GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 88577
Splitted folder/file navigation
Last modified: 2004-12-22 21:47:04 UTC
I would like to have the Nautilus view separate folder and file items. It could look something like this: http://62.26.209.204/download/Screenshot-Nautilus.png So on the left side you always have the folders (visually separated, for example with another background, it could also integrate some text or graphical elements for each group) and on the right side the content of the current folder. This would have the following advantages: - Easier navigation because you have two small groups instead of one large group and you usually know in which group you want to look for your item. - Better visuals. This looks much cleaner and less boring IMO. Maybe this is arguable. :) - It solves the control center problem of bad navigation. You always have your subfolders on the left side so it's basically as usefull as the sidebar in the control center shell. - Selecting "sort by name" won't shuffle your files and folders (I really don't like that). - Drag and drop could be simplified by not allowing files to be dropped in the folder area if you don't hit a subfolder. So you don't accidently drop files inside of a folder, when in fact you wanted to hit a subfolders (this sometimes happen to me because I can't see what's behind the icons I drag). - It's innovative! Possible disadvantages: - You loose a little screenspace when the folder group isn't completely filling the available space. I don't think this is critical. - For manual layout the separation would either have to be disabled or it's only be possible to move items in their respective group. - Inconsistency with desktop layout, but desktop is different anyway, isn't it? - Inconsistency in sorting. Left it would be vertically sorted and right horizontally. This could be solved (if it's a problem) by either also sorting vertically in the file group, or by doing a horizontal split, like this: http://62.26.209.204/download/Screenshot-Nautilus-2.png It could be a Nautilus option for those who are used to something else or don't want to loose the screenspace. Like "show folders first", which is missing anyway. That's all I can think of. Thank you for listening and the fish!
I like the idea though I have some questions: I think it should be possible to change the file-area layout to a list. But what about the folder area? Wouldn't that result in two sidebars? How to switch between these two areas (with keyboard). Key-Navigation? I d'like to have such an option for the desktop, for I always keep orders and files apart on my desktop. Don't know what Sun's usability-team will say, but in my opinion it's more intuitive than the current solution.
I'm confused am I looking at the content of one folder?? I don't particularly like this idea for a the general icon view. The issue of the control center is totally peripheral to the general issue of ease of file management. Nautilus already provides the option to display folders before files and I think this addresses this issue quite nicely. That said i think a new view similar to the mac os column view would be pretty cool.
"I think it should be possible to change the file-area layout to a list. But what about the folder area? Wouldn't that result in two sidebars?" Good question... I think the splitting should only be in icon view. Listview could still show the folders first, maybe on a different background. "How to switch between these two areas (with keyboard). Key-Navigation?" Keyboard navigation should treat them as one group IMO. Maybe it would be usefull to have tab select the icon group though. "I'm confused am I looking at the content of one folder??" Yes. :) Why confused? It's still the same as before, it's just a different view for one folder. "The issue of the control center is totally peripheral to the general issue of ease of file management." But if you have different solutions for control center and file managment, then the whole idea of consistency is questioned. If I understood it correctly, consistency is the reason to embed the control center in Nautilus. "Nautilus already provides the option to display folders before files and I think this addresses this issue quite nicely." Ok, just found this option (I was looking for it at view defaults before). I still think there should be some visual separation between folders and files besides of the icon (because the icon can be changed, like in control center). "That said i think a new view similar to the mac os column view would be pretty cool." So we would just copy again. :/ But if it's good, why not. But I don't know this feature, is it explained anywhere?
In general, what you want is the Winbloze XXXP feature, "Show in Groups" feature. It is a generalization of the visual seperation you speak of here in that is separates on mime-types, one of which is "Folder", btw. IMHO, this is the most useful feature in xp. At work, I've turned it on for the business folks that Just Don't Tinker and they immediately loved it. Btw, this has been suggested already in another bug (http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=48525) and a guy is working on it already. If you combine your efforts, you'll be like captain planet or something :) For those of you not dirty enough to try xp, here is atextual example: --------------------------------- Nautilus Window X --------------------------------- Sidebar | File Folders | --------------- | Dir0 Dir1 Dir2 | Dir3 Dir4 ... | | Images | ---------------- | img0.png img1.png img2.png | img0.jpg img1.jpg ... | | | Abiword | -------------- | abw1 abw2 ...
Thank you for the info. I didn't even know that XP had this feature but it seems to be even better then my suggestion. :) It might be a little bit difficult to make this consistent with preferences though (how great would it be if it could show the groups as "Preference Groups" for subfolders and "Preference Items" for example?). I will mark this one as a duplicate of the other one (if I can). *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 48525 ***