GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 120946
Handling overwriting folders is brain-dead
Last modified: 2004-12-22 21:47:04 UTC
Package: nautilus Severity: major Version: 2.2.4 Synopsis: Handling overwriting folders is brain-dead Bugzilla-Product: nautilus Bugzilla-Component: File and Folder Operations Description: Description of Problem: When moving subfolder to location where identically named one already exists Nautilus issues a question of whether to overwrite it. After selecting 'Yes' it actually overwrites it by first *DELETING* any files in old one and only then moving new one. This is *very* broken, because: 1. It's counterintuitve 2. It's destructive 3. Does not properly warn of consequences 4. It's against the way any other Unix tool handles such a case Steps to reproduce the problem: As above Actual Results: deletion of some of the files Expected Results: Contents of two folders merged in target location, possibly asking for overwriting/renaming of individual conflicting files ------- Bug moved to this database by unknown@bugzilla.gnome.org 2003-08-28 16:13 ------- The original reporter (mnews2@wp.pl) of this bug does not have an account here. Reassigning to the exporter, unknown@bugzilla.gnome.org. Reassigning to the default owner of the component, nautilus-maint@bugzilla.gnome.org.
I think the dialog box's "Would you like to replace it" is pretty clear. "Replace" means to me "throw out the old one and put the new one in its place."
Yes, but: 1. I fail to see the reason why replacing container (that folder is) should also destroy its contents. 2. This can be done in two ways: destructive one or not. We should *always* choose non-destructive one. 3. Convenience: In case I want to merge contents of more than one folder, w/ current behavior it requires me to open each one individually in both locations, drag files, possible resolve name conflicts, and repeat that for every folder in set. With proposed behavior it will require only dragging the whole set and maybe resolving name conflicts. 4. Again, this is against the way *every* other tool I know of handles that, be it Unix or Windows one, and I've ever seen expressed that as principle in one Unix manual: "Manipulating folder never affects the files contained, unless there is explicit name conflict with other individual files"
Im marking this as duplicate of bug 48085. Please add further thoughts there. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 48085 ***