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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: File dialogs functions.
From:       Dave Leigh <dave.leigh () cratchit ! org>
Date:       2002-02-28 21:36:05
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On Thursday 28 February 2002 14:04, Rodolfo Gonzalez wrote:
> On Thu, 28 Feb 2002, Dave Leigh wrote:
> > Hmm. I kind of like the "Recent Directories" combobox, and would probably
> > like the "Recent Files" combo except for the fact that most applications
>
> And, there're global lists, for both recent opened files and directories,
> which are common for all apps. That's something I consider useful. For
> example, you save a graphics file in Konqueror and then you can have fast
> access to the file name in some graphic program.
>
> > already provide this via the File menu. I'm not sure I like the
> > arrangement.
>
> Indeed, but in this combo you can control how many entries are displayed,
> and you don't clutter your File menu with 20 or so recent files (anyway,
> the time wasted in looking for a file in a list with 100 entries would be
> time consuming, either if the list is in the menu or in a combo).

You're arguing at cross-purposes to an extent. The Recent Files list in the 
application does not clutter anything, as it's a sub-menu, and is specific to 
the application. What is cluttering is to show recent files that aren't 
editable by your current application. For example, I save a graphics file in 
Konqueror and then go to open a recent file in a plain-text editor. The 
graphics file is simply noise. So even if the global list is a Good Thing, I 
think it's likely improved by filtering by MIME type.

> > I can't imagine using "Favorite Folders," as that's what symlinks in your
> > home directory are for
>
> Hmmm, I think it'd be useful for people who don't know how to use ln, as
> many people coming from Windows/MacOS (they don't know what a symlink is,
> maybe just what's a "direct access", and they don't know how to use them).
> But anyway we already have the Bookmarks button in the dialog, so there we
> have the "Favorite Folders", as I pointed before :)

Everyone has an analog of a "shortcut," though. It barely requires 
explanation.

> > (anybody else notice that this lacks a home button?)
>
> Indeed, but that app is for Windows 9x, and there aren't home dirs in that

Yes, there are. In Win9x each user can have his own desktop and his own file 
areas. If you do not have multiple users configured then the "home" file area 
is "My Documents" by default (unless it's been modified, in which case you 
simply get it from the registry).

> system. The GIF image was a screenshot of the actual Windows dialog
> modified by the File-Ex add-on.

More accurately the common dialog is replaced by File-Ex, not modified. 
There's no reason to mimic the 16-bit common dialog, for example. But we're 
talking here about adding functionality to KDE dialogs, not adopting a 
Windows add-on. That being the case, I can see the following enhancements 
over Windows:
	Recent Directories (KDE already has it)
	Favorite Files or Folders (KDE already has it)
	Recent Files. Individual apps have them. Would introduce clutter unless 
filtered by MIME type into *useful* files (from the P.O.V. of the current 
app).

Only one is a potential enhancement for KDE.

-- 
dave.leigh@cratchit.org
http://www.cratchit.org

Majority, n.:
	That quality that distinguishes a crime from a law.

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