Use ui_font_size in chat panel

[nirs]

Current chat panel font size is tiny and not usable for anyone. To make it useable we can increase the ui_font_size setting, but this makes the ui too big. The ui looks great with the default size, so lets make the chat look good with the default setting.

Change the chat panel to use to ui font size:

• Change items using text_ui_sm and text_ui_xs to text_ui
• Change LabelSize::Small to LabelSize:Default

I kept LabelSize:Small for text about delete message. This is a case when we can use smaller font size.

Maybe we can tweak some items to use little bit smaller font later.

Example window with new font size:

Closes #21037

Release Notes:

• Collab panel readability improved to use the ui_font_size setting.

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[nirs]

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[RemcoSmitsDev]

I feel like it makes it worse, as before the smaller font sizes made is easier to point the focus to the message itself. Now there is not really a visual distinct between the message and the reply message, for example, which we made with intent smaller than the message author name itself, because it's not the main focus of the message.

Wouldn't increasing your ui_font_size fix the issue for you?

I get that the font size is smaller compare to other parts of the Zed UI, but I think it has benefits here.
Because we can fit more messages inside the panel, as I think most people don't have the chat panel open that wide as inside the screenshot.

If you use the default width of the chat panel and the default font-size. (without your change)

If you use the default width of the chat panel and increase the font by 2px inside the settings, you already start losing some information e.g. the date when the message was created. (without your change)

So if we would increase the overall font-size, we should consider increasing the default width of the chat panel, because you are going to miss even more information with your change.

Curious what your thoughts are?

[nirs]

I feel like it makes it worse, as before the smaller font sizes made is easier to point the focus to the message itself. Now there is not really a visual distinct between the message and the reply message, for example, which we made with intent smaller than the message author name itself, because it's not the main focus of the message.

It is true that when everything is using the default size, the visual distinction is worse, but we have the author avatar, name (in bold font) and date which separates the title from the message. Maybe it can be tweaked a little bit, but not int the extreme way that make it unreadable.

I can try to tweak the title line a little bit, maybe use 12pt or 13pt instead of 14pt.

Wouldn't increasing your ui_font_size fix the issue for you?

No, the UI is perfect in the default size (16). The issue is the extreme small font of the collab part.

I get that the font size is smaller compare to other parts of the Zed UI, but I think it has benefits here. Because we can fit more messages inside the panel, as I think most people don't have the chat panel open that wide as inside the screenshot.

It is not usable at this size, so there are no benefits :-). For me I cannot use the chat in the current form.

If you use the default width of the chat panel and the default font-size.

The default width is not useable, this is another thing that need to be fixed. Why would you want to use such a tiny window?

So if we would increase the overall font-size, we should consider increasing the default width of the chat panel, because you are going to miss even more information with your change.

Yes I'll try to increase it, it should probably be 20-30% wider based the font changes.

I think we need to find a default which can work for most users. The default cannot be the smallest possible font since then some users cannot use it. If we pick something in the middle, it will work for people that use larger ui_font_size and smaller ui_font_size.

[RemcoSmitsDev]

Yeah, if you are on a 13-inch MacBook make it so wide as you have, there is no room left for displaying the code in a normal way. What part is not usable for you? Are you using a big display like a 4k monitor?

[nirs]

Yeah, if you are on a 13-inch MacBook make it so wide as you have, there is no room left for displaying the code in a normal way. What part is not usable for you? Are you using a big display like a 4k monitor?

I'm using 2 environments:

• MacBook Pro 14" using default resolution (1512x982)
• Same connected to 27" 4k screen, using 2560x1440

Both use the same pixles per inch.

The example screenshot was just an example wide enough to display the text, not the way I'm using the chat since I don't use it now (cannot read the tiny text). On the smaller screen I will never show both the left and the right panes since no room is left for the code. On the bigger screen it is possible to open 3 panes all the time, but I usually have lot of other shells and apps so I never work in full screen mode.

Do you have recommendation for window configuration to test? maybe you can share screenshot used for the current design?