DWP

Hi,
Thanks for such a great contact management app, i use it everyday.

Can i please request a feature or improvement? if the option is already there, please let me know.

Problem: I have a lot of contacts and the names can get lengthy, like over 20 chars long - so the full names are only partially shown in all tabs. It takes a while to realise which contact is which, if the full name is shown then it would be faster and better to use.

Suggestions In Order:
1) allow the option to show data on multi-lines, currently the first name and last name only shows on 1 line, maybe it can be displayed on 2 or more line?
2) allow the option to make the font smaller to fit more characters on the NAME line (maybe also only for name lines that are long) maybe look bad with small font here and big font there.
3) allow the option to scroll text (slow, med, fast) where the data line does not fit the screen width

What do you guys think?
I will surely be posting any bugs i see, right now i cant seem to remember.

thanks in advance.

hi sonhy,

sonhy wrote:Hi,
Suggestions In Order:
1) allow the option to show data on multi-lines, currently the first name and last name only shows on 1 line, maybe it can be displayed on 2 or more line?
2) allow the option to make the font smaller to fit more characters on the NAME line (maybe also only for name lines that are long) maybe look bad with small font here and big font there.
3) allow the option to scroll text (slow, med, fast) where the data line does not fit the screen width

to points: 1+2)
yes, it is true, this was not inplace, BUT - the good message: all this things are done on new version 2.0.4) - the view of the lists is complete redesigned.
.) for almost every tab - you can select which informations you want to see
there are 3 lines now possible to display:
1st line: name((if caller -> caller-number), account icon => slide left/right to change number / or / click on item, will show detail or call log details
2nd line: number, (if caller -> call start time) => slide left/right to change number / or / click on item, will show call log detail
3rd line: groups, organization, titles (if you click on 1 of this items, then show the relation to this item: ex: click on group name -> will show all contacts of groups)
additially: you can define for every line an extra font size (look in settings -> display -> theme -> "font size 1st line" / "font size 2nd line" / "font size 3rd line"
i'm sure - you'll like it
(will be online in next few days ..)

to points: 3)
scrollling of text: hmm, good idea ...and..
i mean it will cost a lot of CPU, but i will check this, if this is possible
next, we must give another option to menu "Scroll spedd", if it is set to 0, then no scrolling,(it's growing), and for newbies getting more complicated, to find the wanted option ...
i will check this
also: how should it works ?
you have maybe on display 8 contacts shown, now should all 8 contacts scroll the text ? - this would make every one confused about ...
the only thing, what would make sense is, that only the selected (highlighted) item will scroll - but how do you want to select(highlighten) it ?
(because a single click will open call log details or will show contact details)
i mean it is better to setup:
a) no text scrolling for long contact names
a) set font size(line 1) smaller (NEW VERSION 2.0.4)
c) remove not often used icons/picture on view selection in menu (NEW VERSION 2.0.4)
and you'll be happy again

PLS: as told - on new version, there you can setup the view for every tab different, so it is possible to have on "phone" tab only "dialer icon" + picture and on contacts you only have picture

Would this be ok for you ?

Damn, you are a good dev! I am a happy user already!

I like your solution by using separate font sizes for each line.
Can i suggest that you allow the user to choose a font size, maybe Small, Med, Large and also Auto. i think allowing font size numbers like 20 or 75 is not necessary.
Auto font means, if the screen width is 100 chars and the text line width is 300 chars, then the auto font should set the font as small. if text line width is 220 chars, then font should be med, etc. I think...
If you cannot make auto font, then it is still good, i will set all font to small.

Regarding scrolling of text, I understand it is hard and i agree it is not too important. BUT if you can, i suggest the following:
* Only make 2 contacts scroll on the screen, and always at the same position. So if the contact list screen can fit 8 different contacts, then only scroll the contact names in position 2 & 7, other contact postions do not scroll. If i want to see the full text line of the 8th contact on the bottom of the screen, then i can just slide up the list until the contact i like, reaches position 7 or more up to position 2. This may use too much CPU and memory, i don't know, but i think it would be the best way to auto focus and scroll a text line. maybe have option to choose position 2 & 3 to scroll, or just position 5 in the middle.
I can upload some images with captions if you dont understand what i mean.
* Also, instead of scrolling, instead you could have contact positions 2 and 7 show more lines than the other contact positions of the screen. so if the screen fits 8 contacts, then all contacts will only show 3 lines each (name, number, info) - but contacts in position 2 and 7 will always show 5 lines each (name=2lines,number=1line,info=2lines) or (name=2lines,number=2line,info=2lines, more lines?), if contact data does not use up all 5 lines, still show empty lines so the positions do not move up and down alot, makes it easy to view when sliding the list up and down. I understand extra data lines, will mean now the screen can only fit 6 contacts in total - maybe with small font, i can fit 9 contacts in total. I also understand some users have bad eye sight and may not like this option.

Regading "too many options problem": I believe it is better to have more options that not enough. A solution for new users would be to have pre-defined settings profiles.
maybe 3 of them. e.g.
1) settings for fast usage: most options disabled by default to reduce CPU and memory requirement. Maybe for users with a large contact list.
2) settings for average usage: general options enabled for good look and feel, for average sized contact lists, maybe large font, no scrolling text, etc..
3) settings for power users: full CPU and memory required, all features enabled, etc. then users can modify more as they learn. backup, try, restore, try again.
Then on the android market and inside the app settings menu, notify new users that, other users have made their own customised settings and have made the settings backup file available (on the WDC forum) for you to download and try. The users can then self help each other in terms of the "too many options problem". If i am a new user and i am a business woman with 2000 contacts, then i can download a settings file made for a large list that shows company info more than non-business data fields, etc...

Nothing is perfect but i think your contact/dailer app is very close.
thank you for your quick reply.

sonhy wrote:Damn, you are a good dev! I am a happy user already!

thanks for you honor

sonhy wrote: I like your solution by using separate font sizes for each line.
Can i suggest that you allow the user to choose a font size, maybe Small, Med, Large and also Auto. i think allowing font size numbers like 20 or 75 is not necessary.
Auto font means, if the screen width is 100 chars and the text line width is 300 chars, then the auto font should set the font as small. if text line width is 220 chars, then font should be med, etc. I think...
If you cannot make auto font, then it is still good, i will set all font to small.

you can set the font size for every line on any size -> 0-999 (default values show me now good: 22 /12 /14)

sonhy wrote: Regarding scrolling of text, I understand it is hard and i agree it is not too important. BUT if you can, i suggest the following:
* Only make 2 contacts scroll on the screen, and always at the same position. So if the contact list screen can fit 8 different contacts, then only scroll the contact names in position 2 & 7, other contact postions do not scroll. If i want to see the full text line of the 8th contact on the bottom of the screen, then i can just slide up the list until the contact i like, reaches position 7 or more up to position 2. This may use too much CPU and memory, i don't know, but i think it would be the best way to auto focus and scroll a text line. maybe have option to choose position 2 & 3 to scroll, or just position 5 in the middle.
I can upload some images with captions if you dont understand what i mean.
* Also, instead of scrolling, instead you could have contact positions 2 and 7 show more lines than the other contact positions of the screen. so if the screen fits 8 contacts, then all contacts will only show 3 lines each (name, number, info) - but contacts in position 2 and 7 will always show 5 lines each (name=2lines,number=1line,info=2lines) or (name=2lines,number=2line,info=2lines, more lines?), if contact data does not use up all 5 lines, still show empty lines so the positions do not move up and down alot, makes it easy to view when sliding the list up and down. I understand extra data lines, will mean now the screen can only fit 6 contacts in total - maybe with small font, i can fit 9 contacts in total. I also understand some users have bad eye sight and may not like this option.

i will keep it in my mind ...specially -> like the idea for another 4th line(which can be configured, if some power-user wants this information, where te full name can be displayed or the notes -> for example: "Notes of a contacts" (on 4th line)

the idea to show the 2 + 7th contact different - or to resize every field on the lenght of infos about a contact ... this would cost too much time/cpu, and i think the adavantage of this app is the most important thing -> it should be very fast and usefull and have a lot of functions, + all important informations !
(you must think on users, which are having 10.000 contacts in there - local, gmail, ms exchange, facebook, skype, etc..)
and as you know, there are a lot of user, which are having tousand of friends in facebook - lol

but to show the first and last of a page - is almost impossible, because the user will be to much confused about different sizes of each field ...
(but if there are many users, whcih are wanting this - we can discuss about ...
but let us go to the roots .....

what do you want to see (which infos) ?
how long can be a name ?

summary: try the version 2.0.4 -i'm 99,99% sure, that you will like it and then nothing extra needed
-> will be online (hopefully) tomorrow

sonhy wrote: Regading "too many options problem": I believe it is better to have more options that not enough. A solution for new users would be to have pre-defined settings profiles.
maybe 3 of them. e.g.
1) settings for fast usage: most options disabled by default to reduce CPU and memory requirement. Maybe for users with a large contact list.
2) settings for average usage: general options enabled for good look and feel, for average sized contact lists, maybe large font, no scrolling text, etc..
3) settings for power users: full CPU and memory required, all features enabled, etc. then users can modify more as they learn. backup, try, restore, try again.
Then on the android market and inside the app settings menu, notify new users that, other users have made their own customised settings and have made the settings backup file available (on the WDC forum) for you to download and try. The users can then self help each other in terms of the "too many options problem". If i am a new user and i am a business woman with 2000 contacts, then i can download a settings file made for a large list that shows company info more than non-business data fields, etc...

Nothing is perfect but i think your contact/dailer app is very close.
thank you for your quick reply.

well, i'm also an OPTION-FREAK, hehe, and must always use the USER-BRAKE on myself, because if there are too much options, then the user are getting overflowed/overkilled, and then they switch off ...
and we heard about, that the long press menu is too long ... so now we moved a lot of function to a "SUB-Menu"
so, on new version it looks like:
"Call +4312345678"
"Edit number before calling"
"Create appointment"
"View contact"
"Send SMS/MMS message"
"Send email message"
"Share contact"
"Edit contact"
"> More" ----->
----->"Copy to clipboard"
----->"Add contact to favorites"
----->"Edit event for contact"
----->"Delete contact"
----->"Duplicate contact"
----->"Set group for contact"
----->"Set ringtone for contact"
----->"Create shortcut to home"

well, as told, i'm curious about your feedback on version 2.0.4 (and there are also ongoing development for next real release 2.1

here some screenshots of 2.0.4 (testing in progress)
cu camel

also, as you can see on screenshots, we make the icons a little bit smaller, and also we removed the picture frame, and so the picture is bigger, and also there is now more space for name in the middle
now it is in the same border as the dialer icon from dailerpad (anyhow if the icons/pictures are left or right - it is alwas in the same boder line as the dialing pad.
cu camel

Thanks Camel for the info and also the update to v2.04 is very nice to use.
I am now happy overall as i now use font size 10 & 14 which is good for my contact names.

Regarding the different size for contact slots/positions 2 & 7 on the list screen, i do understand it maybe confusing so i will not push the idea any further.

With the 4th line, i think the option to show contact notes would be great.

I also like the new layout for the image and the buttons, it looks clean but also allows more info to show.

One problem i am having is the "add number to contact" option does not seem to work for me. I will post it in the bugs section. But basically it brings up the default system contact app and lists all contacts and the option to "create new contact", but clicking anywhere does not work and i must press back to go back to DWC contact list.

Overall, a very good update and worth the effort.
thanks.

sonhy wrote:Thanks Camel for the info and also the update to v2.04 is very nice to use.
I am now happy overall as i now use font size 10 & 14 which is good for my contact names.

Regarding the different size for contact slots/positions 2 & 7 on the list screen, i do understand it maybe confusing so i will not push the idea any further.

With the 4th line, i think the option to show contact notes would be great.

I also like the new layout for the image and the buttons, it looks clean but also allows more info to show.

One problem i am having is the "add number to contact" option does not seem to work for me. I will post it in the bugs section. But basically it brings up the default system contact app and lists all contacts and the option to "create new contact", but clicking anywhere does not work and i must press back to go back to DWC contact list.

Overall, a very good update and worth the effort.
thanks.

hi sonhy,
i'm happy, that you like the new version ...
the 4th line can be a little bit an overkill, tested and would take a lot of more MEM if the notes will be used ... not sure, if this makes sense ...
anyhow ...

to your problem: "add number" - should normally call your stock api -> "creating a contact" as it is on your stock application.
DWC itself does not have an "builtin contact editor". so if it is not working, you can try: start your default app for contacts, then click on "+" and try to fill in the contact info and press save button.
if this doesn't work, then you have a problem on your android system and is not DWC related ...
or:
please try to install "Contact Editor" or if you have 2 euro left, then buy the "contact editor++", which should be a default application for every business user, because it can handle all fields and much more, and fixed a lot of bugs, which are on all android system ( but don't want to write now some pages, about the big issues, which android API has inside the stock contact editor class)

then try again: go to DWC, press menu -> "add contact", then it should show you your stock class for editing contacts + also the new "Contact Editor" class, both of them should be working.

cu camel
please letme know, if i can set this thread to [solved in 2.0.4]