GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 302956
Save an image/link with one click
Last modified: 2005-08-07 16:26:37 UTC
Galeon 1.2.x was able to save a link with a shift-click and an image with a ctrl-click. Galeon 1.3.x has modified this approach, with IMHO worse results. Bug #103919 and Bug #130135 indicate that the ctrl-click and shift-click functionalities have been intentionally merged into a single shift-click feature. This is fine when links and graphics are mutually exclusive, but what is the expected behaviour when an image *is* a link? In this case, Galeon decides to save the link instead. The two features conflict with each other, and here the default behaviour is not clear at all. I think the best solution would be to revert back to the Galeon 1.2.x behaviour. Saving links and images are *not* the same thing, and giving the two features the same key/mouse binding only creates confusion and degrades usability. Another inconsistency and usability lapse lies in the prompting for a save location. Shift-clicking on a link does not bring up such a prompt (the file is instantly downloaded and saved), but shift-clicking on an image does. Galeon 1.x did not require one to enter/verify a save location every time these two features were used; instead it used a default location. Why must one be prompted for a location every time one wants to save an image? Shift-clicking (or preferably ctrl-clicking) on an image to save it is a power-user feature. It should be optimised for rapid use. In its present incarnation, there's little difference between this and right-clicking the image and selecting "Save Image As..." (which is the method most people would use).
What we have at the moment: Ctrl+click on a link opens the link in a new tab Shift+click on a link saves it shift+click on an image (that isn't link) saves it. If I understand you correctly, you want the image saving to always have a shortcut, but there isn't actually any available shortcut without losing something else. I feel this is WONTFIX. (Please raise a separate bug about the bringing up a prompt or not).
I shall focus on [modifier]+click link/image saving. I'll post the rest as a separate bug. From reading the Galeon mailing lists and following Galeon development over the past 4 years, it seems clear to me that one of the main aims of Galeon2 has been to provide a more consistent and usable interface. As I have tried to explain above, the click behaviour has been made _less_ usable. To quote Comment #1: Ctrl+click on a link opens the link in a new tab Shift+click on a link saves it shift+click on an image (that isn't link) saves it. This desn't clearly explain what the expected behaviour should be if an image is also a link. Does a shift+click save the link or the image? IMHO this is bad for usability. I have a few possible solutions. IMHO the best approach would be to revert to the Galeon1 behaviour, where links are saved with shift+click and images with ctrl+click. This was a sane system in that there was no possible confusion over what each modifier did (shift = link; ctrl = image). While I agree that reverting back to Galeon1 behaviour reduces functionality a tiny bit, since when has that bothered the Galeon2 team? Galeon2 *intentionally* has fewer features than Galeon1, but the benefit has been better usability. Similarly, the Galeon1 click behaviour is more sane and usable, even if sacrifices a little functionality. An alternative would be to add another click modifier. I disagree with the assertion in made in Comment #1 that "there isn't actually any available shortcut without losing something else." With the current implementation, a ctrl+click or ctrl+shift+click on an image does nothing. One of these can be used to save an image. Ctrl+click would be easier to perform (i.e. you only need to press one key), but actually I think that ctrl+shift+click is more sane. If shift+click on an image that is a link saves the link, pressing ctrl _changes_ the behaviour to make it save the image instead. Ctrl becomes a modifier to a modifier: it forces the image to be saved instead of the link. Since the ctrl+shift combination is not used elsewhere in Galeon, this can work on any image, whether is a link or not. That is good for consistency.
We have discussed this, and don't feel that changing the modifer behaviour would be benefical. However we change them, there are always likely to be inconsistencies.
I'm sorry but I don't understand your reasoning. From what I can see, there are no inconsistencies with adding a ctrl+shift+click function to save an image.
Sigh, ok, I'll add it at some point
Fixed in CVS: http://mail.gnome.org/archives/cvs-commits-list/2005-August/msg01649.html