Test: Exploratory Testing of Second Panel (opposite side bar)

[sbatten]

Refs: #132893

• anyOS @lszomoru
• anyOS @luabud
• anyOS @brettcannon

Complexity: 3

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This milestone, we started to explore a second side bar or side panel. An initial idea has been checked in behind the flag workbench.experimental.sidePanel.enabled. To try it out, enable the setting and reload for good measure.

The goal of this test plan item is to have more eyes on it. It is not limited to finding bugs but improving the experience going forward in future milestones.

For that reason, there is not much guidance on what to test, but the basics are:

1. Enable it and open it
2. Drag and drop some views or view containers into it
3. Try using a variety of layout changing commands such as toggle side bar position
4. Use it throughout the remainder of your testing and beyond

Some potential use-cases to try:

1. Having file-specific views on the side panel (e.g. outline, timeline)
2. Having SCM and Explorer visible as the same time
3. An always visible search or references view

[brettcannon]

In case @luabud is like me and can't initially figure out where the extra side panel is, go to View -> Appearnce -> Show Side Panel.

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I really like the idea as I traditionally keep the outline view collapsed as it take up too much space when also looking at the file or test view.

One thing that did throw me, though, was when I dragged the Test Explorer to the side panel it's icon disappeared out of the activity bar. That places the side bar in a rarified place compared to the side panel as what views I do have available to me is not truly reflected in the activity bar anymore. Is the concern that if you click on an icon in the activity bar it may be hard to realize it's in the side panel? Could you make the highlight line on the icon reflect which side of the window it would show? E.g.

already shows the side bar is on the right and so that's the side to find the Test Explorer. So if the view was in the side bar on the left then flip the highlight to the other side?

I also lose everything I had in my side panel if I hide it. Once again this is an issue if the icon in the activity bar is gone as I have no visible way to know what happened to my Test Explorer (or the fact I even have one). I'm not sure if it's best to shift everything back to the side bar if the side panel is closed.

[sbatten]

@brettcannon thanks for this feedback. The icon is no longer in the activity bar, because the activity bar is the "tab set" for the side bar. The side panel has its own textual tabs. This is the same as if you were to drag the test explorer the bottom panel. the side panel is not an extension of the side bar, but an alternative.

Does that information impact your view at all?

[brettcannon]

It shows you how often I drag anything out of the side bar to the bottom panel 😉. That's why my brain views the activity bar as the global list of views I have available, it just so happens they all live in the side bar. 😁 That's also why my brain gravitated to the icons highlighting where to look on the screen for the view.

But I think I can adjust to having two places to go hunting for a view that I know I have which isn't shown as an icon in the activity bar (assuming I didn't actively choose to hide it).

[luabud]

Love this new feature 🥳 will be using it going forward 😊

[magicus]

I've been waiting for this side panel and am very happy that it is finally here! Great work everyone!

From my initial testing, it works mostly like I've expected. However, I don't like my terminal has been made narrower. :-( I saw that there were mock-up screen shots of "full-length" and "editor-length" side panels in #132893. I would definitely have preferred the "editor-length" style.

A possible (but sub-optimal) work-around for this problem is to actively switch between showing and hiding the side panel. For this to be an alternative, I think it needs to be more discoverable, like the "Maximize Panel Size" button in the normal bottom panel.