KFileDialog: "Parent Folder" button

[James Richard Tyrer]

Peter Penz wrote:

> Hm, I don't get this: From my point of view the problem is not about 
> finding out where the user is. The whole idea of the URL navigator is 
> based on using bookmarks as shortcuts to long paths (see e. g. 
> http://dolphin.kde.org/features.html). So the user uses bookmarks as 
> shortcuts to prevent having URLs like "home/peter/Documents/Pictures" 
> and replace them by e. g. just "Pictures". So 
> "home/peter/Documents/Pictures/2008/January" will presented as "Pictures 
>  > 2008 > January".

Yes, I agree.  My only question is whether it might be better to have:

	Documents > Pictures > 2008 > January

Adding the folder for KGlobalSettings::documentPath() to breadcrumbs 
being a singular exception.  I do not want to see Home unless it is 
KGlobalSettings::documentPath().

I am not saying that this would be better, just asking.

What I do see a need for is a quick way to go to the "Documents" (which 
I call Files on my system since I have a directory $HOME/Files/Documents 
for text and Office Suite Documents).  I would prefer a toolbar button 
for this function as I added to Konqueror in KDE3.

<SNIP>

> So the Gtk+ way still needs two clicks + moving the mouse just for 
> getting up to a parent folder.

I find the breadcrumbs convenient in the GNOME file selection dialog (in 
The GIMP & InkScape).  But, I find that I never go farther to the left 
than the subdirectory of  Files.  There is really no need for that to be 
in the breadcrumbs since I can get to Files, $HOME, or "/" by clicking 
on the list of places.
> 
> The basic question for me is: What's the benefit of having the "Gtk+ 
> way" in comparison to the "go-up" button? Maybe I'm really missing 
> something here, but currently I fail to see the benefit.

I see no benefit in the GNOME way.  But getting back to what I said 
above.  Notice that in the GNOME file selection dialog that when you 
click the "Up" button (which is < in GNOME to the point that "Up" would 
take you to root that the icon changes.

So, another suggestion (I am just brainstorming here so I don't expect 
every idea to be a good one :-)) for a possibility.  Would it be better 
for the "Up" icon to change when clicking it would go to:

	/ [root]
	$HOME
	KGlobalSettings::documentPath() [Documents]

This should give the user sufficient information about where they 
actually were.  This would provide a quick way to go to "Documents".

-- 
JRT