Re: Split/dual pane view again (but this time with code)

[Rui Tiago Cação Matos <tiagomatos gmail com>]

2009/2/20 Holger Berndt <berndth gmx de>:
>> Is there a possibility to do a sane limited split view
>> addition in Nautilus, or should we recommend people who desire
>> NC-style functionallity to just use a NC-style application?
>
> That is a good question. Personally, I'd like to not have to choose
> between simplicity and power. To continue doing 80% of my simple file
> browsing tasks in Nautilus' clean interface, but have more power in the
> backhand just a keypress away for the rest of the 20%. And even during
> those tasks, taking e.g. Gnome Commander would be a significant step
> back (completely new UI, desktop integration, bookmarks, GIO,
> asynchronism ...).

IMHO Nautilus should be going the opposite way of these patches. Heavy
file management should hopefully become less and less needed as
computer interfaces go forward and thus should be left to specialized
tools (graphical and non-graphical).

Nautilus (or whatever future tool takes its place) as the default and
primary "object manipulation" tool (not using file management on
purpose) on the GNOME desktop should instead evolve to test new
waters, new ways for users to interact with objects on their computer
(files, external media, etc.) like Federico's timeline experiments.

Anyway, most of what is useful to share between Nautilus, such a
future tool I've just described or targeted "heavy file management"
tools should move to a common library or daemon so that everyone can
be on the same page on things like bookmarks, etc.

Regarding Nautilus specifically, I'd say nay to this functionality by
default. A separate tool, fine. A Nautilus extension or built-in but
unexposed by default would be OK I guess, depending on willingness of
people to maintain the code and where the current developers want to
take the project. Actually if the current maintainers just want to go
the heavy file management way that would be OK too. But is that what
GNOME wants?

That's my 2 friday-evening-tired cents, might be rubbish as well.

Rui