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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Desktop RMB Menu --> Create new
From:       "Friedrich W. H. Kossebau" <Friedrich.W.H () Kossebau ! de>
Date:       2002-08-20 20:56:27
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Florian Ehrenthal wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I just tought about the menu that appears if you right-click on your desktop.
> In the Create new branch, there're only filesystems-centric actions, i wonder
> how usefull they are and aside of that, how often they're used.
> Whereas i'm pretty used to create directories via that rmbmenu, isn't it
> pretty useless to just create (touch) an new textfile?
> I guess in most cases you want to write something down in a new textfile, so
> why not place an action in that menu that creates a textfile and opens it in
> e.g. kate. The same applies to "Create new --> HTML File".
> 
> Aside that, i think the menu is missing options like "Create new -->
> Knote(s)" or other usefull actions, which currently don't come to my mind :)
> 
> what do others think about it?

I agree with you partially:
Yes, the usual user (like me) won't need these device entries at all
(well, wouldn't it be magic at all to create a new hard disk by RMB ;)
Should be placed in a submenu (read below)
Yes, mostly one is going to work on the newly created file. I would
propose an extension of the "name of new file" dialog that offers
buttons "create" "open" "open with" or the like.

Once upon a time (in fact in early 2001) this "Create new..." menu was
discussed by me and Rik Hemsley on kde-look (inside a long thread called
"kde's future" for those who would like to dig). I tried hard to
convince people that for a document-centric way there should be a
stronger use of this menu, offering a whole bunch of documents/data to
be created. I don't want to repeat everything (as I had to find out
people don't like long texts) but just pick some ideas:

* offer all template based file creation there: 
  e.g. koffice templates, kdevelop templates and whatever
* use submenus to structure the proposed bunch: 
  so you will find a quarter spread template in
"new/spreads/quarterreport";
* on the desktop there could be even items not stored in the actual
location:
  "new/emails/lists/kde-usability" by just one right mouse click, 
  without first opening the mailing app;
  "new/date/candlelight-dinner" for those who often do dating ;)
* preprocessing of the new files/documents by scripts:
  e.g. for kword document letter: dialog asks for person (via
kadressbook)
  and fills out fields in letter template copy accordingly;
  or fills header of new latex file (date, name, author);
  or template handling dialogs like the ones of KDevelop

The last point would help with longer app starting times as the dialog
script could launch the related app (e.g. kword) in the back while the
user is filling in the dialog. And it would solve the (for some)
annoying first dialog of kword ;) Absolutely document/data-centric! 

Problem shown up by Rik Hemsley: structuring of the dialog. Different
users have different needs. What templates should there be as default,
which structure should there be to allow automatic install of new
templates?
This problem could be solved these days be using the same mechanismen
that seems to be accepted by KDE & GNOME people for the
start/main/k/foot menu: Giving each template some key words, and doing
an automatic ordering by categories that are set individually by the
user.

So, what do _you_ think about _this_? ;)

H*ll, I wish I had a time for coding :(

Friedrich
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