List tab behavior and app window size

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#1

Hi there!

I love GoodTask but I'm puzzled about the list tab behavior on desktop:

Imagine having the GoodTask window size at "20x10" (arbitrary measures for point's sake) with the List tab hidden:

If I click on the Show/Hide lists toggle the left sidebar "grows" inside that 20x10 space. Let's say we now have a 5x10 sidebar and 15x10 view inside the 20x10 window.

When I click again the toggle the left sidebar disappear shrinking from left to right so the whole window is now 15x10 and I have to resize it to 20x10 again. That back an forth every time I try to get the sidebar in view.

I know: with narrower window size the behavior is more consistent: it grows on the side and disappear. But whit more wide windows (on desktop I use mostly the column view) it could be a little frustrating.

I know that inverting how it behave would be less handy for narrowed use cases (maybe the most frequent for other users) but maybe you can consider some advanced option letting users switch from one scenario to another based on their needs?

Just my two cents about a trivial UX matter as on a broad level the app works great and I really have nothing to complain about :smiley:

#2

Hi @ironicmoka, thanks for the feedback.

Normal behavior should be showing/hiding sidebar should not affect main part of the app's size. It should grow as you show sidebar and shrink as you hide it.

This though may be somewhat different on which macOS version you're on. Let me know which version you're using and I'll take a look. Thanks!

#3

Hi!

I'm on Mac OS Ventura (13.1) but I remember that being the same in the last couple of years.

To be more precise and reproduce the behavior: the window resizing happens when there's not enough room on the screen for the sidebar to grow (like window closer to the left margin of the screen than the predicted width of the sidebar, or almost full sized).
In that scenario instead of adding itself to the window size it takes its space in the already sized window and then it doesn't "give it back" when is closed (because obviously it's not supposed to so, as it "add" space to the window when there is enough room for that)

As said: it's somewhat really trivial (as UX topic) I experience often because I usually work on an almost full screen setup to get the alternative column view at glance. I know that can, on the other side, be less trivial to 'solve' with actual rules.

I should maybe try to use GoodTask on actual full size but I didn't like that option very much (for any app) as I should trade the "same desktop for plan apps" routine for another desktop dedicated just to one app to be arranged between others.

That said: I just wanted to let you know that there is this (peculiar) scenario I experience. I don't even know if occurred to someone else, I know workflow and window set up is a very personal matter. If down the road you'll come up with a solution you'll make even happier an already happy customer, if there's no suitable simple solutions without disrupting the most common scenarios no big deal: the apps it's already great.

#4

Thanks for the details. I've got what you mean. Using the app without sidebar with almost full size makes the behavior you've mentioned. I'm not sure if this can be tackled but I'll put it on the list.

Meanwhile I recommend using it with side bar opened (it can be small), or give it a space to be opened while using it big. Thanks!

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