Explaining drag and drop instead of a file chooser [was Re: [Usability] Thoughts about the file chooser]

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

[Changed the subject line for this thread of the disscussions]

> Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 00:34:29 +0200
> From: David Christian Berg <david sipsolutions net>
> To: Leonardo Santagada <santagada gmail com>
> Cc: usability gnome org, Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>
> Subject: Re: [Usability] Thoughts about the file chooser
>
> Somebody please explain this drag and drop to me...
>
>
> If I have a maximized application and no Nautilus window open I
>
> 1. Press the icon and start dragging
> 2. Hover over the Desktop button on the Panel that should envoke my
> Desktop
> 3. Hover over my Home folder icon to open it
> 4. Hover through my directory via spring-opening folders.

the way i see it one would have two (unmaximised) windows side by side
not obscuring each other and you could then relatively easily drag from
one window to the other.

problem is that some of us almost always work with windows maximized
and on small displays (and for this purpose I'd go so far as to call
1024x768 pixles small) it is not particulary convenient to have several
unmaximised windows open side by side without obscuring each other.

> So now there is the problems:
>
> - it takes quite a while (delays due to navigation)

I believe (no substantial facts though that) some of the chronic slowness
in drag and drop is an X Server issue and hopefully X.org will be able to
improve it.  (Also i think it might be particulary bad on because of the
thin client setup i sometimes use but even on a standad setup it is much
slower than drag and drop ever was on Mac OS or Microsoft Windows).

> - is not accessible via keyboard (mousekey is no accessibility!)

> - hidden files are, well, hidden and you don't have a chance to display
> them while hovering
> - spring loaded folders were not gonna be implemented because of some
> patent iirc

I dont know the details of spring loaded folders but there are other
things that could be done to improve drag and drop like having
the applications entry in the tasklist accept drag and drop targerts or at
least switch to application if you hover over an entry in the tasklist
with a drag and drop target (this latter behaviour is what MS windows
does).

> opening the Nautilus window first is not really an option either imho.
> It's against the workflow and human mind.
>
> So now: *How* is it supposed to work??

Hope that helps (if it didn't please rephrase the question and I'll try
again, or hope someone else provides a different answer)

Sincerely

Alan Horkan

http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/
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