Would anyone like to test a new experimental output adapter called the Particls Sidebar?

I'm in.

Awesome

Ok install the latest version of particls and let me know when you are done - i will send you a link to the sidebar DLL

http://distribution.particls.com/particls/0.9.2258.0/adapters/Touchstone.Sidebar.dll   - this is the working sidebar for this version....just download it and move it into the \adapters folder of your particls install directory.  Remember that Particls needs to be closed when you do this. 

It is still very buggy - this is pre-alpha. So note:

1. It is designed to run WITHOUT the ticker
2. Beware, that changing the skin with the sdiebar turned on will ussually throw a ugly bug.
3. it is also when docking (especially on dual monitors)
4. Does not word-wrap the headlines yet.
5. Descriptions on the more info panel are wrong

Chris: I'm on 9.2258.0 (downloaded automatically earlier today) when I shut down and restarted I expected to ger 0.9.2258.9 but didn't get the auto-update ... which do I need for this... (it looks like from your link it should be the .0)?

I've got to dash for a dinner meeting but will try it out later tonight...

I'll eat any bugs for desert.... 

oh no ur on the latest version if u already auto-updated today to 2258

If you need someone to try it out, I'm more than happy to give it a go. At work I run XP, and at home I run OSX and Vista on separate machines. Not sure where you are looking to test it, but if you just want to fire it out to someone externally, I can try it on XP today and Vista tonight...

For sure Richard - would love to see how it works for you and get your feedback

It's a special treat for Tangler users

Ok Chris... just that I saw you topic of July 3 6:44 with title of "Version 0.9.2258.9 Released" - you may want to correct that as release notes in now confirm its .0...

hmmm... I am actually running version 0.9.2203.0

How do I get the latest. Thought I'd do a clean install, so uninstalled the version I had, and pulled what I thought was the latest from the website...

OK. That's wierd. The install says 0.9.2258.0

Wierder still, it is now working, and the version number has updated. OK. Whatever... I re-downloaded from the same link, and re-ran the installation, and now everything is all good. Guess it was just a Richard moment

Very cool man. Really like it. The little tab at the side is nice and discreet.

I like the tearoffs as well.

Noticed a few strange little behaviours, but I really like the styling.

just downloaded the sidebar. works fine and maintained my fancy dow jones skin. i like looking at more at once- because i can choose to distract myself- although i would like the tab to perhaps blink or something if i don't have pop-ups on.

here are three screens

1.  just the sidebar tab:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/11765756@N00/712085389/in/photostream/

2. the sidebar expanded: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11765756@N00/712085437/in/photostream/

3. all three: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11765756@N00/712973154/in/photostream/

so- how is the display order, rules etc.  apply to the sidebar? i ask because i didn't see all the same hits on ticker that i did on the sidebar and definately not in the same order

 i am on Windows XP Professional

RichardPendergast- it wasn't a richard moment- the wrong version was up but ace chris saad quickly got it on when i pointed it out

Noticed a few little things, but nothing that I would really consider a bug.

• When I mouseover the tab, and then leave the cursor there, the More Information section appears in an incorrect position (or at least the position is inconsistent with later behaviour)
  

• When I mouseover a More Information section the sidebar collapses

• If I slowly slide the cursor across from a headline to the corresponding More Information section there is a space of about 10 pixels between the headline and the sidebar sizer where my mouseover is no longer recognised and the More Information section disappears

But that's it, apart from that I actually really like it. Like I said very discreet. And like danielabarbosa I prefer the option of more at once. Filter it to a point and give me something to do...

I'll leave it running from today, and let you know how it goes.

snippets are much shorter on sidebar hits- is that on purpose. i love and live by snippets

I must be having a Newfi moment... It just doesn't do it for me. nada. nothing. zilch.

I'm on  Version 0.9.2258.0  and have the adapter installed ...

But the only way I can imagine the beauty is to go look at Daniela's flikr shots!

did you move it to the \adapters folder?

I actually dislike the auto-hide feature 
I think if you righ click on the the logo on the sidebar and turn off auto-hide it is much more useful
it is also fun watching the items re-arrange when new items come in or when you change the sort order

Daniela the snippets are not right - that's a bug - I listed it at the top of this thread as one of the known issues

Bri - thanks for pointing out the verison error - Fixed it

Also - the Sidebar is not really designed to be used WITH the ticker - in fact we are thinking of making the sidebar the 'Dock to side' version of the Ticker - so it is all the one thing? what do you think of that?

without autohide it is too big (unless i am using two screens) or if shrunk skinny not useful- but that is why user preferences are best

i do like the re-arrange and just figured out that you can also change sortmode by date or relevancy

and yes i know i am not supposed to do it WITH the ticker i just think my desktop looks lovely all 'particl'ed out

yes- i think that making it the side version of ticker would make sense and less confusing for users perhaps

i hope the sidebar is going to take in the suggestions I told you on Skype last night Chris

danielabarbosa: it's far easier to read (when you want) as compared to the ticker, Particls received huge negative feedback on Techcrunch not too long ago targetting the news ticker and pop-up alerts

yes I have the adapter in the \adapters folder...

And still no sidebar.... downloaded installer and ran (although I didn't clear out folders first) downloaded dll (again) to \adapter folder..

started Particls... no sidebar. 

Looks fun. I'll be interested to try this sidebar (and the auto-update thing), but not before Friday, if it's still a bit unstable.

Just one remark:I don't have in my taskbar the Particls icon which i usually use  to add watchwords or change settings. Maybe it'll come back if I reboot.

Just rebooted: it is back. Just  Windows...

So I take it I am the only one that doesn't have the sidebar working???? sigh that is shaking.... off to ponder and do some sleuthing

Can I just erase the previous entries and start again

It turns out there are two \adapter folders ! 

Your instruction clearly said put the dll in \adapters of your Particls install directory... instead I'd put it in the \appdata\particls\adapter directory.(truly a newfi moment)

Everything works now as Advertised

Pin for the Sidebar?

I'd like to see a 'pin in place' control for the sidebar.... I find that when I go to 'x" or 'tear off" a story as soon as I move the cursor right past the edge of the sidebar and onto the story control box, the sidebar rolls back to the collapsed position...when I'm looking at the sidebar I'm genrally going to be performing multiiple operations on it -- I'd like to be able to make it 'sticky' and then put it back to its normal (folded) position when done.

Bri - right click on the logo on the sidebar and turn off the auto-hide option - i think it works much better that way

Indeed it does.

I should have found that.

Hello all.
Chris, I love the sidebar to bits. I have been waiting for you guys to reliese it for ages and I love it good.

Things that should not be:
- The popup is comming up on the side as a very narrow bar.
- Articles are comming up on the sidebar as fadded (viewed) when I have not yet viewed them. It seems to be changing the viewed status whenever I change the sorting order. So if it is not viewed, and I change the sort order, then change it back, it will invert the status.

Heya Humble  I agree - love the sidebar

Bri - I like your idea about a pin to represent auto-hide toggle though - much more intuitive

It is awesome for people like me who have widescreen monitors.

I am wondering if the sidebar should not also replace the popup alerts though - because

 a) if you have the sidebar pinned, then you dont need popup alerts
b) if you have the sidebar hidden, then it would be cool if it faded in like a popup alert, and had the new items come in sorted by date - like a super popup alert

am I crazy or what are your thoughts on this (everyone)

I was thinking that a sidebar that behaves like a popup alert would solve the problem of "oh no i missed the alert and can't go back" - especially if we add a scrollbar to it

I would like a way to scroll through my articles on the sidebar. I have heeps more than can be displayed and I need to close them in order to make room for new ones.

Well you don't actually need to make room - they drop off the end by themselves - but yeah I like a scrollbar idea too - but I am told it is hard as - so it wont be in version 1 though sorry

I like the popup system for high relevance ones. I want to be told when there is something espically relivant

I am just about ready to test this lovely sidebar . But it seems that the file http://distribution.particls.com/particls/0.9.2258.0/adapters/Touchstone.Sidebar.tsa is no longer available (returns a 404 error)

Let me check Francois

right click and save as (not click through)

I have just renamed it back to .dll - the webserver did not like serving '.tsa' files

 So you can just click on it now (if you refresh the link and make sure it is .dll)

OK thks

Problem is when we release the actual sidebar - people who have downloaded this one will have a bit of a problem - we will have to make sure we look for and delete the file

OK, I have the sidebar now

cool

I suggest you turn off the auto-hide - it is cool watching the items slide around

Yes, it's very nice, although it does take a lot of space on a 17" monitor.

Does the "always on top" function have any effect?

I tried changing the sorting order several times and,  as Humble noted, it looks like this creates faded items? I'm not too sure about those...

Yeah the faded items is a known issue now

good good

When it is docked, Always on top turned off does not release the screen space - but it does allow the sidebar to be under other windows if they move over it

I think when the headlines are word-wrapped it will be possible to make it thinner while still being able to read the headlines also

what do you mean by "when it is docked"?  how do I "undock" it?

Drag the logo and pull it off the side

oh yes I forgot you could do that...

so, when it is undocked I get back my screen space, which is nice... but will the sidebar pop up if something new arrives?

no it just floats for now

Although I wonder if it shouldn't have a 'popup mode' where it appears like the popup alerts and shows the items cascade in - and then fades away

Yes, my first impression is that's how I would want to use it with a small screen: undock it, don't have it always on top, and have it pop up when a new item arrives.

yeah I get ya

good idea

I guess with a 25" monitor you could just keep it always on

Maybe the "more information" window (which only stays on screen as long as you leave your mouse over an item in the sidebar) should contain more information than now?

"More information" should give enough info to help you decide if you really want to read the article or just mark it as read.

I'm using the autohide function now. Not sure I understand what you don't like about it. I have all my screen space available and I suppose the sidebar will open up when something new happens...

The more info panel has a bug - I mentioned it in my first post in the thread also

It does not auto-open when there are new items - we might have to make it light up or something (or auto-open) when there are new items

Remember of course this is pre-alpha right now - it's a sneek peek

Sorry, missed that (about the more info bug).

Autohide + auto-open of the the full sidebar when something new happens might be a bit too intrusive (sidebar' takes about 40% of my screen's width). Maybe autohide + pin/authohide toggle + popups for new info would be nice? 

For new info: keep popups for "most important" and ticker for the rest?

After using this sidebar for a few hours, I think it improves very nicely over the ticker, especially with respect to the feeling that I might have missed something important (that's why I was asking you to "stop the ticker" when I was detected as away). I really like the autohide feature: I find it nice to have no noise from Particls when I'm concentrating on something; I just check the sidebar between two undisturbed "concentration periods".

I have the news items sorted by date (most recent first) and I suppose it will be very nice to look at the news sorted by relevance when I return to my computer after a relatively long absence.

f I keep using the sidebar this way (autohide + most recent first), I would find it nice to have a horizontal line separating the new stuff (above the line) from what I already saw (below the line) when I last opened the sidebar and viewed its content.

Maybe we could put a Star icon next to "new items"

hey, that would be very cool!   Im goiong off to imput that inot our reporting system. 

Yes, a star could do it, or use of different colour background.

I'd prefer the line personally - perhaps a black gap between the new items and the old (there was talk about adding a black gutter to the whole thing to make it look better with a wider variety skin combinations

I just can't wait to have this sidebar working without the more info bug. Any hope to get it soon? Pleeease...:)

A nice addition would be to have access to "rate this source" from the menu that pops up when you right-click on some item in the sidebar.

Francois - we are working on a release candidate for the sidebar as a priority - stay tuned
The 'rate this source' feature is in the right click (in a way) using the 'Show me less content -> from this source' which rates the source down slightly - the more times you use it the lower down the scale the source goes

It might be worthwhile to expose the whole rating system in there - just don't want to clutter things up

You're right: "show me less content from this source" is just what I was looking for. I had missed it...

Why is that weird?

Sorry Chris, what was weird again?

Never mind me - i'm going crazy haha