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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Directory Editor
From:       "Jamethiel Knorth" <jamethknorth () hotmail ! com>
Date:       2004-03-16 1:27:03
Message-ID: BAY7-F15mtisTp7GMCo0000cd21 () hotmail ! com
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As I noted in 'A fair critique to KDE usability' I think there needs to be a 
directory-types editor for KDE, just as there is a file-associations editor. 
I have been brainstorming for a bit, and have enough for suggesting it.

As far as the interface, I have only made as much progress as saying it 
would be basically like the file-associations editor. I can do more, but I 
don't even think this will be implemented soon, so I haven't gotten on it.

First, a Directory-Type would be defined according to a lot of criteria:
- Protocol
- File Types
  - Amounts of File Types
- Being at a Specific Path
- Containing Specific Files/Directories

Also, those could be restricted by whether or not to count directories and 
whether or not to count hidden files.

Then, it would have settings according to that such as:
- Directory Icon
- Viewer
  - Viewer Options
- Sorting Method
- Previews
  - Preview Settings
- Special Actions to Perform on Opening (split view, add files to some 
database, etcetera)

Although this sounds like it might be overkill, allow me to show a list of 
what I think this would be useful for. This is a sample of what my Directory 
Types list might look like. Feel free to skim over it to get to more text, 
as it is a little long and maybe more than is needed to explain my point.

Music Directory (Contains 100% Audio files, discounting hidden files and 
directories)
- Directory Icon has Sound Image beside Directory Image
- Uses the Info List View viewer (would use a music viewer if I had my way, 
a different rant)

Images Directory (Contains 100% Image files, discounting hidden files and 
directories)
- Directory Icon has Picture Image beside Directory Image
- Uses the Icon View with Huge Icons (would use a image viewer if...)

FTP Directory (Using Protocol FTP)
- Uses Detailed List View (would use an FTP viewer if...)
- Splits the Page Vertically if the previous page was not of the same type, 
opening ~/downloads in the other pane.

Large Directory (has >60 files of type *.*)
- Uses List View
(Would use only case-insensitive sorting if I could set everything else to 
use natural language sorting globally)

Source Directory (has any two of configure, Makefile, build.py, [any two of 
AUTHOR, INSTALL, README], etcetera)
- Uses Tree View

CVS Directory (Has the CVS directory in it)
- Uses Cervisia

Home Directory (Has path ~)
- Directory Icon is Home Icon
- Uses Icon View (would use a clumped view...)
- Has Custom Icons for:
  - My Documents
  - Drives
  - Network Mounts
  - Etcetera

Obviously, that was a lot of examples and a lot of space. I know that this 
is a complex tool, but it is powerful. The main use of this would be for 
Distros to configure things before end-users see it. However, I am a big fan 
of allowing users to change any setting the Distributor can, so I would want 
it accessible from an end-user app.

This adds custom icons to directories to help show what they are, and makes 
those easily configurable. It allows the file viewer to change logically 
according to what the user is viewing. Adding in good backgrounds for 
directories on a case-by-case basis wouldn't be too far off. It allows for 
some very custom directories, as with the home directory. It helps obviate 
the need for the viewer-buttons on the toolbar.

Also, I should not that the viewer settings should be overridden (possibly 
add a special option to negate this for some views) if the view type has 
been explicitly changed by the user, and the view should never change if the 
type of directory has not changed.

Okay, big proposal. Thanks for listening, please get out the shredder now.

PS: If you wondered about what I meant by all those 'if I had my way' 
things, go to: [ 
http://www.csis.gvsu.edu/~abreschm/designs/ideas/split-kparts.php ] for a 
very out-of-date bit of suggestions regarding that. The design has advanced 
a lot in my notebook and mind.

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