Re: [Usability] Desktop area arranger

[Joachim Noreiko <jnoreiko yahoo com>]

--- Toni Milovan <tmilovan efpu hr> wrote:

> Suggested concept is simple. For instance if user
> can divide desktop
> into six zones and specify for example:
> - all folders go to zone 1
> - all links to zone 2
> - all sxw or odt to zone 3
> - all files that contains *customer* in the filename
> to zone 4
> - etc. 
> 
> ...and if this sorting works automaticaly when you
> bring the object to
> the desktop, users can have tidy and logicaly sorted
> desktop without
> having to position files manually. They can easily
> navigate, find and
> use files that they need close by hand anyway.
> 
> <snip>
>
> What I need you to tell me is the following: 
> 
> 1. Am I completely out of my mind?
> 2. If not, what do you think about the idea, does it
> really contribute
> to gnome usabilty?
> 3. Is it implementable at all?
> 4. Will it be worth the effort?

For a long time I've had the idea that it would be
useful to be able to draw dividing lines in a folder
window.
This would basically be an SVG background image, but
that can be edited on the fly.

But I wonder if we need to add the new concept of
zones, when we alreade have folders...

Consider that we curently have two ways to show a
folder's contents: icon view, and list view. List view
is capable of showing a folder's subfolders too.

Suppose we add a third view type. Call it 'grid view'
(or a better name!).
In this mode, the folder itself and all its immediate
children are displayed as different parts of the
window. Think of those trays in some cafes that are
subdivided, one for your starter, one for your coffee
etc.
By default, you'd get a simple grid arrangement, with
the files of the folder itself in the top left. But
you could drag the different pieces of the grid
around, give their borders different colours or
styles.

A few months ago, someone posted an idea about being
able to open a child folder to display within the
parent window. This tray idea is probably based on
that, plus some fermenting time :)

So in answer to your first question: you, me, and a
third person have all had a broadly similar idea.
We're probably all three crazy ;)

Joachim

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