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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Abstracting the Linux Desktop from the File-system
From:       Simon Edwards <simon () simonzone ! com>
Date:       2002-12-05 7:42:23
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On Thursday 05 December 2002 01:04, Uno Engborg wrote:
> So basically we put up a menu each time a user want to do moving, copying 
> or linking and force him to make a choise. I guess that the answer  would
> be move in well over 90% of the cases, copy in a couple of percent of the
> cases, and almost never link.
>
> So maybe I am more lazy than you, as I feel that it is terrybly awkward to
> have to have select the move menu item every time I move a file. If I have
> to use a ctrl key as well once or twice a weak it would be a little price
> to pay to be allowed extreme lazyness the rest of the time.

Good analysis. I agree. Move is what's intended >95% of the time. Copy and 
link should be possible from the menus (the easiest way), while copy and link 
during a drag should be considered "power user" actions. Here's my 
recommendations:

* No popup menus
* Move is the default action that a drag does. (pretty obvious IMHO)
* Use the status bar to inform the user about the modifier keys.
* When a modifier key is held down the pointer should change to show the new 
action. (i.e. chain link icon below the pointer when linking).

cheers,

-- 
Simon Edwards             | Guarddog Firewall
simon@simonzone.com       | http://www.simonzone.com/software/
Nijmegen, The Netherlands | "ZooTV? You made the right choice."

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