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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Abstracting the Linux Desktop from the File-system
From:       Datschge () gmx ! net
Date:       2002-12-06 0:17:51
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> 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).

I'm voting against it for several reasons:

-Left button dragging is the only way you can drag files in KDE so far.
Making the possibilities you have by dragging files invisible by default is no
good idea. Make it optional and keep the default just like it is right now.

-The left button dragging menu should show accelerator key. It was pointed
out that this is not possible cleanly so far which should be considered a bug
and fixed asap. After doing so users will see what keys they can use to avoid
the menu (and maybe optionally turn off the menu altogether in the control
center).

-An additional reason why I think it'd be stupid to hide the left button
dragging menu by default: In Windows I found a Japanese freeware archiver
program called Noah which integrates itself into the right button dragging menu and
thus allows you to compress dragged files into an archive file at the
dragged target as well as decompress the content of dragged archive files into the
dragged target. KDE's left button dragging menu could offer a similar
ability. But if it's hidden by default never will ever see it, and introducing new
accelerator keys for this kind of additional features would be stupid.

In Windows I'm using the right button dragging menu as default since I'm
used to drag files around on a miniature interface. The menu gives me the
ability to ensure that I hit the correct target before starting the action (targets
should be highlighted, everything else is unnecessary fuss). And as of late
decompressing and compressing files was what I did more by dragging than
moving, copying or creating shortcuts (call it this way instead links).

Best regards, Datschge

-- 
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