[Enhancement] Add Option for Multiple Apps Lists

brucetheelephant commented 8 months ago

Checklist

[X] I will make sure to have the issue written in English with an English title.
[X] I made sure that there are no existing issues - open or closed - which I could contribute my information to.
[X] I have already checked the WIKI pages and made sure that the feature isn't already exist.
[X] I have taken the time to fill in all the required details. I understand that the feature request will be dismissed otherwise.
[X] This issue contains only one feature request.

Feature description

I like simplicity, I love how mLauncher is built!! I'm also using many apps. This creates problems for me because I can either keep the App List simple with around 6 app shortcuts visible (in which case I'll have to use the menu to access other apps which in turn decreases productivity) or I can increase the number of app shortcuts (in which case the main sceen would become too cluttered). So I kept wondering, how can you make this more powerful but keep simple at the same time? What I came up with is Multiple App Lists. For the record when I say Multiple I mean up to three.

In the Settings / Homescreen area you could insert a new setting called Number of App Lists with possible values: 1, 2 or 3 and under it you could insert settings called App List 1 No of Shortcuts, App List 2 No of Shortcuts and App List 3 No of Shortcuts with the usual values. These App Lists could be accessed by swiping left and right.

Additional information

What do you think developer and community? Do you like this idea or not? Do you think it could be implemented or not? Would you change something (and if yes then what) about the way I think this could work?

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Gitbot-Actions commented 8 months ago

👋 Thanks for reporting!

We will get back to you soon about this issue.

HeCodes2Much commented 8 months ago

I really like this idea but it would also lose the left and right swipes so I would need to do something about them too as I use them or contacts and phone but I'll look into this.

brucetheelephant commented 8 months ago

Well, sure, you would "lose" the left and right swipes as direct swipes, I thought about this as well because I use them too (to access Phone and Messenger) but in losing them as direct swipes you "gain" access to more easy to reach apps (as lists of apps). I mean, the goal here is to reach apps as fast and as easy and as fluent as possible AND to keep it all simple. But keeping it simple doesn't mean keeping limited functionality, not that there's anything wrong with that.

So as an example you could do, say: swipe left to App List (1) "Communication" which would contain shortcuts to Phone, Contacts, Messengers etc, swipe right to App List (2) "Internet" which could contain shortcuts to Browser, News Reader, Discussion Boards etc and swipe right again to App List (3) "Media" which could contain shortcuts to Music Player, Camera, Gallery etc.

By the way you don't have to "lose" the left and right swipes as direct swipes. You keep the swipe left and swipe right settings where they are and you add more options to each (besides Open App, Lock Screen, Show App List etc): Swipe to Next App List and Swipe to Previous App List. It doesn't have to be a Breaking Change, you don't have to lose functionality, it doesn't have to upset anyone. : )

HeCodes2Much commented 8 months ago

By the way you don't have to "lose" the left and right swipes as direct swipes. You keep the swipe left and swipe right settings where they are and you add more options to each (besides Open App, Lock Screen, Show App List etc): Swipe to Next App List and Swipe to Previous App List. It doesn't have to be a Breaking Change, you don't have to lose functionality, it doesn't have to upset anyone. : )

Yeah if i do this it would be as a selectable setting so you can select what swipe does what so you could do swipe up and swipe down as the pages but i also need to work on up and down swipes to be split on the left and right sides of the screen first so there will be 2 up and 2 left depening on what side of the screen you swipe on.

brucetheelephant commented 8 months ago

Hmm.. when you say "side of the screen" are you referring to the "screen" part as all App Lists and the "side" part as only one App List?

HeCodes2Much commented 8 months ago

Hmm.. when you say "side of the screen" are you referring to the "screen" part as all App Lists and the "side" part as only one App List?

What I mean is on the home page the top of the screen is set for down swipes but I can decide it in half for left and right side of the screen.

brucetheelephant commented 8 months ago

You can choose one option, do tests, see how it feels and then keep it as it is if it feels right or change it if it doesn't.

Vandekieft commented 5 months ago

I came here for this very issue slash feature. I figured if you can show 12 apps or so on the home screen, you can have those instead of linking to apps, link to a sub-menu, and have about six apps under the sub-menu, because that would greatly increase the capabilities of this launcher period. That is about the only thing I feel that this is missing to suit what I would like.

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

@Vandekieft so like a favorite list kind of like how we have hidden apps but also have them display in all apps too?

I could look into a way to pin apps and then apps have their own app draw that you can get to by swiping left on the all apps draw or even have it as the default draw then have to swipe right for all apps?

Vandekieft commented 5 months ago

@Vandekieft so like a favorite list kind of like how we have hidden apps but also have them display in all apps too?

I could look into a way to pin apps and then apps have their own app draw that you can get to by swiping left on the all apps draw or even have it as the default draw then have to swipe right for all apps?

Like Right now we have:


______________________
|  CLock              |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
| App                 |
| App                 |
| App                 |
| App                 |
| App                 |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
______________________

But We could have:


______________________
|  CLock              |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
| Folder 1            |
| Folder 2            |
| Folder 3            |
| Folder 4            |
| Folder 5            |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
______________________

Then when a folder is tapped:


______________________
|  CLock              |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
|                     |
| Folder 1            |
|        App          |
|        App          |
|        App          |
|        App          |
|        App          |
|                     |
|                     |
______________________

And so on for each folder. A folder could have a custom name. So a user could set it like, "Social", "Games", "Money" and so on.

I know this would take away from the super minimalist look, but I feel it can still feel 'Clean' and 'Minimalist' as it is still just text, and not super clutter-y.

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

@Vandekieft Hmm.. In my opinion this reduces the ease of use of the app.

As things stand you can access apps (any app in the list) by one tap. This is super clean (minimal) and easy.

As per my suggestion you could access say App 11 (app 1 from line 1) with one tap. You can access App 12 (app 2 from the (same) line 1) or App 13 (app 3 from the (same) line 1) with one swipe and one tap. Meanwhile all other apps App 2, 3, 4 etc are visible and you can still access them by one tap. You maintain top functionality by having active links in all lines all the time.

As per your suggestion (since all apps are in folders) you'd have to open the folder first and then access any of the apps, in other words no app from line 1 can be accessed by one tap. Not only that but once you are in any folder, all other folders and/or apps become unaccessible. You'd have to exit the folder for anything to be accessible again. It seems like a lot of back and forth, it seems like what other launchers are doing.

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

Having this on the main home screen would never be my first go to unless I was to add a number of folder along with the number of apps and have folders disabled by default so you have to add them as I don't like the idea of extra clicks for favorite apps when the home screen can already have up to 30 apps if I am to add a feature for folders it would be a gesture to be able to get into them from home or all apps I have been considering adding swipe gestures into the all apps section to have extra stuff there but not sure if I like that idea.

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

@brucetheelephant as we don't already have Tap-Hold and Swipe gestures what would you think about that as an option for multiple home screen app lists? That could maybe also be an option?

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

@HeCodes2Much Well that was my initial suggestion as well (see my first post and my second post) so yes, I think that could be a good option. People could have different lists like a Communication List and/or a Productivity List and/or an Internet and Media List and access these different lists by swiping. Yeah, that could work. The idea of swiping through lines instead of lists was something super fancy. But having different lists is probably easier to understand for most people and easier to implement of course. : )

For the record I would really like it if these lists were accessible by swiping and not by taping. As I said in my second post you lose quick access to two apps (if you decide to set swipes to switch through lists instead of opening apps) but you gain "slower" access to many more.

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

@brucetheelephant if i was to add the long-press swipe then it would also be configurable so you can do them as apps or change page same for left and right so this way we wouldn't lose any actions we would just gain 4 new ones with 2 other options for all gestures does that sound fair?

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

So I have just playing around and testing long press gesture and looking like it can be a good idea to be added before i work on this feature then its there and i just add this to all the gestures lists.

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

Of course! That sounds like a good idea! It sounds fair. I might actually use long-press to switch lists and short-press to open apps. : )

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

https://github.com/HeAndroids2Much/mLauncher/pull/374 I will work more on this later.

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

Thank you! : )

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

@brucetheelephant Bruce would you mind testing the new feature and let me know what you think?

mLauncher-Debug.apk

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

@HeCodes2Much Sure! I'll install the app and come back with feedback a bit later today or tomorrow.

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

Cheers :) btw to set the gestures for the home pages it's at the end of the list next to Disabled in the menu

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

Alright. Thank you for the heads-up! : )

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

Alright, this looks promising but I'm experiencing a bug where Short Swipes Actions are replaced by Long Press Swipes Actions. In other words Short Swipes don't do what they're suppose to do as per the app settings, instead they do what Long Press Swipes are suppose to do. For example Swipe Left is set to open the internet browser. It does not open the internet browser! Long Swipe Left is set to Go To Left Page. Long Swipe Left does not do anything. In this case Swipe Left goes to the left page. Double Tap is suppose to lock the screen but instead it open accessibility settings. I'm not sure how to replicate this bug. I think the gestures worked fine initially, but then I changed certain Short Swipes to open certain apps and they broke.

I'm also a bit doubtful about using Long Swipes now and I'm thinking that Side Taps might work better. I'm not sure how long I'm suppose to keep my finger pressed (but immobile) before moving it to execute a swipe. Sometimes I keep it pressed too long and the launcher settings opens. But maybe all this is because I'm experiencing the bug, maybe when it will be fixed I will be able to do proper testing and have a more informed opinion.

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

Ok so when you are doing long swipes it has to be over 300 pixels of the screen so best bet would be the full screen if I need to I can work on the distance and timing a bit to make it better.

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

Oooh, so when you say Long you don't mean Long Press you mean Long Pull! Of course you do! Sorry, I missunderstood, my bad! Ok, so Swipes work as intended now but Short Swipes need to be really really short to trigger as Short Swipes, otherwise they trigger as Long Swipes. Maybe mess with the lenght of the pull as you said? Can you do percentage of the screen instead of a fixed length?

HeCodes2Much commented 5 months ago

Ya I'm looking at changing 200f to 80% of the screen and maybe reword that setting to slide swipe instead of long press.

What do you think?

brucetheelephant commented 5 months ago

Hmm .. I'm not sure about the length of the swipe. I think it would be better if the long swipe length is around 60% or 70% of the width of the display. If it's too long, well, some people have display protections which don't cover the full width of the display and in trying to cover too much ground they might snag the side of the protection. Granted, it's a very low chance that this happens but it's a thing to keep in mind. Short swipes could be half the length of long swipes maybe? Naming could be Short Swipe Left / Right and Long Swipe Left / Right. Just my thoughts. Of course it would be better to test, maybe I'm wrong.

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