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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Tabbed browsing vs taskbar grouping; a proposal.
From:       Maurizio Colucci <seguso.forever () tin ! it>
Date:       2004-02-29 14:25:20
Message-ID: 200402291525.20608.seguso.forever () tin ! it
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It is common for me to have many konqueror instances open at once, each one in 
a different directory. I find this is useful because I have some dirs I use 
very often: it is quicker to leave them always open than to find them each 
time. The same goes for konsoles instances.

Currently there are two ways to do that:

1. keep only one konqueror window, and open each directory in a different tab;

2. open one window for each directory, relying on taskbar grouping.

I am going to argue that both techniques have problems, and give a solution.

1) BAD ASPECT OF OPENING DIRECTORIES IN TABS
=========================================

The problem of opening directories in tabs instead of new windows is obvious: 
the full pathname doesn't fit in the tab. So, when you want to find a 
particular dir, you end up pressing all tabs sequentially, until you find it. 
No sane person would do that. :-) So, as far as I understand, nobody would 
ever choose to open a new directory in a new tab (unless his panel does not 
offer taskbar grouping).

Notice this problem is not so dramatic when browsing the web: the page titles 
are rarely very long, and they often have a different icon. The problem is 
only serious when browsing the disk.


2) BAD ASPECT OF OPENING DIRECTORIES IN A NEW WINDOW
=================================================

So what? Why don't I simply open the directory in a new window, and use 
taskbar grouping?

This would solve problem 1: when you click on the taskbar you see the list of 
all directories, with the full name. But there is another problem: every time 
you click on the taskbar you are forced to choose which of the 5 konqueror 
windows you want. But I almost always need one!

(For example, when I am managing downloads I only need /usr/local/downloads, 
when I am programming XXX I only need ~/src/XXX, etc. It is bad I need to 
choose every time.)

Therefore, I would like a click on the taskbar to send me to the MOST RECENT 
konqueror window, not prompt me with a choice each time.

Tabbed browsing does not have this problem. because we have a two phases 
choice: the first click, on the taskbar, sends you to to the most recent 
konqueror directory; then, IF you don't like it, you can change the dir with 
a second click (this time on the tab).

CURRENTLY THERE IS NO SOLUTION:
=============================

"Open in new tab" solves problem (2) but has problem (1).

"open in new windows" solves problem (1) but not (2).


We could get close to a good solution if we used workspaces + grouping, but I 
think I have a better solution, which is easier and more self-teaching to 
users:

THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
=====================

We could enhance the kicker like this:

* single click: go to the most recently used konq window

* click and hold: popup the list of all open konq windows (the current 
behaviour)

Even better, we could do like the back button in mozilla: we could split each 
taskbar button in two: one big, with the app icon, one small, with the arrow 
pointing downwards. If you click the big one, you go to the most recent konq 
window. If you click the small one, the list of all open konq windows pops 
up.

This way we would provide the two-phase choice that is needed, and all would 
be solved.

What about it?

Maurizio
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