[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Can we* prettyplease do something about the KUrlNavigator?
From:       Maciej Pilichowski <bluedzins () wp ! pl>
Date:       2009-06-22 18:05:13
Message-ID: 200906222005.18055.bluedzins () wp ! pl
[Download RAW message or body]

On Monday 22 June 2009 19:18:51 Matthew Woehlke wrote:

> > GTK is also self-explanatory, when I first saw it I had no
> > hesitation to use it, no confusion, no questions, etc. I could
> > use it right away.
>
> I don't recall any confusion over KDE's navigator (or misclicks,
> for that matter), but I've no evidence that I'm "typical". 

A little honesty required here :-D -- how did you found out that blank 
space is not static but active element? You couldn't do this by 
looking?

For me, it took me really long time, and before I was playing a 
sharpshooter games -- how to point the cursor between the path blocks 
just to make the switch.

> Yes, I use it. I appreciate that I can jump from /a/b/c/d to /a/e
> in two clicks; I use that relatively often. If GTK has that
> feature, it's apparently less discoverable (since I haven't found
> it).

In GTK I click on a and then on e.

> The thing is, I never found GTK's breadcrumb bar useful. It is IMO
> useless for navigation since all you can do is go up levels. 

For me it is better, because I don't have "pause effect" with it 
(where should I click?).

However buttons could be used as now if there is such need. IMHO it is 
an overkill -- if something is not visible in a list, how it can be 
visible in the menu? And besides, menus are already have so much 
limitation in KDE that is better not to use them.

> Personally I don't see an advantage to it over just an edit box
> with an integrated 'go up a level' button. I would *much* rather be
> able to globally replace it with just an edit box. 

With edit box you cannot move up fast in easy way -- use one finger if 
you don't believe me. This mode is great aid from a11y POV. Second -- 
with edit box you can edit path, but you can edit it incorrectly. No 
such thing with breadcrumb.

So it is path representation with fast navigation (faster than edit) 
which require little manual operation and provides correct data by 
design.

> If we apply the ugly stick in the name of usability, I suspect I
> may want my plain old address bar back.

You have it all the time. I would like to see only two things:
a) switch mode button all the time
b) explicit buttons (as we already said, it could be implemented via 
flat buttons, which would be configured globally in KDE).
c) no "smart" switching (by clicking in between, or in empty space)

Cheers,
_______________________________________________
kde-usability mailing list
kde-usability@kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]