# Dropdown menu search



## Alxmrphi

Ok, opinions on whether you like it or not, I find it confusing and a bit annoying, probably because I'm not used to it but I much prefer the old one, so vote in the poll if you want


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## mkellogg

OK, so what was so endearing about the way it was before?   (Don't just say that you don't like it, suggest how you would prefer it to be.)  I had to add the new dictionaries, and it was just too disorganized, that is why I made the change.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Hello,

As I always use the "Advanced Search" sub-menu, I even didn't notice the dropdown has been changed until I read your post, Alex.


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## jann

Actually KaRiNe, I think Alex is talking about the drop-down menu for the *dictionary look-up*.  To my knowledge, there have been no recent changes to the expanding search menu that allows you to search the forums.


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## lablady

jann said:


> Actually KaRiNe, I think Alex is talking about the drop-down menu for the *dictionary look-up*. To my knowledge, there have been no recent changes to the expanding search menu that allows you to search the forums.


That explains why the search boxes didn't look any different to me. 

Now that I have found the _correct_ drop-down menu, I think this new way looks more organized. Sorry about that, Alex.


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## Alxmrphi

Haha it's ok, I guess it was just something I'm used to, it's just, well, I could do it with my eyes closed before hand, now it's concentrating, I'm very used to seeing the language that I want to translate FROM to be the first and then the language I want to translate to, to be second, and also to know that the opposite would be just underneath the other entry.

Like

Italian - English
English - Italian
Spanish - English
English - Spanish

I didn't actually see those new dictionaries, keeping it the way it was, actually Mike it would have looked very cramped, I didn't realise new things had been added, I was only using the dictionaries I always use, I'm still not fussy on it, but I will concede it would have to change to something like this with all those new dictionaries.


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## Nunty

I like this a _lot_ more! Maybe it's those old eyes of mine, but when I had to choose between English-French or French-English that were right on top of one another, I very often clicked on the wrong one first. I find this clear and easy to use. Nice words and it's easy to dance to. I give it a 9.


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## ewie

I like it very much. I didn't often use the dictionaries before _("you're not supposed to say that, ewie")_ because, like Nunty, the previous menu sent me slightly bog-eyed: the new one is much clearer. Good to see all those new languages making an appearance, too.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

jann said:


> Actually KaRiNe, I think Alex is talking about the drop-down menu for the *dictionary look-up*.  To my knowledge, there have been no recent changes to the expanding search menu that allows you to search the forums.


Haaaan! Thanks Jann. That's why I didn't notice anything! 
I never use the dictionary look-up on the top of the page (*), I use a separate tab opened directly on the right dictionary I need. And I don't see any change there into the "drop-down menu" (actually, I called this widget a "drop-down list" or a "combo-box"...)...


(*) mainly because the result of the search is displayed on the same page by default: hitting the return key posts a simple "Search" not a "New window" search (in fact  this opens a new tab for me, as this is how I set my FF). Don't know if I'm clear enough.


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## anthodocheio

KaRiNe_Fr said:


> a "New window" search (in fact this opens a new tab for me, as this is how I set my FF).


Can I ask more about how you set it to open in a new tab? I always wished it would…

And YES. I think it’s way better now. Good idea Mike!


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## danielfranco

Although, I gotta tell you, guys:

I recently bought an iMac, and it does some crazy stuff to webpages. Like the drop-down menu for the dictionaries:
It takes every division and encapsulates it in a 3-D blister, so the menu looks like a bottle of pills!
Very disconcerting… Now that I see it in all its Windows glory, it seems very straight-forward and organized. The Apple people do weird stuff to webpages, is all.

D


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## JeanDeSponde

Well, Alex - It's just like when you tidy up your desktop. At first, you can't find your pencil where it used to be (under the cat plate, next to the antipain pills and yesterday's pizza). But in the end you come to appreciate it...!


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## mkellogg

I have an idea that might help some of you:

You can hide individual dictionaries among the choices.  That way you can show just the dictionaries that you use.
Each dictionary in the select menu has an id, such as "enfr", "fren", "enit", etc.
Find all the dictionaries that you don't want to see.
Create a "user style sheet" with this as the content:


> #enfr, #fren, #enko {display:none}


The example above removes the English>French, French>English and English>Korean dictionaries.

I've tested it in Firefox. It _should_ work in IE.

I hope this helps!
Mike


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## cuchuflete

danielfranco said:


> Although, I gotta tell you, guys:
> 
> I recently bought an iMac, and it does some crazy stuff to webpages. Like the drop-down menu for the dictionaries:
> It takes every division and encapsulates it in a 3-D blister, so the menu looks like a bottle of pills!
> Very disconcerting… Now that I see it in all its Windows glory, it seems very straight-forward and organized. The Apple people do weird stuff to webpages, is all.
> 
> D


Estimadísimo Daniel,
Is it your browser that is doing this?  I'm using OS X, and I see a very straightforward list with Firefox.  Text only, no bubbles, no pills, no blisters.


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## danielfranco

Yes, Mr Cuchu. I think it is the browser. In the beginning I saw it even with Firefox, but that seems to not be the case at this very precise moment. Hmm… I hadn't noticed there was a difference with Safari. Maybe it's Safari's browser that's getting all artsy-fartsy with the drop-down menu.

Well, I guess I'll just use Firefox from now on, because it looks a little less "fancyfied".

Thanks.
D


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## Punky Zoé

Hi there

I never use the dropdown menu search, except when the word does exist both in English than in French (most of the time because the dictionary feature removes accented letters () which make the difference between the two languages   ...).

In those cases, it was easier to click on the following item than to search (far down) in the new list.
I suppose it would be more natural — at least for me — to get a list ordered by "from" language than by "to" language.  (my point of view probably )

Note that by doing a search in the dictionary I've got, once, the old menu  (can't tell you how I got it, at the moment ).


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## Kelly B

The new one makes me think harder, but I don't grab the wrong one as often. I like it better.



> Note that by doing a search in the dictionary I've got, once, the old menu  (can't tell you how I got it, at the moment ).


Me too, and I remember how - I'm glad you mentioned it. I went to the front page (http://www.wordreference.com/), which I have bookmarked, and looked up a word there in En > Fr. When I used the drop-down menu to switch to Fr > En, I got the old menu.


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## Punky Zoé

Kelly B said:


> Me too, and I remember how - I'm glad you mentioned it. I went to the front page (http://www.wordreference.com/), which I have bookmarked, and looked up a word there in En > Fr. When I used the drop-down menu to switch to Fr > En, I got the old menu.


Contextomane, indeed ! 

May I complete your context by adding that apparently the new menu appears when you first time look up a word, but after you get the old one.

And am I mistaken if I say that before the changes, the word you looked up remained in the box, so you had only to switch to another way of translation to get what you were searching, whereas now you have to type a second time the same word ?


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## mkellogg

Punky Zoé said:


> And am I mistaken if I say that before the changes, the word you looked up remained in the box, so you had only to switch to another way of translation to get what you were searching, whereas now you have to type a second time the same word ?



I don't think anything like that should have changed.

Also, once you get inside the dictionaries, the drop-down list is going to remain similar to how it is now.  If you are in the French>English dictionary, you probably need to have French>English and English>French at the top, and any other options
down below.


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## Punky Zoé

mkellogg said:


> I don't think anything like that should have changed.


I must have mistaken then, Though ... 




mkellogg said:


> Also, once you get inside the dictionaries, the drop-down list is going to remain similar to how it is now.  If you are in the French>English dictionary, you probably need to have French>English and English>French at the top, and any other options
> down below.


That's good news !


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