Re: File selector UI proposal (dir. lists)

["Stefan Andersen" <zingo zingo org>]

Here is some of my ideas arounf directory listings:


One frame mode
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> On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:29:28 -0600, Michael L Torrie wrote:
>> If there are more than 10 or so folders in the directory, you won't see any file until you scroll down.  Many
>> users could find it confusing when they don't see any files.  With a file folder view and a file view, you don't
>> ever have this problem.  That said, average users probably are confused by the directory view and the file view in
>> separate panes.
>
> And an awnser from Ryan Lovett
> If the file browser was sorted alphabetically, "folder bunching" could be avoided. A single list with both files and
> folders is simple and very easy to use and understand. The old MacOS had this and navigating Open/Save/Choose
> dialogs was a breeze. (though it'd take lots of user testing to see if this is true for some favorable percentage of
> users)
>
> Ryan

I personally dont like the sorting of fileselectors but this is probably something that most user have to use a while
before getting used to, and maybe like.

But I think that the resons that I didn't like the alpha-sorted list (I think this was possible on some platform maybe
Amiga but it was configurable) was that the problem was the oposite of what Michael L Torrie  writes above:

Almost all times when you save/loading a file you are putting/getting it in a leaf folder.
Meaning that almost all times when you browse in the fileselectors and there are a lot of folders you tend be on your
way to selecet a folder anyway. So the separation is in most cases a good thing at least for "power users".
This dosen't mean that I in anyway suggest that the folder/file should separated by default, but at least configurable.

Two frame mode
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I have not learned to like the separatation of folders and files into different frames, It makes me have to change my
focus to se if I'm in the rigth place. But since there seems like many people in this list seems to like it I think
that this is just me having to use it some more to appritiate it and getting used to it.


-- 
Stefan "Zingo" Andersen   (zingo.org and vectrace.com)