Re: [Boost-testing] 4th try: A plea for Report Usability

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-02-23 12:09:46

Aleksey Gurtovoy <agurtovoy_at_[hidden]> writes:

> David Abrahams writes:
>> On 03 Jan 2007, Aleksey Gurtovoy <agurtovoy_at_[hidden]> writes:
>> 
>> > David Abrahams writes:
>> >> In http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.testing/3549
>> >> promises were made on Nov 14th, but AFAICT still nothing has
>> >> happened.
>> >
>> > We've been actually working on a (moderate) reports revamping that
>> > addresses these and a few other issues.
>> >
>> >> Aleksey, Misha: can you please try to address these problems?
>> >
>> > We are almost there (~ one more sprint session away).
>> >
>> > Sorry for being slow on this,
>> 
>> OK, how's that coming along?
>
> Okay, finally (generated from test data):
> http://engineering.meta-comm.com/boost/new/developer/index.html
>
> Feedback is most welcome!

In a narrow-ish window the boost logo clobbers the words CVS-HEAD

When I follow The link at the upper left called "all libraries", the
text "Regressions: 0 |  New failures: 97 |  Unusable: 88" is mostly
obscured by the table (FireFox 2.0.0.1)

The legends are confusing:

* Developer-centric view. All results are shown:

  - Our users are developers too, so if I'm a user visiting this page,
    how do I know whether it applies to me?

  - "All results are shown" just makes me anxious about looking at the
    other view because some unspecified results are missing from it.
    Should be something like, "results for all tested
    compilers/platforms (even those not officially supported) are
    shown", and I shouldn't have to click "Release View" to find out
    what it means.

  - What does developer-centric / user-centric mean?  We need some
    descriptive text (and not just a legend detailing the box colors)
    that tells people how we're customizing the display for the
    different constituencies.

* There should be an "issues view" for the "Full View".  What about

  Show   compilers/platforms:
         * All tested            | * All results
         * Officially supported  | * Only unexpected [1] failures

  ??

* Need some explanation of "unaccounted failures" (or "unexpected," as
  I phrased it above).  There should be link to a footnote [1]
  containing an explanation of what that means.

* The interface uses shorthand jargon "full," "release," "developer,"
  "user," and when it explains the meaning of the terms in context, it
  does so only after you click on part of the interface.  That's
  inferior to an interface whose meaning is clear by looking without
  clicking.  I suggested such an interface back in
  http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.testing/3549 and I'd
  like to see its spirit realized.

* In http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.testing/3549 I
  voiced concern that one might visit a page expecting to find a
  report and not see any.  It seems to me that we still have that
  problem if I can click "release view" and the main area of the
  screen is blank until I click something in the left hand column.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com