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Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress

We have mostly done all the infrastructure work that actually needed to be done, what is left is polishing and “i18n” (for lack of a better word).

One of the things that I want to do with L2SPRof  is to create a different identity from NHProf and HProf.

This is me just playing around, not something that is final, but I would still like your thoughts:

image

Two closing notes:

  • It took me about 30 minutes of playing with Blend to get this to work. As usual, Christopher and Rob are flat out amazing, not just for creating good UI (and great UI architecture), but doing it in such a way that a self processed UI n00b can create reasonable results from it.
  • I know that there are some people that don’t like the divergence from the standard Windows scheme. I am already familiar with the arguments, and I have good reasons to go that route.

Print | posted on Sunday, November 01, 2009 6:07 AM

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 6:42 AM josh

I like it, but I'm partial to blue's and green's. The menu location is interesting but wouldn't bother me at all.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 7:05 AM ANaimi

Oren, when it comes to software development and best practices, to me, you are right there at the top.

But I think you are color blind or something. srsly.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 7:20 AM Marc-André Bertrand

I like blue color but this theme is a bit too dark.
Not enough contrast between a selected item and its text.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 7:48 AM Michael Chandler

Too dark IMO. I don't think tinting the text is a very good idea either.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 8:00 AM Jake Scott

You could always have a set of built in themes and let the user decide or customise it how they wish?

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 8:06 AM Daniel Auger

It looks very good, but I think it just needs just a bit more contrast. The lighter colors (the content areas) may need to be a bit lighter. Granted, I'm using a CRT. In general, I really like the theme.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 9:03 AM Dmitry

The background colors should be lighter and not blue.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 9:18 AM James L

Are you going to have a different scheme for every ORM? As a user, that would irritate me

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 9:21 AM Richard Dingwall

Diverging from the standard OS UI scheme is only a problem if the results look bad. I think NHProf is pretty safe here so far.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 10:18 AM Yuriy

I think warmer colors would be nice (this is what I like about NHProf theme).
This one is oppressing IMO.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 11:45 AM Rafal

Maybe this scheme conveys a subliminal message telling you to switch to NHibernate, which is warm and fuzzy...

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 12:20 PM Frank Quednau

Congrats for having built an architecture where you just plug in ORMs as if they are BCL classes or something...agree with the comments on the color scheme, though - it may be pretty, but the low contrast selection will break on many projectors in a presentation. There will be nothing to see...

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 12:48 PM Sergejus

Hey Oren,

I'm so excited about LINQ to SQL Profiler, but the color is too "Azure" :)

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 12:53 PM Andrey Shchekin

The color scheme is awesome. However, I would say darker schemes associate with a more serious and complex stuff, so having Linq-to-Sql darker than NHibernate does not feel correct.

I would actually use a much lighter scheme, matching lightweight and limited nature of Linq-to-Sql.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 2:57 PM alwin

I really liked the NHprof colors, but this one... not so much. Blue is my favorite color, but I think the shades of blue don't fit together (slightly different hues). You have purple-blue, greenish-blue, and even a gradient that goes from purple to blue.

I hope it gets finetuned somewhat :)

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 5:23 PM John Farrell

Less purple, more light blues.

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# @Richard Dingwall 11/1/2009 8:28 PM Rik Hemsley

Deviating from the standard colour scheme is bad for those who find it difficult to read the screen and have to use e.g. one of the high contrast colour schemes in order to make things legible.

Oren doesn't seem to consider this an issue worth worrying about. I would suggest that it should be, my reasons being:

1. It seems rather unkind to exclude fellow developers from using the software just because you can't be bothered to develop it according to accepted standards.

2. Some US organisations may refuse to allow *Prof to be installed as there it is possible for employees to sue their employer for providing software which is not accessible and which they are required to use in order to perform their duties.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/1/2009 8:39 PM Mr_Simple

Why not make it skinable so everyone is happy? Thought that was suppossed to be simple with WPF.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/2/2009 5:56 AM Adam

Agree with you John Farrell!

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/2/2009 6:14 PM Kelly Stuard

Agree with Rik Hemsley and want to add...

In addition to the visual issues caused by moving away from the Windows standard:
* keyboard support sucks
* copy/paste sucks
* integration with screen readers sucks
* title bar keeps drawing over your UI due to third-party apps (Ultramon as one example)

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/2/2009 6:37 PM JR

Too vibrant.. Strains my eyes.. :)

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/5/2009 9:39 AM sebastian edelmeier

Honestly? I don't know why everybody's trying to pioneer into new graphical waters, why not keep it simple and plain? Dark colors tend to convey and underground and unprofessional feeling, this combined with the playful logo and the gradients makes the application look way less professional than it probably is.

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/9/2009 4:12 PM Andrew

I missed the menu completely...

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/9/2009 4:19 PM Ayende Rahien

What menu?

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# re: Linq to SQL Profiler – Progress 11/11/2009 2:53 AM Kevin Pang

Would it take a lot of effort to let the colors be customizable? That seems like the easiest approach and then you don't have to worry about it as much.

Comments have been closed on this topic.