Re: Feature Request

[Jamie McCracken <jamiemcc blueyonder co uk>]

On Wed, 2004-06-09 at 13:19, Christian Schneider wrote:
> Patrick Kellaher wrote:
> 
> >I have three requests for inclusion into Nautilus:
> >
> >1) Make it easier to change the default file browser to the non-spatial
> >file browser.
> >  
> >
> This would definately be nice. The nautilus preferences would be a nice 
> place for such a setting. Although I think the current lack of an easy 
> widget to change the behaviour is on purpose. So the developers ensure 
> that people at least try to use the spatial mode instead of turning it 
> off right away because they are not familiar with it.
> 

I have added that along with some more options for spatial mode
(basically all the tweaks I'm planning to do to it). It will be
available in a forthcoming patch by me.

See my new nauilus pref screenshot (I have added an extra tab for
navigation to it - its not a mockup!) :

http://www.jamiemcc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nautilus_pref_snapshot.png


> >2) In the Spatial file browser create a menu bar with an Up button and
> >an address bar (for use with things like themes:// which is given in the
> >docs)
> >  
> >
> The problem with an address bar in the window is that you can only show 
> the current path in this bar.
> If you enter another path it can only be opened in a new window (See 
> below why). My suggestion is to show a single address bar in the panel 
> and open the corresponding window when an entry is made.

Not needed in my opinion

> 
> >3) In the Spatial file browser make it easy to change if you want sub
> >directories to open in a new window or the same window.
> >  
> >
> I don´t think you have understood the spatial idea. The thing that makes 
> spatial browsing special
> is that each folder on the disk is associated to a certain window. The 
> window placement and size is stored to make it easier for a human to 
> remember this association. If you open all folders in the same window 
> you don´t do spatial browsing. In this case you better use the browse 
> mode with the tree in the left part of the window.

Spatial Coherency is the one unique view per folder.
Spatial Stability is loading/saving properties of that folder.

If you open folders in the same window you can still get spatial
coherence though some of the properties like window size/position would
not apply of course. I think there should be an option for opening in
same window if the user wishes to sacrifice some of the spatial
properties and thats what I hope to add in a future patch.

> 
> btw. I am no developer of nautilus. Like you I can only make suggestions.

I'm not a core developer of nautilus either but if you can program in C
its easy enough to hack nautilus. Given the snail pace rate of
development in Nautilus, if you want something done its best to do it
yourself if you can - i've a feeling most of the enhancement requests
will never be implemented otherwise...

jamie.

> 
> Christian Schneider