I was checking the database scheme (not sure if this is up to date: dev.piwik.org/trac/browser/trunk/misc/db-schema.png) and while I was doing so I was asking myself why every tool has the resolution of the screen, but never the viewport of the browser.
As far as I know this is not too difficult to get.
From a usability point of view, the viewport is much more relevant, as it tells us basically, what the browser displays of the website without scrolling. Because the bigger the screens (and thus resolutions) are getting, less can we expect the users to use the browser in full screen.
So I would like to ask to add this feature, if possible. I don’t see a major problem of adding it (I might be wrong) and it gives us at least as much information as the resolution of the screen does.
I just see now, that I forgot to explain what the viewport actually is. I assume that most here in the forum will know, but I will give a short explanation:
The viewport is the part of the browser, where the actual website is presented.
So even if someone uses the browser maximized, there are still elements of the browser like the windows elements, the address bar, the bar for addons, the status bar at the bottom, the scroll bar etc. that make the space for the website (browser viewport) smaller than the actual resolution.
With small screen the browser is usually maximized, so you can have an educated guess on which portion of the website can still be seen without scrolling.
The bigger the screens get, the lower the probability that the browser occupies the whole screen. So the resolution can be misleading.
Users might have several windows open on the same screen. Here the viewport is a lot more usful. i hope that was a little clearer now.
That is what I also think. It makes a lot of sense. I don’t get it why all tools offer the resolution, but not the viewport.
Resolution can be interesting, but you can hardly use it for improvements, because the actual resolution of the screen doesn’t have much relevance for a website. For statistical purpose it is a nice to have, but I can’t see how to develop improvement measures for the website based on the resolution.
Even the Google Analytics guys, usually quite advanced and thinking ahead don’t offer it.
I hope it will make it into Piwik, because as you can see, I would consider it more important than the resolution.
[quote=holch @ Apr 27 2010, 01:00 PM]Thanks for your response.
That is what I also think. It makes a lot of sense. I don’t get it why all tools offer the resolution, but not the viewport.
Resolution can be interesting, but you can hardly use it for improvements, because the actual resolution of the screen doesn’t have much relevance for a website. For statistical purpose it is a nice to have, but I can’t see how to develop improvement measures for the website based on the resolution.
Even the Google Analytics guys, usually quite advanced and thinking ahead don’t offer it.
I hope it will make it into Piwik, because as you can see, I would consider it more important than the resolution.
I second the ticket! ;-)[/quote]
Actual the description of that ticket is wrong. Because “actual browser window size” is different. The browser window contains everything, all the elements of the browser, etc.
However, it is talking actually about the viewport, which is measured with window.inner* :
