Re: Copy-Paste between filemanager and document editor

[Calum Benson <calum benson sun com>]

Rodd Clarkson wrote:

> I'm with you on this.  There needs to be a default behavior for all
> files regardless of type.  Personally, I like the file to copy by
> default.  This may create some mess but it does guaranty that you don't
> end up moving any files that are vital.

This, of course, is why the Microsoft model has ended up such a mess--
because they always Try To Do The Right Thing with an unmodified drag,
which on the face of it sounds sensible, but ends up being another case
of computer-trying-to-outsmart-user-and-failing.  

If they'd just stuck to the two simplest cases, they might have got away
with it:

- Dragging things between volumes: "aha, user is making a backup,
probably only wants to copy".  

- Dragging within same volume: "user is rearranging files on disk,
probably wants to move rather than copy".

Trouble is, of course, that "different volumes" can mean all sorts of
things, not just removable media-- such as different partitions on the
same disk, between which you're probably more likely to move things than
copy them.  And having to cope with different results depending on the
file type is, as we've all pointed out, a recipe for usability
disaster...

Cheeri,
Calum.

-- 
Calum Benson               Tel: +353 1 819 9771
Usability Engineer         Fax: +353 1 819 9078 
Sun Microsystems Ireland   
http://www.sun.ie          mailto:calum.benson@sun.com