Hi David,
This sounds like a good initiative.
Just for the records, if the goal is reducing clutter in the about box then a branding plugin that declares the tools icon must also declare a common provider
name (eg “Eclipse Tools Project” or “Eclipse.org – Tools”). Otherwise you end up with 2 identical icons in the about box. Setting the provider name for the branding plugin, in turn would prompt setting the provider name for all related plugins of the feature.
By clicking on the icon in the about box, one can see the list of features (with branding plugins) that contribute to the same icon. So I agree it’s a nice
way grouping some of the smaller (“library kind”) of contributions under a common umbrella.
Thanks,
Martin
--
Martin Oberhuber, SMTS / Product Architect – Development Tools,
Wind River
direct +43.662.457915.85 fax +43.662.457915.6
From: tools-leads-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tools-leads-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of David M Williams
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 8:20 AM
To: tools-leads@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tools-leads] Spread the word ... new "Tools Logo" icons
A very long time ago, (Bug 370021) it was suggested that we, in "Tools", provide a "logo" or set of icons that were
fairly generic in meaning, but would provide a nice "common look" where appropriate.
Thanks to Itemis and Alexander Nyssen those icons are now available for use. See the bug for long history and discussion, but the short story is they are currently stored in our Tools website repo
http://git.eclipse.org/c/www.eclipse.org/tools.git/tree/EclipseToolsLogos with some description provided in
http://git.eclipse.org/c/www.eclipse.org/tools.git/plain/EclipseToolsLogos/README.md
The primary use-case for these are for low level libraries of "Tools features" to use as a "branding icon" so that in the final "about box" we end up with fewer specific icons for each and every "framework" that has contributed to packages. For example,
GEF and Xtend might want to both use it ... they are not normally things that and end-user would "seek out" to install, all by themselves, as a "tool to use" (in comparison to something like "CDT" or "Web Tools") so it makes a lot of sense to consolidate under
a common "Tools category" (which, in the "About Box, happens to be controlled by the icon used for branding a feature.).
Of course, no one _has_ to use these icons (i.e. just because you are in the "Tools Top Level Project" you do not have to use it) ... and projects from other PMCs are welcome to use them if they would like and feel its appropriate.
Please comment in the bug if you have any feedback, think there is a better location to "store" these icons for shared use, or if you can help define "who should use" and "how to use" these icons.
We can make a broader announcement, such as to cross-project list, once we get feedback from you "Tools projects".
Much thanks!