Re: First UI component needing replacement.

[Ken Fox <kfox vulpes com>]

"Michael T. Babcock" wrote:
> From: "Ken Fox" <kfox@vulpes.com>
> > If people don't like <space> and all the reasonable <tab> combinations are
> > taken, what if we use <shift><space> or <control><space>?
> 
> I'm not sure this is a good proposal, but what if it were a function key or
> the "?" key (which would then have to be escaped as a character in
> filenames)?

I was hoping that <?> would be the "only shows files beginning with what
I've typed so far" command. Originally I was hoping for <space> to be the
auto-complete command. <control><space> could be used instead of <space>.

People don't seem to upset with the thought of making '?' harder to use as
a file name, but ' ' is a problem. Is this a fair summary?

The switchable behavior for auto-complete shouldn't be the <control><space>
command, but whether or not the auto-complete text shows up in the file
name field *automatically* and selected -- just like Windows auto-complete.
The problem I have with this is that partial auto-completions don't work
well which sort of defeats the purpose of auto-complete in a file dialog.

If I have a directory with these files:

  blah
  recommendations.doc
  resume 1999.doc
  resume 1999.ps
  resume 2000.doc
  results of job search.txt

and my goal is to open "resume 2000.doc", here's how I'd like to work:

  type <r>			-- all files beginning with 'r' highlight
       <control><space>		-- auto-complete file name to "re"
       <s>
       <control><space>		-- now "resu"
       <m>
       <control><space>		-- now "resume "
       <2>
       <control><space>		-- now "resume 2000.doc"
       <return>			-- returns file name to application

This isn't an optimal key sequence (although it would be if <space> were
the completion command ;). It just shows that when auto-completion is
available I use it a lot. It would be interesting to see if this is a
common pattern or if I'm just weird.

BTW, this is an extremely odd arrangement of files. Most of the time
I can select a file with just a couple of auto-complete commands.

Under pure Windows auto-complete, here's how I believe Windows would
behave:

  type <r>			-- file name becomes "r<b>ecommendations.doc</b>"
       <e>			-- "re<b>commendations.doc</b>"
       <s>			-- "res<b>ume 1999.doc</b>"
       <u>			-- "resu<b>me 1999.doc</b>"
       <m>			-- "resum<b>e 1999.doc</b>"
       <e>			-- "resume<b> 1999.doc</b>"
       <space>			-- "resume <b>1999.doc</b>"
       <2>			-- "resume 2<b>000.doc</b>"
       <return>

This isn't bad, but it doesn't allow people to skip over a common prefix
or base in the file name. This makes it fast for choosing the first in a
list, but bad for jumping through a list.

Of course these two behaviors can be easily combined. New users don't
have to learn about <control><space> to use the Windows-style auto-complete.
Advanced users know that they don't have to commit to the entire proposed
auto-completion text -- they can commit to just the common prefix of the
proposed text. With the two behaviors combined, here's an optimal (I think)
key sequence:

  type <r>
       <e>
       <s>
       <control><space>
       <2>
       <return>

- Ken