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List:       kfm-devel
Subject:    Re: konqueror/DESIGN
From:       Waldo Bastian <bastian () ens ! ascom ! ch>
Date:       1999-02-19 10:14:33
[Download RAW message or body]

Sven Radej wrote:
> 
> >From DESIGN:
> >"
> >There is of course a thin line between viewing and modifying.
> >With the file browser you want to be able to move/rename/delete
> >files. So if we allow this functionality for file-browsing, we
> >should also allow it for mail-browsing or news-browsing.
> >(e.g. move/delete message cq. postings).
> >"
> Konquerror will replace kfm, 

konqueror _is_ kfm :)

> therefore it must be able to "modify" file system.

Yes.

> If we click on mailbox (how is Konquerror going to tell mbox mailbox from
> unknown file, btw?), kmail (or koutlook) is "embedded" into konquerror and
> shows us mesages.

This should be handled by mimetypes. (I have no idea if an mbox has some
reasonable mimetype today)

> If we want to reply to some message - eh now, does composer
> pop up as different window or shows up in konquerror? I think it is up to user
> to decide. Some will want everything in konquerror, others different windows.

Different window. Konqueror is a browser (cq. viewer cq. navigator cq.
explorer) 
not a composer. Replying brings up the full kmail application.

You have two things:

1) kmail as viewer embedded in konqueror
2) kmail the application.

The viewer does not have to be the same as the application. It can be.
But 
is does not have to. You can have a small application which only offers
an
embbedded viewer. You can have an application which can do both. You can
have an application which can only be a full application. 

The message I try to spread to the user is "konqueror is a browser, when
you 
want to do something you need an application".

LMB: view (konqueror)
RMB: change (application)

When you RMB-click a .kdelnk and select change properties you launch the
"Change properties applications" which comes up in another window. To
the user it is totally irrelant that this application happens to be
a part of konqueror.

> Another thing: user rmb-clicks at mailbox, a menu pops up. Mail application
> should insert some special menu items there, like "Compact", "Empty".

That would be nice :)

> How to do that? Should konqueror start kmail and ask it to provide some menu
> entries and methods to handle them?

That would be terribly slow.

> Other way:
> - konquerror determines that clikced file is type "application/mailbox", which
>   is handled by application kmail. It reads from kmail's *.kdelnk (or partlnk?)
>   what menu entries to add.
> - If user clicks to, let's say, "Compact" konquerror starts kmail with
>   command like "Dear kmail, please compact mailbox /home/sven/Mail/inbox. Yours,
>   konqueror"
> 
> Other way seems faster to me. Other way specialized apps would be started each
> time use presses RMB. That would be slower; user perhaps only wants to do
> "Move to trash" which is common entry to all files.

I think this "Other way" is a very good idea.

> The other way also apllies. KMail shows attachment of type "application/x-zip".
> User clicks RMB, and popup provided by konquerror, not kmail, pops up.
> Konquerror knows that zip belongs to Archiver, so it shows speciffic menu
> entries for handling zip files (for example "Extract to..."; if user clicks on
> it konquerror starts archiver and tells it to ask user where to extraxt files
> to)

Yes... this is how it should be. 

> >Creating does not really belong in a browser 

> This should be left for Templates; One more thing. When you create template
> and name it open it's Application with it.
> - if you create *.kdelnk open properties window for it right away
> - If you have "WP Doc" in template I think that kfm should let you name it and
>    open WordPerfect on it right away.

Yes, that would make more sense.

> Of course it addresses only file manager part of konquerror.

That's a very important part :)

Cheers,
Waldo

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