Add the shortcut "Open sidebar width prompt"

[ralf3u]

By pressing the shortcut "Open sidebar width prompt for shortcut", that will only execute if sidebar is enabled, a window would appear where the cursor is blinking in an empty field, like in the "Find in Page"-window, and where one can type numbers between 10 and 90. Then type in that empty field for example 45, what stands for 45% sidebar width, and press enter. By pressing the enter key, the window will disappear and the splitter would jump to 45% sidebar width. At the same time the value of the key sidebar_width_shortcut of preview.conf would change to 45 (sidebar_width_shortcut is used by the shortcut "Toggle only between Editor&Sidebar and Sidebar").

Remarks

1. This shortcut is for example for users who are often changing the value of the key sidebar_width_shortcut of the preferences of Preview and who want a faster way, or for users who don't want to use the mouse for changing the position of the splitter.
2. The item "Width size..." could be added to the context-menu, just before the item "Preferences". "Width size..." is an other name than "Open sidebar width prompt for shortcut" because in a context-menu, it is better to use a short name.

Version
Preview 0.2.4+r34.g99df95e

[ralf3u]

I think that this shortcut name is better:
Open sidebar width prompt

[ralf3u]

Could you please add the enhancement-label to this issue?

[xiota]

Why add interface to type a number when you can drag to resize?

I'd expect most people set the size once to something they like and leave it alone. How many different sidebar sizes do you plan to use?

Would be helpful to have a short (one paragraph) description of the use case that would make this useful.

[ralf3u]

Why add interface to type a number when you can drag to resize?

I think that it is much better to change the position of the splitter with the mouse than with a shortcut.

The reason why I opened this issue is only because of the shortcut "Toggle only between Editor&Sidebar and Sidebar" of issue number 82. So, here the situation:

1. Editor&Sidebar are visible. The splitter position is somewhere in the middle.
2. Change with the mouse the position of the splitter.
3. Press the fictional shortcut "Toggle only between Editor&Sidebar and Sidebar". Result: Only the sidebar is visible. The splitter position is completely on the left side (if sidebar in located on the right side).
4. If I press again the shortcut "Toggle only between Editor&Sidebar and Sidebar", then Editor&Sidebar will appear because of the value of sidebar_width of preview.conf, so the view will be like in step 1, but not like in step 2.

The jumping point is the memory of the splitter position. To keep in mind the splitter position when Editor&Sidebar are visible, I think that an intermediate step is necessary (a window where one can type the percentage of the width of the sidebar) because it would fill the value in the key sidebar_width of preview.conf.

An alternative to this shortcut would be this kind of code – if this is possible to code:
Do not put the splitter position in the memory when sidebar width is 100%.

[ralf3u]

In the report of this issue there is this text:

Then type in that empty field for example 45, what stands for 45% sidebar width, and press enter.

Maybe it would be better to use pixel instead of percentage, because with pixel there is more leeway than with percentage – the numbers are in general bigger in pixel than in percentage –, so the number 45 will be converted to 45 pixel.

In the report of this issue there is this text:

[...] a window would appear where the cursor is blinking in an empty field, like in the "Find in Page"-window, [...]

The title of the window could be "Width sidebar in percentage". So, no further text will be needed inside the window. Other alternative titles would be "Width sidebar in pixel" or Sidebar width in pixel. If this is not possible to realize (it should be possible*), then an other solution would be "Editor width in pixel". Personally I would prefer "Sidebar width in pixel". For "Sidebar width in pixel" it is necessary to know the whole width in pixel (it should be possible*). The whole width in pixel minus sidebar width in pixel will give a number, the editor width in pixel, that can be used for changing the position of the splitter like this:

gtk_paned_set_position(GTK_PANED(paned), [number]);

More information to the code above and to * is available at geany-plugins at issue number 1537.

In the report of this issue there is this text:

The item "Width size..." could be added to the context-menu, just before the item "Preferences".

Maybe Sidebar width... as item of the context-menu would be better than "Width size...". It is just one letter longer than the item "Find in Page...".

[ralf3u]

Maybe Sidebar width... as item of the context-menu would be better than "Width size...". It is just one letter longer than the item "Find in Page...".

And Sidebar width... fits better to the shortcut name Open sidebar width prompt.

[ralf3u]

Maybe it would be better to use pixel instead of percentage, because with pixel there is more leeway than with percentage – the numbers are in general bigger in pixel than in percentage –, so the number 45 will be converted to 45 pixel.

Since yesterday I'm no for pixel, but for percentage. I wrote the reason in the report of issue number 101:

If one want to change many times the position of the splitter between for example 20% sidebar width and 70% sidebar width, then with the shortcut "Open sidebar width prompt" it is easier and faster to type 20 and 70 (for percentage) than 1600 and 600 (for pixel).

So, the window title should be: Sidebar width in percentage.

In the report there is this text:

and where one can type numbers between 10 and 90.

Today I don't like at all the idea of restrictions (numbers between 10 and 90). So, numbers between 0 and 100 should be accepted.

For fixing this issue, the first step would be just to change the position of the splitter by shortcut, and then to see how the shortcut works.
The second step would be to add this:
If in the prompt there is a number between 0 and 100 (after having pressed the key enter), then the number should be noticed as value in the Preferences of Preview in the existing key "sidebarwidth" (or something like this) , and then to see if this works.

[ralf3u]

For fixing this issue, the first step would be just to change the position of the splitter by shortcut, and then to see how the shortcut works.
The second step would be to add this:
If in the prompt there is a number between 0 and 100 (after having pressed the key enter), then the number should be noticed as value in the Preferences of Preview in the existing key "sidebarwidth" (or something like this) , and then to see if this works.

I just recognized that the best would be to offer two shortcuts:
Open sidebar width prompt
Open sidebar width prompt (sidebarwidth)

I used the shortcut name
Open sidebar width prompt (sidebarwidth)
and not
Open sidebar width prompt (with sidebarwidth)
because
the shortcut will not use the value of the key sidebarwidth, but it will fill a value in the key sidebarwidth.

UPDATE:

I just recognized that the best would be to offer two shortcuts

No, this idea is not so good what I had, because then one need two items in the context-menu. So instead of two shortcuts, there should be only one shortcut with that name:
Open sidebar width prompt (sidebarwidth)

The title of the window should be:
Sidebar width in percentage (sidebarwidth)
so, users are informed that not only the position of the splitter will be changed but also the key sidebarwidth.

UPDATE:
I think that better would be to offer two shortcuts Open sidebar width prompt and Open sidebar width prompt (sidebarwidth), and only one item in the context-menu that will open the window with the title Sidebar width in percentage (sidebarwidth).

UPDATE:
I would like to change one shortcut name from
Open sidebar width prompt (sidebarwidth)
to
Open sidebar width prompt (set sidebarwidth)
so users are informed that the number will change not only the position of the splitter, but also the value of the key sidebarwidth. The title of the window should be
Sidebar width in percentage (set sidebarwidth).