Features/Resource monitoring: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Feature|Resource monitoring]]

</noinclude>

~~'''Comments and Explanations:'''~~

There are comments (in italic) providing guidance to fill out each section, see also the [[Features/Policy|Feature Policy Page]] for a more detailed explanation of the new-feature process.

There are comments (in italic) providing guidance to fill out each section, see also the [[Features/Policy|Feature Policy Page]] for a more detailed explanation of the new-feature process. ~~'''Copy the source to a ''new page'' named Features/''Your Feature Name'' before making changes! DO NOT EDIT THIS TEMPLATE.'''~~

<!-- All fields on this form are required to be accepted.

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== Summary ==

~~''A sentence or two summarizing what this feature is and what it will do~~. ~~This information is used for the overall feature summary page for each release.''~~

Stimulate computer resource learning by providing progressive feedback on system resources.

== Owner ==

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== Detailed Description ==

''~~Expand on~~ the ~~summary~~, ~~if appropriate~~. ~~A couple~~ of ~~sentences suffices~~ to ~~explain~~ the ~~goal~~, ~~but~~ the more ~~details you can provide~~ the ~~better~~.''

''How does one learn to effectively use a new tool?'' One must use the tool and experiment with it. If your father introduced you to a pocketknife, and it had a dull blade, you would have a bad first impression and not learn too well. My father gave me a knife with a sharp blade and a dull blade, asked me to discover the difference, and proceeded to show me how to sharpen the blade.

People who are new to computers will not know their limitations. They must learn by discovery. Unfortunately, the consequence of some computer requests will not be easily associated with their causes. (Witness all those whose computers crash or lose documents because the user could not see the scores of windows or redundant documents that were open under the full screen.) Some explicit feedback greatly aids in discovery. I remember how quickly I learned to effectively query a database, after the database server was moved a few feet from me and I could hear the disc drives churning when I submitted a more complex form of a query.

So with Sugar, which will most often be run on a computer with limited resources, the new learner is greatly aided by having some signals that report on the status of the tool. The child may see that certain actions have progressive consequences, and may learn how to quickly 'sharpen the blade that has become dull' by overuse.

A progressive scale of computer 'strain' made visible by notable icons would aid in learning with Sugar. The progressive iconic feedback, itself, may be sufficient. Critical or dangerous resource conditions deserve additional alert mechanisms, such as those proposed for the alert system.

The curious should also have the opportunity to delve more deeply into this computer behavior and see more background information about the state of the computer. Hover panels should reveal some graphic information about the subsystems, and a 'Resource monitor' Activity should be opened if more information is requested by a primary click. This Activity would graphically and textually deliver more layers of information, staged in an instructive progression.

[[File:Dextrose_resource_monitoring.png|800px]]<br /all>

(The sad face has been superseded by a ''strained'' face. See the UI section.)

A proposal to reveal system memory consumption on the upper Frame bar complements this feature.

[[Design_Team/Proposals/Home_View/Toolbar|Home View Framebar]]

== Benefit to Sugar ==

~~''What~~ is the benefit to the platform? If this is a major capability update, what has changed? If this is a new feature, what capabilities does it bring? Why will Sugar become a better platform or project because of this feature?''

[[File:Dextrose-mascotte-120x96.png|link=Dextrose]] This feature is considered so important in Paraguay, that they chose the happy computer as their mascot.

~~''Make sure to note here~~ as ~~well if this feature has been requested by a specific deployment, or if it has emerged from a bug report~~.''

== Scope ==

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==UI Design==

~~''Does the feature have a direct impact on the work flow, or does it need a UI? Link here mockups, or add detailed descriptions~~.''

* Be sure to look at [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}]].

* The Happy vs <s>Sad</s> metaphor has been replaced with 'Strained'

[[File:Strained.svg]]

*: Other metaphors are possible, see [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}#Inappropriate metaphor|this discussion]].

== How To Test ==

{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Testing}}

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 [[Category:Feature|Resource monitoring]]
 </noinclude>
+{{Stub}}
-'''Comments and Explanations:'''
+There are comments (in italic) providing guidance to fill out each section, see also the [[Features/Policy|Feature Policy Page]] for a more detailed explanation of the new-feature process.
-There are comments (in italic) providing guidance to fill out each section, see also the [[Features/Policy|Feature Policy Page]] for a more detailed explanation of the new-feature process. '''Copy the source to a ''new page'' named Features/''Your Feature Name'' before making changes!  DO NOT EDIT THIS TEMPLATE.'''
 <!-- All fields on this form are required to be accepted.
@@ Line 14: / Line 12: @@
 == Summary ==
-''A sentence or two summarizing what this feature is and what it will do. This information is used for the overall feature summary page for each release.''
+Stimulate computer resource learning by providing progressive feedback on system resources.
 == Owner ==
@@ Line 29: / Line 27: @@
 == Detailed Description ==
-''Expand on the summary, if appropriate.  A couple of sentences suffices to explain the goal, but the more details you can provide the better.''
+''How does one learn to effectively use a new tool?'' One must use the tool and experiment with it.  If your father introduced you to a pocketknife, and it had a dull blade, you would have a bad first impression and not learn too well.  My father gave me a knife with a sharp blade and a dull blade, asked me to discover the difference, and proceeded to show me how to sharpen the blade.
+People who are new to computers will not know their limitations.  They must learn by discovery.  Unfortunately, the consequence of some computer requests will not be easily associated with their causes.  (Witness all those whose computers crash or lose documents because the user could not see the scores of windows or redundant documents that were open under the full screen.)  Some explicit feedback greatly aids in discovery.  I remember how quickly I learned to effectively query a database, after the database server was moved a few feet from me and I could hear the disc drives churning when I submitted a more complex form of a query.
+So with Sugar, which will most often be run on a computer with limited resources, the new learner is greatly aided by having some signals that report on the status of the tool.  The child may see that certain actions have progressive consequences, and may learn how to quickly 'sharpen the blade that has become dull' by overuse.
+A progressive scale of computer 'strain' made visible by notable icons would aid in learning with Sugar.  The progressive iconic feedback, itself, may be sufficient.  Critical or dangerous resource conditions deserve additional alert mechanisms, such as those proposed for the alert system.
+The curious should also have the opportunity to delve more deeply into this computer behavior and see more background information about the state of the computer.  Hover panels should reveal some graphic information about the subsystems, and a 'Resource monitor' Activity should be opened if more information is requested by a primary click.  This Activity would graphically and textually deliver more layers of information, staged in an instructive progression.
+[[File:Dextrose_resource_monitoring.png|800px]]<br /all>
+(The sad face has been superseded by a ''strained'' face. See the UI section.)
+A proposal to reveal system memory consumption on the upper Frame bar complements this feature.
+[[Design_Team/Proposals/Home_View/Toolbar|Home View Framebar]]
 == Benefit to Sugar ==
-''What is the benefit to the platform?  If this is a major capability update, what has changed?  If this is a new feature, what capabilities does it bring? Why will Sugar become a better platform or project because of this feature?''
+[[File:Dextrose-mascotte-120x96.png|link=Dextrose]] This feature is considered so important in Paraguay, that they chose the happy computer as their mascot.
-''Make sure to note here as well if this feature has been requested by a specific deployment, or if it has emerged from a bug report.''
 == Scope ==
@@ Line 40: / Line 49: @@
 ==UI Design==
-''Does the feature have a direct impact on the work flow, or does it need a UI? Link here mockups, or add detailed descriptions.''
+* Be sure to look at [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}]].
+* The Happy vs <s>Sad</s> metaphor has been replaced with 'Strained'
+[[File:Strained.svg]]
+*: Other metaphors are possible, see [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}#Inappropriate metaphor|this discussion]].
 == How To Test ==
 {{:{{PAGENAME}}/Testing}}