Re: Suggestion: The option to open a folder in a New Tab instead of a New Window.

[Alexander Larsson <alexl redhat com>]

On Thu, 2007-08-30 at 21:00 +1000, Mark Thiele wrote:
> > There is nothing wrong in not being everything to everyone. 
> 
> True, but you don't have to be a power user to want to have access 
> multiple files in multiple directories all at once.

You can do that fine already. Just use multiple windows.

> > There is a cost that all users have to bear when you add complex
> > features to the UI, so for each feature its a tradeoff you have to make
> > between how it affects the majority of users and how much it gains the
> > people who use the feature. 
> >   
> I would suggest that most users would not be calling for tabs, as they 
> have not had the opportunity to use them before in a file browser. There 
> is nothing to stop it being a preference option. I would also suggest 
> that it may become quite popular if it were offered in an obvious way. A 
> quick search of the web will discover many calls for tabs in nautilus.

Web searches are not a good way do decide user interface questions. Only
the vocal are visible in such a search. They may easily be a minority,
plus you don't see the people who already like the current behaviour. 

> > Of course, nobody has done the work of actually implementing tabs and
> > designing the user interaction model. So perhaps its possible to do it
> > such that it doesn't affect the non-tab-user much and doesn't cause too
> > much strain on the rest of the codebase. If that is the case, and the
> > patch is clean it might be accepted. But I am not gonna spend time on it
> > personally.
> >   
> I'd have a look at it, within the time I have available, but do not know 
> where to start. Any pointers?

Not really. Start with reading the stuff in the docs dir in the source
tree. Its slightly outdated, but a good start.

> > For nautils it would be different, as much of the widgetry around the
> > view is context-dependant on what is in the view, so there is a much
> > more complicated interaction model. For instance, the menus, toolbars,
> > uri bars etc would change as you switch views. Not impossible to code,
> > but it surely makes the UI model more complex. Not to mention how it
> > totally breaks the spatial model (although one could support tabs just
> > in browse mode).
> >   
> I never knew there was anything other than browse mode until yesterday! 
> Isn't it default?

The default is spatial with a browser launching icon in the menu (and
its availible in all directory context menus). However, ubunty changes
this to always use browser mode.

>  If you do have  a large number of text based files open however, won't 
> you want a file browser with the ability to stand alongside? I've put 
> pcmanfm launchers on my desktop for this purpose, but still feel that I 
> shouldn't have to go to the bother.

In general you don't have as many directories as you have files though.

> > Still, tabs in gedit bug me because
> > opening a new file not giving me a new window just seems weird and
> > unexpected. As a causual gedit user I would prefer it to not use tabs,
> > as I've seen only pain from it and no gain.
> >   
> I absolutely love the tab feature in gedit, so I guess personal taste 
> comes into it. I'd put it down as all gain and no pain. Personally I 
> hate sorting through multiple windows, so the fewer windows I have open, 
> the happier I am.

So, why are you not running a tabbed window manager? Then you'd only
have tabs?

> If you want a gedit file in a separate window, just drag-and-drop the 
> tab onto the desktop and it will open a new window. If you want to take 
> a file from one window to another, just drag-and-drop the tab. I've 
> found it's so well implemented that anyone who uses computers regularly 
> should be able to use it fairly intuitively without exhausting it's 
> capabilities.

I'm sure there are all sorts of tricks it does. The problem for me, is
that if I have a gedit window open, then i click on a file, and no new
window appears. In fact, the old gedit window is not even moved to
front. This is not what I expect. I clicked on the file, I want to see
it. 

I realise that for a heavy gedit user this is a good behaviour, but I'm
just confused by it. The problem here is that the things you describe
that you can do with tabs I have no idea about, you have to be an active
gedit user to know them and to use them. If you're not, you just get
confusing behaviour.