Just in time for Christmas, it’s an update to tweetz! (Well, OK, Christmas has nothing to do with it but it made for a cheap and flashy introduction). So what’s new?
- Update dialog moved to a flyout
- Enter key sends updates option added
And here are the screenshots
The “Flyout” dialog (that’s what they’re called in gadget lingo) was necessary to get around a performance issue the gadget was experiencing. Over time, as more twitter updates arrive, the “Send Update” text box got unacceptably slow. There’s no reason code-wise why it should slow down but it happens none the less. Chalk it up to another one of those strange Windows gadget behaviors (and there are a lot of them, believe me).
I found through experimentation that the “Flyout” dialog didn’t experience this same detrimental behavior. It’s not my first choice but this is just one of those “concessions” you sometimes have to make in a program.
In use, the “Flyout” behaves in a similar fashion to the previous embedded dialog. The one exception is that if the gadget loses focus, the “Flyout” dialog closes. The contents of the update are still there so there’s no damage but it does mean an extra mouse click or two on occasion when doing a copy and paste for instance.
The “Enter key sends updates” option restores the original behavior of sending updates when the enter key is pressed. Some complained that they would send updates accidentally so I disabled it. After I disabled it, others complained that they missed the feature. Now you can choose.
Future Updates:
The only new feature I have planned at this time is to add a “more” link. It will appear as the last item in the tweet list. This is similar to how it works on the twitter home page.
Available on the downloads page.
Part of the fun of writing programs is hearing about the unique and interesting ways they get used. Here’s an example:
I work as an automation services assistant, which is just a fancy term for IT tech, at the Rochester Public Library in Rochester, MN. A library environment presents some unique challenges. We have computers available for use by the general public, and those computers have to be easy to use. However, for obvious reasons, they also have to be extremely secure. The security aspect is frustrating for some of the patrons because they don’t always understand why we can’t allow them to access files and programs, etc. the way they do at home. To help alleviate some of that confusion, we prefer to have everything patrons are allowed to use available directly from the desktop.
Before we used Desk Drive, our librarians spent a good portion of their time acting as interactive instruction manuals for accessing and saving files from the public workstations. Many of the patrons who use our computers are elderly or otherwise technologically challenged. Having drives that mount to the desktop when inserted makes finding and saving to the media much more intuitive. Additionally, even tech savvy users appreciate the convenience of having access to their flash drives right from the desktop. Desk Drive allows our librarians to spend more time being librarians and it allows the patrons easy and convenient access to their files, which makes life easier for all involved. When the librarians and patrons are content, it makes life easier for the IT staff.
Automation Services Assistant
Rochester Public Library
Rochester, MN
It’s fun to hear that my little program has had a positive impact. Anyone else have some cool Desk Drive stories to share?
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