Re: Suggestion for the actual UI of GTK+'s New FileSelector

[Melvin Hadasht <melvin hadasht free fr>]

> FYI:
> http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=5582
> Please read the article for full explanation as to why things are the way
> they are in the mockup.
> 
> Suggestions (but mostly source code :-) are welcome.

Very interesting and compact. Is there a Python prototype so we can try to interact with it ?

Is the "Drag & Drop an object here to add a shortcut" label an artifact to explain us how it works or will it really be displayed if implemented?

The navigation path is something I missed from ... CDE file manager:
http://docs.sun.com/db/doc/806-4743/6jdq6q1vk?a=view (so I guess Sun
or CDE came with this idea before PathFinder)

May be appending directory separator to the directory names will make it more obvious in the navigation path that this is the current path? I find its position on top better and more logical (top down approach): I go up to change to some parent directory then down to the list then down again to the file entry if I want to type a name. I saw the mockup where it is under the list: in that case a vertical spacing should be added: it was not easy to find.

Do I assume correctly that the preview pane would be on the right?

I find that your proposition is easier to scan for the eye: simpler organization, compact. Actions buttons are in one place (row). But the "Search" label is 
a bit confusing to me: if I were to type in a filename, I would have searched for a "Open/Save" or better "File" or "Directory" or "Location" not "Search".

Concerning the current CVS filechooser:

The first row (Up and "Files of Type") is filled to less than 50%.

I find that it has too much white space: the bookmarks list has a default width that is too wide due to the "add bookmark" and "delete" buttons, while the 
directory list is by default too tight: the "modified time" is only half shown and
I have to use the horizontal bar.

The preview pane could extend to the top of the dialog instead of stopping under the first row.

The "Add bookmark" button is shown even if the filesystem does not support it. I was thinking that this could be worked around by letting gtk2 create hidden bookmark lists ? Would this be a welcomed feature ?

I do not use gnome (because I do not need it) so the directory list comes without icons and seeing some files listed bold was confusing. An icon and a directory separator would be more logical to me. Bold is just an aesthetical
information that is in no way linked to the fact that the file is a directory (that is until we are used to it).

I find that the "Up to parent directory" placed too much far from the directory
list. I missed also the ".." directory which could also be listed with an "up" icon. 

Cheers.

-- 
Melvin Hadasht