2.6. Notifications UI

Notifications UI

What it is

The Notifications widget is the very first signaling device built into MAIDENS, from initial version onward. It provides a general-purpose system for message delivering.

Note: starting with version 1.5.0, a traditional prompts system has also been added (small, floating dialog windows containing text, action buttons and optionally an icon), and this is now the preferred way of gathering response/confirmation from the user.

However, unlike the Notifications, prompts are intrusive, i.e., user must click a button in order to resume what he was doing. This is why Notifications have still be kept around as a non-intrusive way of dispatching information that does not require user acknowledgement.

How does it look/behave

The Notifications reside in the main window, in a panel that is normally hidden. It slides over from the bottom when an event of interest occurs in the application.

Notifications always contain text, and only rarely action buttons such as OK or Download now. When buttons are present, the panel stays on-screen indefinitely, only hiding when a button is clicked. Otherwise, it automatically hides after some delay (based on the length of the text displayed). When this is the case, utility controls show in the top-right corner of the panel. From left to right, they are:

1. the time remaining gauge: monitors the widget's time to self dismissal as it drains out;
2. the pin button: cancels the auto-close timer, leaving the close button as the only option for dismissal;
3. the close button: dismisses the widget immediately;

The background of the notification panel is color coded, so that you can quickly get a clue of the type of event involved. These are the colors used and their meaning (the exact color shade varies, based on the theme applied):

• green: success or operation complete;
• orange: important information (you need to acknowledge something);
• red: error;
• blue: notice on a background operation being performed;
• purple: message produced by a web service (currently not used).

What to Use it For

Currently, the Notifications panel is a unidirectional communication device. It now only helps you catch a glimpse of background operations as they happen (for instance, when starting playback, you may shortly see a "Preparing MIDI" note). All communication that requires you to actually take action is now carried out through a traditional system of prompt messages.