Re: [Usability] Re: Suggestion for the actual UI of GTK+'s New FileSelector

[Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>]

On Fri, 2004-01-09 at 11:17, iain wrote:

> When you create  file chooser you have to specify the mode in which you
> want the file chooser to be. Currently those modes are
> GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_OPEN and GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_SAVE.
> Would it be worthwhile adding a GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_FOLDER so that
> you can then only select folders, or create them. It would only be in
> this mode that the "New Folder" button is present.

Perhaps.  I could see New Folder being useful during a save file
operation, altho then we get back into, "why are we managing the file
system in the file dialog?"  I know personally I tend to use it a lot,
but that doesn't mean that habit is a good one.  ~,^

I do think we should have a DIRECTORY mode tho.  The UI for selecting
directories would likely be different in an ideal system - for example,
it might opt to not show files by default (pointless clutter in most
cases), and have a UI better dedicated to finding specific folders,
versus files within folders.  I.e., the path-finder idea would be
horrible, since that's too little UI dedicate to the primary purpose of
the dialog in the case of finding a folder.  A tree or some other
construct that is too big and unwieldly would probably work better.  But
debating the best UI for the operation is wholly useless if the API
doesn't make it possible...

> 
> I think that selecting a folder is a common enough operation that it
> could warrent a new mode of operation, but we're past API freeze, so I
> wish I'd thought of it sooner (or is GTK still slushy frozen?).

Bad iain, think sooner from now on!  ;-)  Would adding such an operating
break ABI?  (I don't see how it would...)  If GTK is frozen, it should
at least be possible to add later, yes?

> 
> Any comments?
> iain
-- 
Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>
AwesomePlay Productions, Inc.