[Usability] Re: [Desktop_architects] Printing dialog and GNOME

[Tuomo Valkonen <tuomov iki fi>]

On 2005-12-15, Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie> wrote:
> I enjoy Tab completion on the command line and gedit correctly opens the
> file in a new tab.  If other apps are not as smart as gedit perhaps you
> could file a request.

It's not so much opening files -- I tend to do that from the command line,
with WM tabbing -- but saving things.

> The File chooser isn't perfect, no one claims it is either but broad
> indignant statements wont help make it any better.
>
> If you can find a way to have something more to your liking without
> breaking accessiblity that would be great too.

The old gtk file dialog was ok. Not perfect, but ok. KDE's dialog is
also ok, although there would be a simple improvement that would make
it even better: for the save file dialog, move the top location box 
above the bottom Location box for easier focus switching, and rename
the bottom Location box Filename box. Two boxes are useful for the
save feature so that editing path won't clear the suggested file name.
For file opening only one box is needed. 

In search of perfection, there should of course be much better keyboard
support, and I don't mean just a zillion shortcuts to everything, but
layouts designed for simple linear and preditable keyboard navigation with
^N/^P moving up/down the list of entries instead of Tab, etc. Yes, a simple
list, not an irregular grid, although in some cases multiple columns might 
be acceptable, with another key to switch between the columns.

The last paragraph of course applies to every part of the UI.

> You might even consider writing your own File Chooser (or forward porting
> the old one) because the new API was designed with this in mind.
> The GPE developers already offer their own custom file chooser.

I'm never going to program in a WIMP toolkit, if I can avoid it.

> There is really no need to continue the horrible negativity of the past
> few days which only puts us on the fast track of a downward spiral.

Hey, Gnome's been on a downward spiral ever since its inception, and
its dragging the rest of free software down with it.

-- 
Tuomo