GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 608537
Icon of arrow[specifying sort direction] in column opposite from Gnome app windows.
Last modified: 2010-06-08 17:14:22 UTC
Bug first reported in launchpad > https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gtk+2.0/+bug/509656 "In Nautilus or any app (Gnome) : the arrow we see in the "modification date" column if we order the files regarding their last modified date, with the most recent files on the top, this arrow is pointing up (which is logical): http://pix.toile-libre.org/upload/original/1263475829.png But, in the gtk file chooser [when we want to open / save a document for example, on the window which opens] , if we want to order the files the same way, the most recent at the top, the arrow appearing here just near the text "Modified" is pointing... down ! http://pix.toile-libre.org/upload/original/1263476031.png This is not a major thing, but it can be confusing, sometimes reflexively I click on the "Modified" column and put arrow pointing up, but I see that files are not ordered with the newest at top as I wanted... Thus it would be great if that arrow direction could be uniform. "
I confirm this bug. This is illogical and is very unprofessional. step to reproduce : 1: Open Nautilus 2: switch to List View 3: click on the Size column to choose a ascending sort. Problem : The arrow is pointing up, but the sort is descending, starting with the biggest file to the smallest. An ascending sort means "from the tiniest to the largest" and is usually represented by an arrow pointing UP. We read a list from top to bottom, according to this, a ascending sorted size column should show the smallest file on the top (first) and the largest on the bottom (last).
Whether "acending" sort is better illustrated by an arrow pointing up or down is actually debatable. What platform are you coming from?
Ok, after IRC discussion I agree that the file chooser's date column got it backwards.
(In reply to comment #2) > Whether "acending" sort is better illustrated by an arrow pointing > up or down is actually debatable. What platform are you coming from? Spoke to Michael on irc , the bug is not about the arrow direction or which is right direction or not. but the mismatch in the direction within a Linux OS [ex: Ubuntu here] The name fields are ,weirdly, the same direction for gnome apps and gtk+ file chooser. However , the size and date columns are a mismatch. The gnome apps[nautilus,etc.] point in a a direction mentioned in the HIG [ http://library.gnome.org/devel/hig-book/stable/controls-lists.html.en#controls-lists-sortable ] While the gtk+ file chooser points in the opposite direction.
Fixed in gtk-2-22 in commit 4acbc2fdb0f4312e8b991761994429f25f79f195. Fixed in master in commit 2f990d472634b36935612014ea9b0c1a99efa6c3. Now we are consistent with Nautilus and with the HIG. The name/size/mtime mismatch was just an oversight. I still think the HIG gets the arrow direction backwards :)