If I'm right the mantra should be "there must be a direct, one-to-one
relationship between folders and windows". and "the 'spatial interface'
attempts to imitate the real world".

In example double clicking on a folder should "work" just like open a real
folder in real world. The spatial window isn't a way to show the contents
of a folder, but the folder itself, just opened.

So every 'spatial window' should be a view of an opened folder.

*** HIG and spatial windows.

<quote>A primary window usually presents a view of the user's data, such as
a text document in a word processor application, an image in a drawing
program, or calculations in a calculator or spreadsheet application. It may
also be a view of something more abstract, like a game</quote>[1]

Question: what is a folder? Is it a document or an abstract item?

It's not an abstract item, at least from the user point of view and in
'spatial' metaphor.

But it's not a document, at least in common idea of a document. A gnumeric
file is a document. An abiword file is a document. Every data of formula
you add to a workbook is a part of this workbook: you can't distinguish the
document from its contents.

But a folder is just a 'container': every file in a folder can 'survive' in
another location/folder.

If you read the HIG section about menus, you can see a document-orient
approach. In example the Format or the Insert menu. And last but not least
the FILE menu.

*** The File menu in spatial window

IMHO it's currently totally wrong.

First it should be Folder (or Location).

Second it mixes operations/actions on the folder (Close Folder, Open
Parent, Open Location...) and operation/actions on its contents (Open, Open
with.., Explore)

Third it contains items to modify the folder contents (Create Folder,
Create document).

*** The Places menu...

and the "Open Location..." and "Connect to Server..." entries should be
wrong too.

If the window is just an opened version of a folder, those item are totally
misplaced. I don't think that a menu to open another location is a good
idea for a spatial oriented file manager, at least in _every_ window.

"Open Location..." is totally unuseful: you can use the Exec dialog from
panel. You can invoke it just pressing Alt-F2, so you don't need to open a
folder to launch this dialog. IMHO is better re-label the panel Exec dialog
and.

"Connect to Server..." 'works' on Computer and Desktop, it don't work on
every folder/window. So it should be placed in Action panel menu or in
desktop background popup menu.

All those stuff can be simply places in menu panel or in desktop background
popup menu

*** Edit and View menus

HIG says "Edit menu contains items relating to editing both the document"
while "View menu contains only items that affect the user's view of the
current document"

So, for example: 
"Create Folder" change the folder contents, so it should be placed in Edit
menu (see Insert menu on HIG) 
      * Same for "Create Document" and "Create Launcher" 
      * When you change the background or add an emblem you modify the view
of the folder --> place it under View menu
      * 
*** The proposal, finally

Menubar items

Folder Edit View Actions (Help?)
        
        Folder menu

Used to place some opened folder related actions that can't be placed under
Edit or Wiew
        
        Open Parent
                Close Parent Folders
                --
                Properties
                --
                Close
                
                Edit menu

Used to place all actions that can change the contents of showed folder.
The "Preferences" is removed 'cause the spatial window is just a 'folder
view', not an application. To configure the behavior users will refer to
Desktop Preferences -> File Management
        
        Cut
                Copy
                Paste
                --
                Select All
                Select by Pattern...
                --
                Create Folder
                Create Document 
                Template 1
                        Template 2
                        --
                        Empty File 
                        --
                Duplicate
                Create Link
                Rename...
                --
                Move to trash
                (Delete) 
                
        View menu

This menu can contain all stuff to change the view of folder. Note that in
spatial windows we can remove the "Stop" entry: 'cause we can't reuse the
window it has no sense. For long time operations we should use an alert
with a "Cancel" or "Stop" button.
        
        Refresh
        --
        Zoom In
        Zoom Out
        Normal Size
        --
        View as Icons
        View as List
        --
        Sort Items 
        Manually
                --
                By name
                ...... 
                --
        Use default settings
        --
        Backgrounds and Emblems...
        
        Actions menu

This new menu should be used to place all other available actions on
selected items that don't change the folder content (in Edit) or the Folder
view (in View). This is just an example
        
        Open
        Open with 
        Text Editor
                --
                GNU Emacs
                Gvim
                Kate
                --
                Other... 
                --
        Add to Archive...
        Attach to Email...
        --
        Properties
        
        I don't know if "Resize Icon" and "Icon to Normal Size" should be
placed here on in View menu.
        
        Note that now you have 2 Properties entries: one under Folder and
another under Action, the first to show properties of the opened folder,
the second one to show properties of selection. Probably "Show Properties"
for the second entry is a better label. Dunno.
        
        **** Other notes

* A similar menu layout for navigation windows is not yet ready, sorry, but
I think something like
        
        Location Edit View Go Actions Bookmarks Help
                
                I'll send it quickly.
        
* The desktop background popup menu can be used to shortly open some common
locations/apps. 
        
        Open Favourite 
                Home
                        Computer
                        Templates
                        CD Writer
                        Start Here 
                        Open Terminal
                Open File Explorer
                --
                Create Folder
                Create Document 
                Template 1
                        Template 2
                        --
                        Empty File 
                        Create Launcher...
                Create Connection to Server...
                --
                Sort by Name
                Keep Aligned
                --
                Paste
                --
                Change Background...