Focus the search bar on desktop by default #1865

Click-Free Search Bar
When I open the app, the most important function is searching. As Steve Krug says in Don’t Make Me Think, it should be as natural as possible. So requiring an extra click to access the search bar is unacceptable. Google Maps dedicates a large top bar for search, which is an effective approach.
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Well Google Maps has no larger top bar but yes it is automatically focused, good idea :)

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Oh, @hayriokcu you probably meant on mobile ? If so, can you share illustrations of yours ? I don't have Gmap on my phone (can't install) and the Web version is quite different from the mobile version (that often changes, by the way).

Cartes Search Bar
In Cartes, the search bar is hidden in the bottom-left corner. Clicking it reveals a search field, an advertisement text, language options, and multiple icons—some recognizable, others unclear. This clutter disrupts the user experience. The squeezed text "A free and open map..." is better suited for the homepage, not the search interface.

The search bar should not be hidden on cartes.app. Can you share your experience visually or more precisely ?

@laem wrote in #1865 (comment):

Oh, @hayriokcu you probably meant on mobile ? If so, can you share illustrations of yours ? I don't have Gmap on my phone (can't install) and the Web version is quite different from the mobile version (that often changes, by the way).

There is no focus on mobile, it would open the virtual keyboard!

Yes, there's something I don't understand here.

@laem wrote in #1865 (comment):

Oh, @hayriokcu you probably meant on mobile ? If so, can you share illustrations of yours ? I don't have Gmap on my phone (can't install) and the Web version is quite different from the mobile version (that often changes, by the way).

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Hi @laem, yes I referred the mobile. Here you have the comparison. That could be nice a readily available top search bar rather then clicking on bottom left corner.

Also when we click to the bottom left button for search button. It occupies much more space than it suppose to be. For me the one on the right could be much better default view. Of course you need to reposition compass and current location icons.

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@hayriokcu

Is your bug also "by default when opening the app, the search bar doesn't show up"

that's right?

I agree that the language selector makes the bottom space bigger than necessary

#1863 (comment):

I am sorry its my mistake, apparently in Cartes I didn't restarted. So I confirm when I restarted the app it provides a search bar intially. Just now I realize the other apps do not allow me to hide the search bar permanently like Cartes. So there is no bug to be reported at the moment.

En listant les tickets qui parlent de la barre de recherche, je remarque que ce ticket est en fait un doublon de #713

For me the one on the right could be much better default view. Of course you need to reposition compass and current location icons.

We went for Apple's take on map design, not Google's. I'm pretty sure it's the good options : smartphones are enormous these days, and your fingers are at their bottom, not at their top.

I agree Google top bar is not enough ergonomic bottom is a better approach.
However, if I compare the apps uses the bottom active notch: Cartes.app has:

1. The narrowest search bar, that's good enough but could be better to get a little bigger
2. The bottom bar covers too much space, given there is the light blue top bar (at the top of the screen) which is unusable (and idk why the color is not dark blue but light). Therefore, we have the smallest map area amongst other apps.
3. Amongst them Cartes has the clunkiest bottom bar. It doesn't move smoothly. Sometimes you have to directly use the notch part to move. That is not an issue for the other apps.
4. Again on the bottom bar personally the "saved locations" such as Home, Work etc. are more important than filter icons (resto, cafe, etc.). As you see Here nicely applies that. Imagine the user is in somewhere and wants to quickly check the route to home. They can open the app and click only Home to check the possible route. If they want to access to the filter icons they click to search bar. it is more logical for me, first click to the search bar then the filter icons appear.

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5. I am not very fan of having a exhaustive text explaining the functions and mentions Google and Apple. Actually Cartes.app alternative to other navs as well. So a simple line saying "A free and open-source map." is way more sufficient and readable by people. And in the mobile app the language bar could be on the right side of the text, so it wouldn't occupy more vertical space.

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@hayriokcu wrote in #1865 (comment):

4. Personally the most important thing is saved location to appear like Home, Work etc. rather than filter icons (resto, cafe, etc.).

Save some favorites and you will see them and the explanation text won't be visible anymore on the default opening snap point.

And so most of the points will be solved 😉

You raise some good points overall but my point of view it's a lot of time consuming adjustments that requires a lot of discussions.

Are youhable to fix some of them if we settle on changes to do?

Hi @pmiossec, thank you for your answer indeed that solves 4 and 5.

And in general, I am sorry if my comments sound time consuming. I am just a user, as I have mentioned #1863 0.Context. I would like to contribute in coding level but it is beyond of my capability. I will be more careful for the following comments.

@hayriokcu wrote in #1865 (comment):

And in general, I am sorry if my comments sound time consuming. I would like to contribute in coding level but it is beyond of my capability. I will be more careful for the following comments.

All idea are welcomed. They just need to be approved and a (random) contributor can implement it ;)

I think cartes.app is providing multiples things that the user doesn't know at first sight. E.g the favorites mentioned by @pmiossec ;)

1. Bigger mobile elements : yes ! #1926
2. The bottom bar covers too much space, given there is the light blue top bar (at the top of the screen) which is unusable (and idk why the color is not dark blue but light). Therefore, we have the smallest map area amongst other apps.

We can't act on the blue bar at the top, nor set it to dark mode I'm afraid.

Therefore, we have the smallest map area amongst other apps.

Not exactly : Google has lots of area used by non-map elements. Also : we have to advertise oursleves to new users. Big tech don't.

3. Amongst them Cartes has the clunkiest bottom bar. It doesn't move smoothly. Sometimes you have to directly use the notch part to move. That is not an issue for the other apps.

Yes, precisely because big tech reject the Web, and hence bottom sheet libraries are quite bad on the Web, but perfectly engineered on mobile :/ Follow this subject here : #1027 (comment)

Low hanging fruits possible !

thanks @laem! For top bar I totally understand, only aesthetically it would be quite nice turning to the dark blue in dark mode activated.

3. Amongst them Cartes has the clunkiest bottom bar. It doesn't move smoothly. Sometimes you have to directly use the notch part to move. That is not an issue for the other apps.

Just to clarify the point 3. When I compare (all in mobile) Here, Waze and Apple Maps it appears Cartes have some response issues. Such as the scrolling up and down stucks occasionally so I have to use the notch itself to use the bottom bar. Also the motion is a bit lagging compared to others. And the other apps perform very similar behavior not many issues on responsiveness and lagging.

Pour éviter le clique inutile, il faut utiliser en html l’attributs autofocus ou en js la fonction [input element].focus()