JDK-6333557 : Numerous usability issues in jconsole
  • Type: Enhancement
  • Component: tools
  • Sub-Component: jconsole
  • Affected Version: 5.0u6
  • Priority: P4
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Cannot Reproduce
  • OS: windows_xp
  • CPU: x86
  • Submitted: 2005-10-06
  • Updated: 2010-07-29
  • Resolved: 2007-09-17
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JDK 7
7Resolved
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Description
A DESCRIPTION OF THE REQUEST :
There are numerous small, but highly annoying usability issues in jconsole.
  1) There is no reliable way to sort the table columns (yet they sometimes
       seem to get re-sorted...)  Normal click-on-column-header sorting should
       be provided.
  2) The connection dialog box does not map "enter" and "escape" to
       Connect and Cancel, respectively.
  3) Selecting Connect in the connection dialog does not give any indication
       that an attempt is being made to connect.  Worse, it accepts additional
       clicks while the first connection is being attemped.  Users tend to believe their click did not register or that jconsole is hung and then hit the
       Connect button many times -- resulting in many connection windows.
  4) Once one has multiple connection windows there appears to be no way to
       go back to a fully SDI-like UI (once all but one connection has been
       closed).  One can maximize the remaining internal frame but there is
       always a separately visible internal frame from thereon out.

JUSTIFICATION :
jconsole does not need to be an end-all vehicle for JMX monitoring (i.e. I'm not asking for the ability to create monitoring MBeans through the GUI or such).

What functionality is provided should conform with de facto UI standards (as seen from a user persepctive) for the components used.  The UI should also not leave the user hanging, wondering if their input was accepted (item 3 above).

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
All of these items should be addressed.  An ability to link the built-in Java 5 MBeans (or others as well) to Javadoc for these would also be nice...
ACTUAL -
See above.

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Use another JMX console.

That's not really a workaround as the built-in JMX console should just be cleaned up a bit.  Right now it feels like someone just forgot to clean up the rough UI edges.

Comments
EVALUATION This bug is no longer reproducible. Points 1) to 4) have been resolved by other bug fixes.
17-09-2007

EVALUATION 6245902: New Connection Dialog addresses several usability issues regarding the connection dialog. Will update this RFE accordingly when 6245902 is fixed and use this RFE to track other issues.
06-10-2005