opera:config

opera:config

I'd like to request a better ordering of opera:config.

Right now, it's a pretty long list, uncollapsing when clicked, imho this is way too much to scroll and not so easy to use. I'd like to have big icons (with explaining text, if needed), arranged like the speeddial, opening up the corresponding boxes in an js-overlay (think lightbox).

You want it to be (much) bigger and more spread out than it is?

Seems that way... instead of spending time scrolling, you'd be spending time opening/closing dialogs... and what about larger groups? You'll still have to scroll some of them, especially people still using smaller resolutions/monitors.

What happens when you click a link like <a href="opera:config#Download Directory">this</a>? Sure it would be nice if it somehow just displayed that preference in a dialog by itself without even going to opera:config... but seems like a lot for it to do, it either has to load it all in the background to find the preference, build the dialog, then show it... or go to opera:config, layout the page, then show the dialog, select the desired preference, highlight it...

It could however use a little less padding, and maybe be size-aware... for instance with resolutions equal to or wider than 1280, split it into two columns.

But if you're spending that much time in opera:config... you're doing something wrong...lol

And there's always the 'Find' function.

Originally posted by Y0Y0:

And there's always the 'Find' function.

I never use anything else. Except opening the INI files in a text editor, that is.

You want it to be (much) bigger and more spread out than it is?

I want it all on one page, i.e. 7x7 buttons would fit for the current count. Alternatively, make a horizontal bar of the categories and slide their options out.

What happens when you click a link like this?

And there's always the 'Find' function.

Of course, the link works. But what's find good for, if I don't know what an option is called?

But if you're spending that much time in opera:config... you're doing something wrong...lol

No, the dev's are doing something wrong. If they think, the users are too stupid and can't handle more options under the "advanced"-tab (hilarious in this context) and force me to use opera:config, well, they could at least make it better, imho.

Edit, my main monitor has a resolution of 2048x1152 and there's more than 50% of unused space horizontally, but I need to scroll down? Come on, which weirdo invented that?

Originally posted by ph030:

No, the dev's are doing something wrong. If they think, the users are too stupid and can't handle more options under the "advanced"-tab (hilarious in this context) and force me to use opera:config, well, they could at least make it better, imho.

It's not that they think the users are too stupid... there's just too many options to put onto dialogs, the same as "about:config" in Firefox... Chrome/Safari don't have any options, so their 3 options are ok on a dialog... IE uses a long list of checkboxes, and about 12 different dialogs.

Really, of all of them, Opera has the best... Firefox comes second, except you really have to "hunt" for anything.

Of course there are many options and that's why I think it's vital to present them in a good way. I for one could easily fit 3 of the current "boxes" in a single horizontal line. It could also be aranged with some "tabs" at the top and some designated space on the bottom, which always shows the options related to the tab.

I'm not saying that my button-idea is the best, but imho the dev's idea certainly isn't, too.

Originally posted by Vectronic:

there's just too many options to put onto dialogs

I think there were more options in the dialogs in the 7.x days.

I personally still often prefer to edit things in the opera6.ini (um, operaprefs.ini) with a text editor. opera:config is useful for applying (some) things immediately, though.

Originally posted by ph030:

I for one could easily fit 3 of the current "boxes" in a single horizontal line

Give it a try... I mean it is your Wish-List... if you know HTML/JS/CSS etc... fire off an example, one that is still:
1. Searchable
2. Linkable
3. Works on 640x480+
4. Allows for translations into the supported languages
5. Doesn't use any external languages (PHP, ASP, etc)

Originally posted by Frenzie:

I think there were more options in the dialogs in the 7.x days.

Yeah but there was also far less preferences... even between 9.64 and 10.52... 130 options were added for Windows, 121 for Linux, 57 for Mac between 10.1 and 10.52 (although each OS only has about 8 that are different from the other OS).

They're nearing 700 options...

Text edit Vs. opera:config... is about the same for me excluding one factor, I rarely close Opera, which makes manual editing problematic since I then have to close and re-open it (still waiting for a sort of warm reboot, would be handy for so many things).

Give it a try... I mean it is your Wish-List... if you know HTML/JS/CSS etc... fire off an example, one that is still:

Would be way easier, if they didn't use tables for that :/

Well, it doesn't really have to be a fully functional example since that's not possible without having it embedded into Opera.

Make the whole thing up... ignore what they are currently using, never know... if it's a really good example they might even ask you to make the "real" one

Originally posted by ph030:

Edit, my main monitor has a resolution of 2048x1152 and there's more than 50% of unused space horizontally, but I need to scroll down?

However most people use screens less than half that width.

Yeah, and that's excactly where CSS comes into play, doesn't it?