Re: some thoughts..

["Kenneth R. Kinder" <Ken KenAndTed com>]

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[ File Manager ]

I definitely think you are on a good idea.  I think the file manager, 
actually (and I think you and I are on the same lines) be a "I don't do 
anything" program - like Emacs.  But it should live on dynamicly loaded 
modules that do other things - like SMB modules, FTP modules, http 
modules, ect.

Each additional package should have its own RPM/tar.gz - like 
gfileman-ftpXYZ.rpm!  Then, in say /usr/X11R6/lib/gnome/filemanager or 
whatever, it could have perhaps some plug ins stored?

> File open/save dialog - GTK's default one isn't going to be enough, I
> think it should be merged with file manager somehow, dialog should
> probably look something like in win95? :)

I like the idea of giving the user a common file manager <-> browser 
thing.  Infact, if the file browser used the file manager plug ins!  Oh 
look at the possibilities!  Except, I don't like that idea of making it 
like Win95's anything.  IMO, virtually everything about 95 sucks.

I'd like to see the file manager not be too cluttered.  MacOS, for 
example, has a great way of making things look messy OR ugly.  I think we 
should look at what OS/2 does for its file manager.

> Like having either small icons
> (different to each filetype, like in file manager) for each file and after
> them the file's name, or then the long file list with more specific file
> information. Directories could also be created in this dialog as well as
> files/directories moved, removed, renamed and changed their properties.

Yeah - you always need file management features in a browser.

> And what goes to merging of file manager, I think short+long lists should
> be in both file manager and file dialog, file manager should also have the 
> "big icons" list. So, gnome-libs should have a "short file list" widget,
> "long file list" widget and "open/save file" dialog which would use 
> short+long widgets. File manager should also use short+long widgets 
> besides it's own ones.. I might start doing these dialogs if no-one else
> is willing to .. I should first learn how to make widgets and probably
> how to use gdk also..

When in doubt, let it be a configuration option.

> Are you sure gmc is the right file manager to use? I personally don't
> like it right now, and because it's ported to many operating systems, it
> probably has a lot of useless code. Anyway I'd dare to say that creating a
> new fm from scratch would be better since gmc still doesn't seem do very
> much.

> Should the desktop icon handling belong to file manager? Unless some icon
> is really clicked and file manager window is displayed, I think it's a
> waste of memory to keep it sitting there at background..

I think the file manager should be deeply integrated into the overall 
system.  Like each program should be able to call it and use its function. 
 Now, the desktop (or, as I prefer, the root window) should feature file 
manager-like stuff - ie dragging a directory or object onto it, and have 
it be there.

But what I really hate about some systems is putting key icons on such a 
virtually inaccessible place as the desktop.  You have to minimize or hide 
EVERYTHING just to get to your hard drive?  Apple - you could have done 
better!

> Hm.. what else.. well, a couple of suggestions:

Good thoughts... good thoughts. :)

[ snip ]


- -- 

 H3C-N--C=N      | Kenneth R. Kinder, aka Bouncing     
"code=caffiene*hours"
      \==/       | Ken@KenAndTed.com  http://www.KenAndTed.com/KensBookmark
/
    O=<__>N-C3H  |
  H3C-N \\O      |                   Ken & Ted's Software
_________________| http://www.KenAndTed.com/          
Software@KenAndTed.com




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