[OS X TeX] TeXShop Feature Request

[David Watson]

On Mar 7, 2009, at 8:22 AM, Alain Schremmer wrote:

>
> On Mar 7, 2009, at 9:10 AM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>
>> as well as maintain since the possible combinations of choices  
>> increases factorially.
>
> That's what I was wondering about.
>
> Well, I am going to wait this one out but, of course, anyone can add  
> to the wish list since, in any case, it is only a wish list.

As to the factorial explosion in choice, I was reminded of a TED talk  
about such matters:
     http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html

After a while, I begin to wonder if I am missing out on something by  
not displaying line numbers, or not splitting the pdf preview pane, ...
the list could go on and on.

I suppose the point is that the more choices I have to make about  
"how" to do something---which really should be a no-brainer---the more  
regret I have that I may have made a poor decision, and the less  
likely I am to use the application.

There has to be a balance somewhere between having an application  
which does the task that it was designed to do and at the other  
extreme, an application that is completely configurable and allows the  
user to make nitpicking decisions about the way to go about everything.

Each approach has an advantage to a certain audience.

The overall goal should probably be to focus the user's attention on  
the task at hand, and to impede that task as little as possible.
If I had to click back and forth on tabs to switch between the console  
(which contains very relevant information with respect to TeX) and the  
output, I would not use TeXShop.

There, I said it.