Re: PATCH: Bug 82463

[Dave Bordoley <bordoley msu edu>]

On Mon, 2002-09-02 at 04:10, Alexander Larsson wrote:
> I'm not sure I like this. Given Nautilus reliance on drag and drop between 
> multiple windows for managing files I find that opening new windows is a 
> very common operation. I'm myself used to opening new windows from the 
> File menu, but having it in the context menu seems useful, as it's faster 
> and easier to hit.

Alex see seths comments on object vs. browser metaphors.the reasons you
list for keeping new window make 100% sense in a browser ui, however as
seth has noted the browser metaphor is completely broken. (He can
explain this much more eloquently than I, please see his comments that i
attached to bug 82107). 

> 
> 
> On the other hand, if someone points out reasons for New Window on the 
> context menu being actively BAD for something we should probably remove 
> it. I don't think that the context menu where New Window appears is 
> cluttered, hard to read or anything like that, so I don't think it's bad.
> 

Concrete reasons from bug 77292: (this bug actually deals with the
confusion)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
from greg merchan:
New Window opens my a Nautilus window on my home folder instead of
the desktop. There seems to be no way to open the desktop as a list or
other view from the desktop itself. CDE/Motif users will expect New
Window to open a terminal.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

It just is not very clear what new window does, why should the new
window be the home dir,if anything it should be another copy of the
current directory (assuming a browser metaphor is used).

I'd also add that the confusion is worst on the desktop since 2 items
(new folder/launcher) actually do an action on the curent folder (ie
create an item in the folder) while new window and new terminal just
open seemingly random windows.

> Some people suggested renaming New window to "Open Home dir" or something. 
> I think this misses the point of the operation. You open a new window 
> because you need another one to manipulate files. The fact that it opens 
> the default directory is a byproduct, and when looking for the operation 
> in the menus you're not searching for the byproduct. If what you really 
> wanted was just to go to the home dir there is already the more logical 
> Go->Home menu item.

Well in the case of the context menu open home dir is much more clear,
since if you assume your acting on the object (current folder) i'd
expect new window to open another copy of the current window. Of course
this is kind of silly. 

It's really late, and im not sure if im making sense anymore...

dave