[PATCH] Dolphin column view behavior

[Andreas Pakulat]

On 16.12.07 11:04:21, Peter Penz wrote:
> > First issue is the behavior when leaving column view.
> > In the Finder you can switch to the column view, navigate wherever you want
> > to go, and when you are in the wanted folder, switch to the icon view. The
> > icon view will open in the folder you just reached. In Dolphin, switching
> > from the column view to another automatically brings you back to the root
> > of the view. It seems to be done on purpose, according to a comment in
> > DolphinView::setMode(), but I don't understand the problem. Removing the
> > column view specific code brings the Finder behavior.
> 
> The original comment in the code says:
> 
> "When changing the mode in the column view, it makes sense
> to go back to the root URL of the column view automatically.
> Otherwise there it would not be possible to turn off the column view
> without focusing the first column."
> 
> When playing around with the column view for me it was bothersome that I 
> always had to focus the first column first to switch the view-mode back to e. 
> g. the details view. For me semantically the column view is just another 
> representation of a tree view: even if nodes are open, all view-properties 
> (view mode, show hidden files, show preview, ...) are always applied to 
> the "root node" and used by all child nodes.
> 
> My concern was that people don't know how to switch off the column-view again 
> for the root-directory when they open N columns. For example in the image 
> http://enzosworld.gmxhome.de/temp/columnview.png it is not possible to focus 
> the first column without using the CTRL-key + left mouse button as no 
> viewport is there. The trick is to just click on the URL navigator, but for 
> me this was quite bothersome.
> 
> But maybe my concerns are totally wrong. I'm open for applying your patch if 
> it turns out that the current behavior is not what people expect, but for KDE 
> 4.0 I only want to apply critical patches and no behavioral changes (there is 
> no chance for userfeedback anymore as the last RC is out). Is this OK for 
> you?

I for one find it very surprising that if I'm in column X, switching
back to another viewmode brings me back to another folder, instead of
just switching the viewmode. Currently it seems as if viewmodes are
keeping state, but not all - all quite inconsistent IMHO.

> > Second issue is the behavior in double-click mode.
> > When you are running KDE in double-click mode, I think it still makes sense
> > to open dirs in column view with a single click. Again, this follows the
> > Finder behavior.
> 
> The patch looks straight forward and I don't see the risk of any side effects.  
> As I'm a "single-clicker" I'm completely open here for any input from 
> the "double-clickers". My only concern again is that the last RC has already 
> been released and there is no chance for getting user feedback anymore.

IMHO all such things should follow the kde-wide click behaviour, simply
because if a user knows its double-click all the time he/she will do
that everywhere and suddenly he'll have a dir and another subdir opened.
I mean in iconview mode you need double-click and in column view you
need only single click? Again surprising, unless you're already knowing
MacOS and its Finder.

BTW: I'm also a single-clicker, though thats mostly because its the
default and I didn't bother to change. I'm also seldomly using a
filemanager, so the above is really what _I_ think is least surprising
to those "average" users out there.

Andreas

-- 
You will hear good news from one you thought unfriendly to you.