Bug 301820 Resource Filters UI is not intuitive
Build ID: Eclipse SDK 3.6m5 As a user, I want to hide all backup and object files from my Eclipse resource tree, such that I can concentrate on what's relevant. I want to do this with a simple UI that I can understand intuitively. The resource filters are a great new concept, and the UI is extremely powerful. But I am afraid that as of Eclipse 3.6m5, the most common, simple tasks are too hard to do. I'm sorry for bringing this up late -- Only now, after this feature is sure to go into our commercial product, I have a much stronger interest in making the feature really usable beyond being a preview of technology. Here is a concrete suggestion: 1.) For grouping filters (AND,OR,NOT), have a separate dialog ("Add Group...") rather than managing this through the single "Add..." dialog. Rationale: - I expect that groups will be needed much less than "normal" filters - Groups are conceptionally different than "normal" filters 2.) For search patterns, use the same concept as used in many other places at Eclipse, like the Search dialog for instance: - Use glob patterns by default - Have a checkbox for "Regular Expression" beside. - For glob patterns, allow listing multiple patterns separated by , This is the same as "search" does for file names. Users will intuitively understand and appreciate this metaphor used elsewhere. Plus, I guess that the most common use for filters is hiding stuff like *.o, *.obj, *~, *.bak --> This most common use case should be most easy to use. My 3rd and 4th suggestions are less important: 3.) Instead of the "Include" and "Exclude" icons, which not really fit too well into the iconset used elsewhere at Eclipse, have a checkbox for "hide matching" beside the filter patterns to flip the meaning of the patterns from "include only" to "hide specified". 4.) Instead of the "Inheritable" option, call this option (X) Apply recursively to folder structure and put it below the filter patterns to enter. Again, sorry for bringing this up late, but I am very confident that these suggestions would greatly improve usability of the feature for casual or beginning users.
bundles/org.eclipse.ui.ide/src/org/eclipse/ui/internal/ide/IDEWorkbenchMessages.java
public static String IDEApplication_workspaceEmptyMessage;
	public static String IDEApplication_workspaceInvalidTitle;
	public static String IDEApplication_workspaceInvalidMessage;
	public static String IDEApplication_workspaceCannotBeSetTitle;
	public static String IDEApplication_workspaceCannotBeSetMessage;
	public static String IDEApplication_workspaceCannotLockTitle;
	public static String IDEApplication_workspaceCannotLockMessage;
	public static String IDEApplication_versionTitle;
	public static String IDEApplication_versionMessage;
	public static String GlobalBuildAction_BuildRunningTitle;
	public static String GlobalBuildAction_BuildRunningMessage;
	public static String CleanDialog_buildCleanAuto;
	public static String CleanDialog_buildCleanManual;
	public static String CleanDialog_title;
	public static String CleanDialog_cleanAllButton;
	public static String CleanDialog_cleanSelectedButton;
	public static String CleanDialog_buildNowButton;
	public static String CleanDialog_globalBuildButton;
	public static String CleanDialog_buildSelectedProjectsButton;
	public static String CleanDialog_cleanSelectedTaskName;
	public static String CleanDialog_cleanAllTaskName;
	public static String IDEEncoding_EncodingJob;
	public static String IDEEditorsPreferencePage_WorkbenchPreference_viewsRelatedLink;
	public static String IDEEditorsPreferencePage_WorkbenchPreference_FileEditorsRelatedLink;
    public static String IDEEditorsPreferencePage_WorkbenchPreference_contentTypesRelatedLink;
	public static String WorkbenchEncoding_invalidCharset;
	public static String CopyProjectAction_confirm;
	public static String CopyProjectAction_warning;
	public static String DeleteResourceAction_confirm;
	public static String DeleteResourceAction_warning;