Feature request #5980: Clearly mark experimental plugins in installer - QGIS Application - QGIS Issue Tracking

Feature request #5980

Clearly mark experimental plugins in installer

Added by Anita Graser almost 13 years ago. Updated over 12 years ago.

Status:	Closed
Priority:	High
Assignee:	-
Category:	Python plugins
Pull Request or Patch supplied:	Yes	Resolution:	fixed
Easy fix?:	No	Copied to github as #:	15395

Description

A common problem is that users are unaware that they are installing an experimental plugin. Once you allow "experimental" plugins in the Installer, all possible plugins will be listed without any additional note on whether they are stable or not. Users simply expect them to work and will be disappointed. The plugin list should clearly show which plugins are ready for production use and which are experimental.

I'll put priority to "high" since I think this really should be added to the next version.

darkRed.png - Experimental plugins are dark red (77.9 KB) Alexander Bruy, 2012-10-05 07:06 AM

darkYellow.png - Experimental plugins are dark yellow (78 KB) Alexander Bruy, 2012-10-05 07:06 AM

with_icons.png - Use icons to mark stable and experimental plugins (80.5 KB) Alexander Bruy, 2012-10-06 05:38 AM

installer-2.png (81.1 KB) Alexander Bruy, 2012-10-07 03:20 AM

installer-3.png (78.9 KB) Alexander Bruy, 2012-10-07 04:07 AM

installer.diff (576 Bytes) Borys Jurgiel, 2012-10-07 02:19 PM

installer2.patch (981 Bytes) Borys Jurgiel, 2012-10-08 05:25 AM

Associated revisions

Revision fccf9ac5
Added by Alexander Bruy over 12 years ago

mark experimental plugins in installer (fix #5980)

History

#1 Updated by Robin Lovelace over 12 years ago

Even better: add a software-centre style user rating system.
May be over-complex solution, acknowledged.

If so, would allowing the user to order plugins by number of downloads per month help?
That way popular (generally non-experimental) plugins like Sextant would rise to the top IMO.

Just a suggestion,

Robin

#2 Updated by Alexander Bruy over 12 years ago

File darkRed.png added
File darkYellow.png added

How we should mark such plugins? Here is two screenshots where experimental plugins are marked with different font color. Also it is possible to change font style (e.g. make it italic) and/or change background

#3 Updated by Anita Graser over 12 years ago

I like red.

Could the status also read "experimental"? Just to make sure that users really get it.

#4 Updated by Nathan Woodrow over 12 years ago

I would avoid red font for things like this it normally means error.

I would suggest to add a little science icon with a tooltip to say "Experimental" something like http://www.iconfinder.com/icondetails/45373/128/chemistry_science_test_icon

#5 Updated by Pirmin Kalberer over 12 years ago

Target version changed from Version 2.0.0 to Future Release - Nice to have

#6 Updated by Anita Graser over 12 years ago

Good point, Nathan! +1 for an icon if possible.

#7 Updated by Alexander Bruy over 12 years ago

File with_icons.png added

Here is screenshot for one of the possible implementations.

#8 Updated by Alexander Bruy over 12 years ago

File installer-2.png added

And another shot, with Nathan's suggestions

#9 Updated by Jaka Kranjc over 12 years ago

I suggest the name and version columns at least get a tooltip along the line of "EXPERIMENTAL; plugin is not finished yet", since it is not immediately clear what the potion icon is about (and there's a chance people will hover over it).