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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: kio-locate
From:       Armin Straub <armin_straub () yahoo ! de>
Date:       2005-04-13 13:42:25
Message-ID: 200504131542.26139.armin_straub () yahoo ! de
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Hallo,

> > As I am continuously asked to ask for inclusion to KDE, I hereby do
> > exactly this :-) Do you want kio-locate to be included to KDE? (something
> > like kde-extragear, as locate is not configured properly on a standard
> > system)
>
> That reason that people keep asking you to include it into KDE only means
> that they are missing something in KDE, but not that kio-locate is
> necessarily the best solution of their problem ;)

kio-locate is for absolute sure not the best solution. It is meant to be 
simple but useful (simple because of me :-) and hopefully useful for others).

> As the author of a third party application, a kioslave was the only viable
> option for you to deeply integrate a search function in KDE. But if the
> code enters KDE, then why not integrate the same functionality in a more
> sane way? I'm not sure if I know all possible uses of kio-locate, but
> wasn't the main idea just have a search function, which can also be used
> from inside file dialogs? If this is the case, then the kioslave interface
> for locate is just a very crippled _user interface_.

It is in no way limited to file dialogs, but can be used in any application 
that supports kde style urls. E.g. your music player or the sidebar in 
kdevelop.
kio-locate is not meant to have any user interface per se. Just as locate it 
lists some results and it is nicer to have them listed in the application 
where you want to use them (I always search files to use them afterwards - so 
I need just another klick).
So kio-locate does not have the need to own an user interface. Of course I 
could think of really great interfaces for searching files, but that's not 
what kio-locate is meant to be. Nonetheless I am looking forward to another 
searching tool with a great user interface :-)

> Wouldn't it be better to work on some hooks for the file dialog, so that
> search tools can be plugged in, which bring their own interface? You would
> gain a lot of flexibility, just think about the file counts, which are
> shown as part of the file name currently, or the name coloring which was
> requested on kde-apps.org.

I think there are mainly two expectations people have when trying out 
kio-locate.
1) A fast way to access files spanned across many directories and the like. 
Maybe you are looking for some files you know exist, but you don't know 
exactly where ... or something like that.
2) A way to search for files. Not just searching what you type but also 
assisting your search.

In my opinion kio-locate is a good way to do 1), but at best helpful for 2).
My attempt to collapse search results is a step to strengthen your 
possibilities when trying 2), but I think you are right: without a better 
interface it is not possible to achieve 2).

In general it is very much the same as it is with locate. If you don't really 
know what you are searching for, then locate won't be the best tool for you.

> With a kioslave this will always remain somewhat 
> ugly. I really don't want to take down kio-locate - you know I'm using it
> myself :) What I wanted to say is that in KDE you have the chance to remove
> limitations instead of working around them.

Everybody is free to do so and I hope someone creates a really great search 
tool I can switch to :-)

Cheers,
-- 
Armin Straub

 
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