Re: [PATCH] bug 145237: parent-folders button does not look like a button

[Elia Cogodi <eliacogodi tin it>]

> On Tue, 2004-10-05 at 08:34 -0400, Michael Henson wrote:
> > On Tue, 2004-10-05 at 10:39 +0200, Alexander Larsson wrote:
> > > On Tue, 2004-10-05 at 00:09 -0400, Michael Henson wrote:
> > > > Attached is a patch to help make the parent-folder button a little more
> > > > prominent. A quick screenshoot of the patch in action can be found at:
> > > > http://bugzilla.gnome.org/attachment.cgi?id=32231&action=view
> > > 
> > > I dislike the icon. I don't see what that buys us, since we already have
> > > a load of folder icons all over. All it does is take space in the status
> > > bar. Perhaps we should change the beveling. I'm not sure. Since we added
> > > the arrow, do people still have problem understanding the dropdown is a
> > > menu?
> > > 
> > 
> > Ok, I can see that. I just placed it their as another potential
> > indicator. Perhaps just making it look like a proper button would be
> > sufficient?
> > 
> > I think the real issue is that even with the arrow it just looks as if
> > it is a label displaying the name of the current directory. I know when
> > I started using spatial nautilus, it wasn't readily apparent that
> > clicking on it would allow me to traverse the parent directories.
> 
> So. The reason i'm uncertain here really is that with the bevels, the
> toolbar looks pretty ugly. On the other hand, it *is* clearly a
> usability problem. So, we either come up with a better idea that doesn't
> look as ugly, or we bit the bullet and add the bevel. ATM i don't have a
> better idea though.

Frankly, I never liked having that button in the status bar, as it
should be used to show... well, status of the selected items really.
I can't see much good in the widget: it's not obvious visually, it
requires to aim for a corner of the window for the mouse users and is
also not great for keyboard navigation.

I don't know if the proposal was advanced in the past and rejected for
some reason, but what about simply adding a new menu after "Places":
call it "Parent folders", place the hierarchy in there in inverted order
from parent to /, separator, "Open Parent", "Close Parent Folders" from
File menu (they're out of place there anyway as the menu seems to apply
to the selected folders). It would also be the right time to move "Open
Location" and "Connect To Server" from File to Places menu :)

If for some reason you're still of the idea that the widget should stay,
I think that the main reason for confusion in the users stems from it
showing by default the very same name of the window... it looks like a
label with no indication of its function. Following the old good HIG
indication of using verbs in buttons, what about showing in there by
default not the same window, but the first level parent and adding a "go
to " in front of it...
this way a user looking at a window representing /home/john/html/css
would see in the bottom left a much more expressive button labeled "go
to "html" "

PS: sorry to Alexander Larsson for that first mis-sent email 
-- 
Elia Cogodi <eliacogodi tin it>