Re: [Usability] The new shrinked/expanded save as dialog

[Jason Hoover <jasonhoover verizon net>]

On Sun, 2005-12-04 at 04:39 +0100, BJ�Lindqvist wrote:
> My problem with it is that it it consistently forces me to click on
> "Browse for other folders" each and every time I want to "Save as...".
> I realise that the rationale behind the dialog is that "most people"
> just throw their stuff on their Desktop directory. It may be true, but
> for other users that like to organise their files, the extra click
> required to expand the save as-dialog is irritating.

FWIW, the save-as in Gedit defaults to the path the original file was
in, and also contains the standard locations (home and desktop) as well
as the custom 'shortcut things'. It's possible I'm wrong and it's
changed from this, however.

> The main assumption behind the dialogs design is that the convenience
> of a simplified save as-dialog is greater than the pain infliced from
> it. That assumption is not true for me as I like to store files
> hiarchially. I have no idea if there are other uses that feel the same
> or if I'm alone on this.

I agree that it should be expanded by default. It's fairly efficient the
way it is now, but I'm never totally sure if "Images" is the "Images"
folder for project Foo or project Bar, or rather, I don't trust it
enough.

Though this leads me to something far more sinister about the save
dialog here. It shows files unrelated to what your working on to serve
no purpose other than giving you a heads up on a possible file name
conflict. 

Even curiouser, it looks like you can actually do something to the files
(normal color). "Browse for folders" seems a little silly when there's
files too. But, I'm nitpicking.

>  I would like to ask that the design be
> reevaluated. My arguments for why an always expanded save-as dialog
> are:
> 
> 1. No extra click if you want to select directory.
> 2. Simpler design - dialogs that change state may be unexpected.
> 3. Mirrors "Open file"
> 4. For users that throw stuff on the desktop, the only advantage of a
> shrinked dialog is that it displays less information than an expanded
> one. And that is not enough of an advantage.

Good point. it gets kinda noisy though. Though, users would be less
surprised to see something that resembles the open dialog. Hiding
controls in that sort of fashion is kind of a GUI taboo anyhow. Changing
"quick-use" dialog boxes always give me an awkward feeling.

-Jason