killing ScummVM in the process. I thought the console was a
bug.

Yotam
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