KIO Slaves proposal

[Kurt Pfeifle]

> List:       kfm-devel
> Subject:    KIO Slaves proposal
> From:       Dik Takken <D.H.J.Takken () phys ! uu ! nl>
> Date:       2004-11-13 16:40:33
> 
> 
> After the recent discussion about a KIO Slave wizard, I have been thinking 
> of other ways to make KIO slaves more accessible to the user.
> 
> The idea is that we create a special KIO slave that allows the user to 
> browse other KIO slaves, like some sort of virtual file system. To see 
> what I mean, take a look at some screenshots:
> 
> http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=17800

That thingie rocks! I like it very much.

> Users no longer need to know or remember the names of the various KIO 
> slaves (my girlfriend always forgets how to type a decent fish:// URL :-) 
> ) , all they need to do is browse to the right icon and click on it. Even 
> browsing remote computers using any available protocol (http, ftp, fish, 
> ...) can be handled this way by asking the user for a hostname and select 
> a protocol (see screenshot).
> 
> If we really want to go User-Friendly (TM), this new locations index 
> should become Konqueror's default location, replacing the current 
> file://home/username location.

To really increase the visibility and exposure of the kioslaves to 
users (powerusers and beginners alike) it *needs* to become the default 
Konqui location for all new installations!

> Three disadvantages that I can think of: 
> 
> * Replacing file://home/username with locations:/ is a Really Big Change 
> which we will probably need to wait for until KDE 4

I don't think it is too big a change. Especially if we keep the number 
of "top level" kioslaves (see below) to a max number of 6, and retain 
the "Personal Files" one (a.k.a. home directory) as one of these 6, located 
in the top left corner. Also, it should be made very easy and obvious 
to go back from there to where you regain your $HOME as the default
location for Konqui.

Easily going back to a configuration where $HOME is Konqui's default 
could be achieved by placing a "text sidebar" into the "locations:"
folder (similar as I seem to remember having seen on MS Win systems) 
explaining in 5 sentences what the options are, offering a linke to
"Show my Home directory in Konqui instead of the 'locations:'" 
(I explicitely do not want to purely relying on tooltips and WhatsThis 
here!)

> * The user's personal files will be one more click away.

This is a little prize to pay IMHO.

> But so are many  
> useful KIO slaves.

This is a big gain to get for a small prize.

> * We might be tempted to turn this index into a jungle, like what 
> happened to KDE Control Centre

Yes, that's a danger to be aware of and to take measures against.

> Opinions?

I withdraw my idea of a drop-down combobox-like URL-protocol-selector as 
described in my blog (http://www.kdedevelopers.org/blog/418). -- Your 
idea is much better. My drop-down probably is too difficult to implement 
in a clean, non-intrusive way.     ;-)   ;-)
 
Your concept reminds me of a "super-kio" or "meta-kio" slave. 

"locations:/" is much cleaner. To make it fullfill its intended purpose 
(namely, 
 * that all important kioslaves should become more exposed to users, 
 * that their use should be made as easy as possible, and 
 * that it should sport a clean user interface), 

the darn thingie should be default be very well visible, and have a few more
"features":
 
--> *make it the default* for Konqui's "Home" button on all new installations 
     (with the option for users to change it to something else). That would 
     create the desired visibility.
 
--> *create a shortcut* with icon "Locations" on each desktop on the upper 
    left corner. That could create additional visibility.
 
--> *each one* of the kio-slave icons in the "locations:" folder should have 
    a wizard associated with it in a right-click context menu. That could 
    help the ease of use.
 
--> *each one* of the kio-slave icons in the "locations:" folder should have 
    a well-worded tooltip as well as a WhatsThis entry, as well as a 
    complete documentation (the end user documentation in this field 
    currently sucks big time). That could help to increase the ease of use.
 
--> *only the most important* kio-slaves should be directly visible in the 
    "locations:" folder (max. 6 items). The rest should be hidden in a 
    subfolder. (To add more items, click on subfolder, which opens on 
    separate window, and drag'n'drop icons from subfolder to main 
    "location:" folder. Explain this when subfolder is opened...). This 
    could help keeping the user interface clean...

--> *design a context menu* for all items in "locations:". The context 
    menu should have standard entries to...
    ...the specific "Config Wizard" (helps to set up f.e. a correct 
       "fish://" login to a remote server),
    ...the specific "Usage Requirements" (explain what required apps
       need to be installed, like "smb" needs (lib)smbclient, or 
       whatever),
    ...the specific "Quick Help" (explains in 3 sentences what that 
       kioslave is good for and shows an example URL), 
    ...the specific "Manual" (complete manual for that kio slave -- many
       still need to be written!), 
    ...the specific "History" (gives quick access to previously used URLs
       for that kioslave),
 
I think such a think could be made one of the central new features of
KDE 3.4. To many long-time users most of the kioslaves and protocols 
would appear like something completely new inside KDE, and it would
justify making a certain "marketing splash" about it.

Hopefully, "fuse-kio" will in 3.4 become a solid and stable citizen of 
this kioslave community, because it can proof to be a core utility to
make KDE the "Integrative Desktop", empowering also many non-KDE apps
with additional features.

> Cheers!
> Dik

 Cheers,
 Kurt