Re: GtkFileChooser extensions

[Sven Neumann <sven gimp org>]

Hi,

Curtis Hovey <sinzui cox net> writes:

> This file chooser conversation has gone on far too long.  If the user
> really knows the file that must be opened, then type it into location
> dialog to open it or into search to see the file(s) that match, and open
> it.  
>
> This is a file chooser, the user is picking the file from the folders on
> his desktop.  It lists the files it find in folders.  Regular users
> don't have deep folders so they do not need path completion.  I doubt
> the average user truly, needs a file chooser, we could teach the user to
> use Nautilus (my own habit).  Honestly, desktop computing is a lot
> simpler without file choosers, project/file sidebars, file save dialogs.
> Nautilus does all of that.

You are obviously not talking to users. Please join the GIMP user
mailing list and listen to what our users have to say about the new
file chooser. I am actually trying to defend our decision to use the
new file-chooser widget but I am having a hard time to do so.
Obviously quite a lot of our users are quite familiar with their
file-systems and would like to continue to use that knowledge. If you
ask me, a file-chooser where you cannot even enter a filename is a
usability nightmare.

> For users who understand paths and know the file they wish to open,
> they can use open from location.

Open Location is not a very useful alternative to a filename entry
with Tab completion as the one we had in GTK+-1.2. It is ridiculous to
state that people who know the file they wish to open, should use that
dialog. Understanding paths and knowing where the file is, doesn't
mean that you want to enter the full path into a simple text entry.


Sven