[Settings] UI suggestions

[Jay-o-Way]

GLOBAL

Visual

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1. [Settings] enable CanReorderItems property again #19080
   Area-User Interface Priority-3 Product-Settings +3
2. Win.11 Settings deals different with disabled controls #20173
   Area-User Interface Idea-Enhancement Needs-Team-Response Product-Settings +4
3. [Settings] Improvements for update UX #14700
   Area-User Interface Idea-Enhancement Product-Settings Tracker +4
4. [Settings] review InfoBar properties #20279
   Idea-Enhancement Priority-3 Product-Settings +3
5. OOBE visual improvements #30683
   Area-User Interface Product-Settings Resolution-Fix Committed +3
   
6. HyperlinkButton appearance #31189
   Area-User Interface Idea-Enhancement +2
7. custom properties: back to standard. Styles we do need should be put in centralized files (like CSS)
8. combine the ColorPickerButton control + opacity to AlphaColorPickerButton?

Bindings

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1. Update (x)Bindings #30674
   Product-Settings +1
   
2. align "Path=Viewmodel.IsEnabled" syntax in stead of some module-specific, like ViewModel.EnablePowerLauncher
3. Hosts page: IsEnabled="{x:Bind ViewModel.LaunchAdministratorEnabled}" is buggy, because public bool LaunchAdministratorEnabled => IsEnabled && !_isElevated is only checked on page loading.
4. bind specific sub-functions toggled on/off by main switch

Others

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1. Create CheckBoxWithDescription in XAML #30676
   Area-Build Product-Settings +2
2. Consolidate namespaces for Settings #30650
   Area-Build Resolution-Fix Committed +2
   
3. remove redundant converters: VisibleIfTrue, TrueToVisible, BooleanToVisibility.
4. MouseUtils: ListView > SettingsCard > Stackpanel > TextBlock, TextBlock ⇒ SettingsCard > TextBox > Run, Run
5. MouseUtilsPage: xE947 =>"×"; EditButton size
6. remove FontFamily and FontSize from FontIcon
7. ThemeResource versus StaticResource (link)
8. (if possible) use a reusable control for 🎨 <controls:Setting x:Uid="ColorModeHeader" ... code?
9. (if possible) use a reusable control for ⌨️ <controls:Setting x:Uid="Activation_Shortcut" ... code?
10. PowerLauncherPage: Temporary badge replacement
11. ShortcutControl: Grid, Stackpanel
12. Flyout: SettingsBtn (different size)
13. MWB: MouseWithoutBorders_CopyMachineName size/padding
14. CMD: icons & colors, xaml

ALWAYS ON TOP

• We could simplify this (reduces "movement" when switching default/custom)
  

[htcfreek]

AOT

• Sound: make it one setting (no expander)

this a preparing for the "choose file" issue

[niels9001]

@niels9001

PowerToys/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/Views/VideoConference.xaml

Lines 31 to 37 in a1d5df2

	<muxc:InfoBar
	Severity="Warning"
	x:Uid="VideoConference_RunAsAdminRequired"
	IsOpen="True"
	IsTabStop="True"
	IsClosable="False"
	Visibility="{Binding Mode=OneWay, Path=IsElevated, Converter={StaticResource BoolToVisibilityConverter}}" />

This InfoBar has both an IsOpen="True" and an IsVisible={Binding} property, which I think is incorrect.
Why do we use Visibility on all InfoBars anyway, when I think we only need IsOpen?

Not sure.. there might have been a Narrator bug that still announced the InfoBars property when IsOpen was set to false. But not sure, if not we could use the IsOpen instead yes.

[crutkas]

This is an epic. These should be individual tasks

[Jay-o-Way]

I see quite a lot of the following. Should we apply the suggestion?

[Jay-o-Way]

@niels9001 I'm trying to works on some points now. Do you have an answer for the (4) questions above here?

[niels9001]

When VS says a namespace is unneeded, shall I remove it?

Note: this one is consistent for every page in OobeViews

Yeah, this can be removed as we are not using that namespace in the XAML 👍

[niels9001]

Should "using:Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Controls" be a xmlns:local= or xmlns:custom=?

Whatever works :) the 'local' or 'custom' part is up to the developer to determine. Here, 'controls' would make most sense?

[Jay-o-Way]

@niels9001 I was just looking at https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/uwp/xaml-platform/themeresource-markup-extension#when-and-how-to-use-themeresource-rather-than-staticresource and it looks like we should be using ThemeResource in a lot more places. It should be used for brushes, font properties and text styles (amongst others) and we often use a StaticResources for those.
If I'm right, this also applies to the example/code in WinUI Gallery > Design Guidance > Typography.

[niels9001]

@niels9001 I was just looking at https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/uwp/xaml-platform/themeresource-markup-extension#when-and-how-to-use-themeresource-rather-than-staticresource and it looks like we should be using ThemeResource in a lot more places. It should be used for brushes, font properties and text styles (amongst others) and we often use a StaticResources for those.
If I'm right, this also applies to the example/code in WinUI Gallery > Design Guidance > Typography.

There's little to no additional benefit, so I wouldn't waste any time on that. StaticResources are fine for resources that do not change or are not defined in ThemeDictionaries. Brushes do get updated on theme changes, so for those we'd want to use ThemeResources.

[Jay-o-Way]

WASDK 1.6 will have https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/apps/windows-app-sdk/experimental-channel#new-titlebar-control 🥳

Think we should wait for the Stable relase?

[niels9001]

WASDK 1.6 will have https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/apps/windows-app-sdk/experimental-channel#new-titlebar-control 🥳

Check the Build session for more info: https://youtu.be/WR4T24lLoVo?si=_lxZw-OQ14U7MPgJ&t=827! We've worked with the WinUI team to port the Community Toolkit titlebar to the platform, so that should make adoption much simpler!