[Usability] Some thoughts on File Open/Save dialogs

[Maynard Kuona <knxmay001 mail uct ac za>]

I have been asking myself the question of late, "What do people most use
the file manager for, and why?"

I think the answer to this question may be very important in coming up
with a design for the file selector.

Really, I use a file manager to get to my files and mostly open them.
Other people's milage may vary, but often, I use a file manager because
it is a hassle to use the file selection dialog because is is (usually)
very small. But I think the problem with the filemanager is that it is
very multipurpose and does not do everything very well. It does not know
what the users wants to do. So it does rely on information overload to
an extent. (Try right clicking on an app to see its guesses at what it
thinks you want to do) I hope you get that.

When a user opens an app, which is usually very close by, I think it
would be far more convenient if they could just open files from there.
The reason I think users do not do this is because the dialogs are
usually too small, therefore it is harder to get what they want, so they
prefer to browse in the file manager first, then launch the app
associated with the file.

So it is that I think the file dialogs, open especially, should be big,
use say 60% of the screen height and width, or even more. Another reason
for this would be that it does minimise srolling. Making a tree wide can
eliminate scrolling sideways for short folders depths.

Let me enumerate my ideas on the subject below for easier
analysis/criticism.

     1. The dialog should be big for at least 2 reasons. Because users
        should be able to see more files at once, thought not too many,
        and because usually when one opens a file dialog, they usually
        want to do somethings like save/open a file, so their attention
        is all for that dialog. It is not competing with anything else
        for screen space, so it should use as much of it as possible.
     2. Always on top (of the calling window) would be a good idea for
        this dialog, by default anyway. If a user decides he needs
        something from the open app, he could always roll up the dialog
        and have access to the app. Rolling it down again will give the
        dialog back.
     3. If always on top is not accepted, then if a user goes to another
        app, when he returns to the app, any open file dialogs should
        immediately come to the front to remind the user they are still
        there. This could be an option, but it could be made the default
        behaviour. I for one prefer 2.
     4. The dialog should enable the user to do simple (file management)
        things with the file selector, such as move a file to another
        location, or copy a file to another location.
     5. I advocate a tree rather than a simple folder list because
        sometimes you could have similar folder structures under
        different main folders, so the folder tree could give a lot of
        useful information, and it makes browsing through easier.

Please criticise these ideas as much as possible. However, I am not a
coder, neither can I GIMP, so it is pretty hard to make myself
graphically clear. I have made a very rudimentary mockup at
http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/maynard/save-as-dialog.html for some of
the ideas mentioned here. The idea is to help people (coders) think
about it. It can probably be improved/changed for the better.