[cups.development] [RFE] STR #2532: Web interface: better visual representation of printers enabled/disabled & stopped/started(idle)

[Kurt Pfeifle]

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[STR New]

One of the things that could use visual improvement in the web interface is
a clearer and more user-comprehensible indication of the differences for
printer states 

   disabled <--> enabled
   stopped  <--> started/idle

How about adding visual indicators to the printer symbols that clearly
show the differences? Or different colors/printer-icons/whatever?

In my experience it is very difficult to grasp (and after that, to
remember) for users (especially ones with non-English native language)
what the differences are between disabled/stopped and enabled/started.

The way I often do explain it to customers is with a "tube" picture,
having a flap on each end:


     /+------------------------------------+\
    /  (entrance)    print queue    (exit)   \
   /  +------------------------------------+  \
      ^                                    ^
      |                                    |
      |                                    |
      
  1a. closed : Reject Jobs             1b. closed : Printer stopped
  2a. open   : Accept Jobs             2b. open   : Printer idle/started


It would be nice if Apple usability engineers could come up with an easy
to grasp visual representation for these 4 states (rather 6, if we take
into account the different combinations). And one more indicator to show
in the "pipe" or "tube" is if there are jobs queued currently.

Link: http://www.cups.org/str.php?L2532
Version:  -feature