Re: [Usability] File open dialog double/single click issue

[Calum Benson <Calum Benson Sun COM>]

On 21 Jan 2008, at 23:37, Toms wrote:

> Hi all and thanks for the GNOME!
>
> I have a short question:
> In the file browsing dialogs, like file->open, the left pane (folders
> and favorites) responds to single click, but the right one, where you
> have files and folders - to doubleclick.
> There are no visual clues that would hint for the single click on left
> pane, and i find myself forgetting which one was which time after
> time.
>
> I was wondering if there is any background on this behavior or just
> happens to be so.

Left pane was double click until very recently, but so many people  
complained about it that it was changed to single click IIRC...

On the face of it, although I was in favour of the change myself  
(because I kept single-clicking the left pane and wondering why  
nothing had happened), it is rather hard to explain why they should  
different.  The right pane obviously uses double click to be  
consistent with the file manager, but, for whatever reason, most  
people seem to expect to single click the bookmarks list.

Cheeri,
Calum.

--
CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer       Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum benson sun com            GNOME Desktop Team
http://blogs.sun.com/calum             +353 1 819 9771

Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems