GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 542298
"Print to File" output file selection is difficult to use
Last modified: 2012-09-04 11:29:00 UTC
I find the controls for specifying the output file of a "Print to File" difficult to use. Once I go to "Save in folder -> Other...", it is easy to forget that I am supposed to specify the containing folder rather than the output file itself. As a result, I accidentally created a folder with the name I wanted for the output file and had to go and delete the folder before proceeding. No other application I have seen has such a strange manner of specifying an output file. Here are some possible ways to improve the interface: 1. Remove the "Other..." menu option and add a "Browse..." button that opens a standard Save dialog and fills both the "Name" and "Save in folder" fields based on the result. 2. Remove all of the file selection controls and launch a Save dialog when the user clicks the "Print" button. This has the advantage that, if a warning about replacing an existing file appears, the file-chooser dialog is still open to provide context. 3. Integrate a full file chooser into the Print dialog. To do this without making the General tab overly large, I suggest adding a row at the top that says "Print to: ( ) Printer ( ) File" (radio buttons) and showing either the printer list or the file chooser in the area underneath as appropriate. Other information:
this bug is still an issue. and it sucks. and it effects my work almost daily. i wasted 10 minutes today manually cleaning up the folders this dialog created when i thought i was choosing a file name. i think this bug is filed against the wrong component; i am moving it from gnome-print to GTK / apologies in advance if its the wrong component.
Marek, can you look at this ?
Created attachment 206282 [details] gtk print dialog What about something like on the picture?
Created attachment 206283 [details] save dialog And this one.
Hi Marek! I really appreciate your quick attention to this bug!!! Can you help walk me through the screenshots you posted? My concern with attachment 206282 [details] is that I'm not sure where the filename 'gtk-demo.pdf' came from - is that what would be input in attachment 206283 [details]? Attachment 206283 [details] looks good to me, if it would replace the current dialog. So if I click "Save As...", then I can select the folder the document will go in and type out the filename I want it to have, press 'Save', and it will just work, right? That sounds perfect to me and matches the File Save dialogs other GTK apps use.
Hi there is a working patch + screenshot for this problem in bug #682129. I did not know about this bug, so I reopened a new one, we should mark this bug as a duplicated. Anyway, the discussion is to remove these options entirely and modify the "Print" button in such a way that is displays save and offers a "save file" dialog when clicked. This would be much easier to use. The details can be read at bug #668529, I have already prepared a first patch.
I would save this is fixed by 4c67e71c63aca1770a6a486c30653f831a0191bd and can be closed.
> I would save this is fixed by 4c67e71c63aca1770a6a486c30653f831a0191bd and can > be closed. Hi, you are right. I'm closing this one. Marek