iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Discussions about iCompta on macOS
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Torakikiii
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Joined: 05 February 2011, 10:14

iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by Torakikiii »

Disclaimer: those are all my opinions :)

So after the tsunami that destroyed my beloved icompta v4 interface I'm left with the "new" 5.0.1 version. The big discount is tempting me but I still find some very annoying points I want to illustrate and get some feedback from other people (and the developer too of course!)
Here we go! :)

0) interface color scheme... I'll skip this because Cyril knows I don't like it and others are talking about it in the forum and the App store. (many are talking about it actually...)

1) Font size: good thing... the terrible interface made of huge elements I was complaining of during the beta time is partly gone. Partly. You can tame the beast to something more usable, but for some unknown reason I'm stuck with a font size of what? 24 points Helvetica? I understand I might becoming an old man but this is SO HUGE BY NO REASON AND TAKING AWAY A LOT OF SCREEN ESTATE. Sorry no mean to shout, just pretending to show how (still) terrible that font size is. I have a 20" monitor so it looks awesomely huge.
During the beta I suggested giving people the choice to set their font size for the transaction list interface (try opening Textedit, write&select a random text then hit Apple + or Apple -...see how cool and easy is to change font size?). No harm for the rest of interface, text just flows. It would let me see *so many more* transactions. If not that, a simple entry in the prefs and deal.

2) Edit panel: although my first complain was with the color scheme (grey on black, seriously?) it's still there. Take that ergonomics! That said it still uses a lot of space. I find myself scrolling a lot during editing while I'd absolutely pay 1 euro more for something I can just tab tab away while I edit in a single screen (yes you can tab now, but I still believe this loooong scrollable list is... too long and unfriendly). What about let me rearrange elements or permanently hide sections I don't use (I'm looking at you Links thing!)

3) Budgets: oh well I have an hate and love relationships with them since the first date during the beta. I so like the new interface (even tho it now scrolls out of my screen...why every thing have to be so gigantastically big on v5?) but I definitely hate the new logic. Anyway I'd kill for two simple buttons (read arrows if you prefer) that would let me jump from a month to another based on the actual selected date so i don't have to open the calendar, scroll and click. Just two easy arrows, left and right. 5 mins of work, I suggest we start a kickstarter project and get it funded :)

I also miss the past balances list! It let me quickly view if I had been a good boy or not with a deadly simple but perfect list made of green or red dots! I want it back so badly! Seriously this time, it was very useful for me.

4) suggestions: we had a TONS of suggestions and improvement requests on the forum where you Cyril answered with the motto "that will be possible on V5). I think they got lost somewhere in your hd because I don't see many implemented. Like...
· What about a better saved filters management? (grouping, sorting, etc)
· What about the default filter? one that the program defaults to whenever you click on something that resets your actual filter
· Reports with a custom starting date (not locked to the first day of the month)?
· Hiding past years transactions we want to keep but not to show? I know I can male a filter but during a session I have to select that filter so many times since the program won't stick at it!
· Asking for a name when you save a new filter?
· Many others...

So that's it for now. I'll keep using V4 as long as it will be supported or until other improvements will get incorporated into the v5xx serie. V5.0.1 is a good step in the right direction and I hope my beloved iCompta will get back in shape with a shiny new suit soon!

Greets,
Ivan
matte.car
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Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by matte.car »

Another thing: if possible, if I close app in full screen mode, can it be re-opened directly in full screen mode?
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Angeman
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Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by Angeman »

Torakikiii wrote:1) Font size: good thing... the terrible interface made of huge elements I was complaining of during the beta time is partly gone. Partly. You can tame the beast to something more usable, but for some unknown reason I'm stuck with a font size of what? 24 points Helvetica? I understand I might becoming an old man but this is SO HUGE BY NO REASON AND TAKING AWAY A LOT OF SCREEN ESTATE. Sorry no mean to shout, just pretending to show how (still) terrible that font size is. I have a 20" monitor so it looks awesomely huge.
During the beta I suggested giving people the choice to set their font size for the transaction list interface (try opening Textedit, write&select a random text then hit Apple + or Apple -...see how cool and easy is to change font size?). No harm for the rest of interface, text just flows. It would let me see *so many more* transactions. If not that, a simple entry in the prefs and deal.
Can you show me a screenshot because there is no font bigger than 14 points anywhere in the interface ??
Torakikiii wrote:2) Edit panel: although my first complain was with the color scheme (grey on black, seriously?) it's still there. Take that ergonomics! That said it still uses a lot of space. I find myself scrolling a lot during editing while I'd absolutely pay 1 euro more for something I can just tab tab away while I edit in a single screen (yes you can tab now, but I still believe this loooong scrollable list is... too long and unfriendly). What about let me rearrange elements or permanently hide sections I don't use (I'm looking at you Links thing!)
Edit panel will be changed soon.
Torakikiii wrote:3) Budgets: oh well I have an hate and love relationships with them since the first date during the beta. I so like the new interface (even tho it now scrolls out of my screen...why every thing have to be so gigantastically big on v5?) but I definitely hate the new logic. Anyway I'd kill for two simple buttons (read arrows if you prefer) that would let me jump from a month to another based on the actual selected date so i don't have to open the calendar, scroll and click. Just two easy arrows, left and right. 5 mins of work, I suggest we start a kickstarter project and get it funded
This is not the main way to select a given month. The main way (and easiest way) is just to enter the date you want in the show situation field in the bottom toolbar. Moreover you can already change the date quickly with up and down arrows in a date field.
Torakikiii wrote:I also miss the past balances list! It let me quickly view if I had been a good boy or not with a deadly simple but perfect list made of green or red dots! I want it back so badly! Seriously this time, it was very useful for me.
This is not possible because different categories can have different frequencies in a single budget.
Torakikiii wrote:· What about a better saved filters management? (grouping, sorting, etc)
· Asking for a name when you save a new filter?
Yes I forgot these ones, will be added in 5.0.2 (except grouping).
Torakikiii wrote:· What about the default filter? one that the program defaults to whenever you click on something that resets your actual filter
Selecting a save filter serves that purpose in my opinion.
Torakikiii wrote:· Reports with a custom starting date (not locked to the first day of the month)?
You can set a custom starting date in the report window.
Torakikiii wrote:· Hiding past years transactions we want to keep but not to show? I know I can male a filter but during a session I have to select that filter so many times since the program won't stick at it!
The program resets your filter only when you double click on a budget period, or a pie chart slice, etc so I think this behavior is ok.
matte.car wrote:Another thing: if possible, if I close app in full screen mode, can it be re-opened directly in full screen mode?
Make sure this is unchecked :
Capture d’écran 2013-10-07 à 17.07.59.png
Capture d’écran 2013-10-07 à 17.07.59.png (101.29 KiB) Viewed 9601 times
matte.car
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Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by matte.car »

Angeman wrote:
matte.car wrote:Another thing: if possible, if I close app in full screen mode, can it be re-opened directly in full screen mode?
Make sure this is unchecked :
Capture d’écran 2013-10-07 à 17.07.59.png
WOW :shock: ! Thank you!
Torakikiii
Posts: 84
Joined: 05 February 2011, 10:14

Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by Torakikiii »

Angeman wrote: Can you show me a screenshot because there is no font bigger than 14 points anywhere in the interface ??
There you go! On the left the old beloved iCompta, on the right the shiny new one. Of course I was exaggerating when I wrote 24 points! Still it has to be 1...2 points bigger. Could it be that you use a retina display that has a much bigger resolution of a normal display? I don't know. For sure every 2 rows of old data now you need a single huge row. Would it be possible to think to a preference like "use old font style" so the one who finds it annoying can switch it on or off?
Font.png
Font.png (86.82 KiB) Viewed 9563 times
Angeman wrote:Edit panel will be changed soon.
Unfortunely the best things you keep them for the french forum ;) but since I can read french (somewhat...) I see you're working on a new side panel and from the screens I saw it looks promising... should be easier to navigate and to read!
Angeman wrote: This is not the main way to select a given month. The main way (and easiest way) is just to enter the date you want in the show situation field in the bottom toolbar. Moreover you can already change the date quickly with up and down arrows in a date field.
Just tried... is it me or my mac but with the keyb I can only go forward or backward a day at time? I need to jump from month to month. If I put the cursor on the month part of the date, I hit arrow up, it moves one day forward... Still I'd love to have a simple button or something.
Torakikiii wrote:I also miss the past balances list! It let me quickly view if I had been a good boy or not with a deadly simple but perfect list made of green or red dots! I want it back so badly! Seriously this time, it was very useful for me.
Angeman wrote:This is not possible because different categories can have different frequencies in a single budget.
R.I.P. useful list! So how to quickly see if I overspent or not on my monthly budgets?
Torakikiii wrote:· What about a better saved filters management? (grouping, sorting, etc)
· Asking for a name when you save a new filter?
Angeman wrote:Yes I forgot these ones, will be added in 5.0.2 (except grouping).
Not even a simple drag and drop management like for categories? but anyway let's see what you come up with with 5.0.2
Torakikiii wrote:· What about the default filter? one that the program defaults to whenever you click on something that resets your actual filter
Angeman wrote:Selecting a save filter serves that purpose in my opinion.
I agree that V5 saved filters are more resilient than V4 ones.
Angeman wrote:You can set a custom starting date in the report window.
I overlooked this, I confirm it works as you says. Anyway every time I change a parameter on the report the list gets reconstructed (ok) but all the items get expanded again. Would you consider presenting the list as collapsed if it was already like that before being regenerated?

Keep it going. I see you're trying to listen to the main concerns and are refining the V5 serie.
Bonne travaille :D
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Angeman
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Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by Angeman »

Torakikiii wrote:For sure every 2 rows of old data now you need a single huge row.
I will lower the font a bit.
Torakikiii wrote:Unfortunely the best things you keep them for the french forum but since I can read french (somewhat...) I see you're working on a new side panel and from the screens I saw it looks promising... should be easier to navigate and to read!
Ok great.
Torakikiii wrote:Just tried... is it me or my mac but with the keyb I can only go forward or backward a day at time? I need to jump from month to month. If I put the cursor on the month part of the date, I hit arrow up, it moves one day forward... Still I'd love to have a simple button or something.
Shift + arrow to change the month and ctrl + arrow to change the year.
Torakikiii wrote:R.I.P. useful list! So how to quickly see if I overspent or not on my monthly budgets?
This is not the same of course, but you can use the propagate check box under the budgets.
Torakikiii wrote:I overlooked this, I confirm it works as you says. Anyway every time I change a parameter on the report the list gets reconstructed (ok) but all the items get expanded again. Would you consider presenting the list as collapsed if it was already like that before being regenerated?
Right click > collapse all
matte.car
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Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by matte.car »

Is possible to bring up right column only when necessary (when creating and modifying transitions) and make it disappear automatically when finished?
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Angeman
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Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by Angeman »

Yes maybe if other people request it as well.
matte.car
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Re: iCompta 5.0.1 - what's left to fix IMHO

Post by matte.car »

...and can you add a Spotlight icon please ? :D
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