[Gimp-developer] New option "Use custom quality settings" for JPEG files

[Robert L Krawitz]

   Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:25:54 +0200
   From: =?UTF-8?B?UmFwaGHDq2w=?= Quinet <raphael at gimp.org>

   On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:36:05 +0200, Raphaël Quinet <raphael at gimp.org> wrote:
   > On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:10:30 -0400, Robert L Krawitz <rlk at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
   > > Would "Use existing image quality settings" be a better name for this?
   > 
   > I considered naming this option "Use original quality settings", but
   > one thing that I forgot to mention in my previous messages is that
   > it is possible to write a script or plug-in that attaches different
   > quantization tables to any image.  [...]

   Although I was a bit reluctant to do this, we could try to change the
   name of this option to "Use original quality settings" or "Use quality
   settings from original image" or something like that.  This would
   require several changes in behavior explained below.  This new meaning
   may not be appropriate if other quantization tables than the original
   ones are attached to the image, but if we consider that usage to be an
   exception, then maybe we can "optimize for the common case" if this
   could make the option more understandable.  Anyway, if we want to
   change that string, then we have to reach a consensus on that in the
   next few hours and make sure that it will not change again until GIMP
   2.4 is out.  We should be in string freeze now.

...

   Implementing these changes would be easy (except for the last one,
   maybe) and I know exactly what would have to be be changed so the code
   itself is not an issue here.  But we should quickly decide what this
   option should mean.  I like the current meaning ("custom tables") but
   some of you think that it would be easier to understand something
   referring to the original quality settings.  If we can reach a quick
   agreement on what is better (considering the differences explained
   above) and if it is not too late for 2.4rc1, then maybe I could change
   that option.

The problem is that "custom tables" seems very confusing -- it sounds
like the user's going to be asked to input something she knows nothing
about.  One could argue that "Use existing image quality settings"
means the same thing as "Use quality settings currently attached to
the image", and then nothing about the behavior would have to change.