NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/comp/sys/next/programm/7349

Text File | 1992-11-20 | 3.4 KB | 73 lines

Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.programmer
Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!usenet
From: [e-mail] (Garance A. Drosehn)
Subject: Re: UI:Suggestion for open and save panels
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Nntp-Posting-Host: eclipse.its.rpi.edu
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 08:19:53 GMT
Lines: 62

Two good ideas here, I think...

> [e-mail] (Mike Shebanek) writes:
>
> >The Save and Open panels had shelves like the File Viewer and Finder
> >panel so   you could create "bookmarks" in the file system and jump to
> >often used folders   quickly and easily?  The Home button is a nice, but
> >putting a shelf in these   panels would provide much more flexibility
> >and yet not break the established   interface rules (i.e., this has
> >already been done with the finder panel,   Digital Librarian, and File
> >Viewer).

I'd like some kind of pop-down menu which was keeping track of recently-
visited folders (like DfaultD on the Mac, or, um, SuperBoomerang).  This can
be very useful and time-saving.

I believe the above is a good idea, but I also believe it's a separate issue
from:

[e-mail] (Izumi Ohzawa) responded:
> I want a "Lock Shelf Item" feature in Workspace File Viewer.
> Since a lot of things now supports drag and drop from workspace,
> I keep losing files/directories placed on the shelf by dragging those
> into applications.
>
> Default action should be what it is -- remove from shelf if dragged out,
> but there should be an option to lock down shelf items individually, so
> you can drag a directory from shelf to Save/Open panels without waiting
> for it to appear in the Icon Path (which is slooow).

I'd suggest that the "locked" option should be based on where you are
dragging the item to, I think (but I've only thought about it for 10 minutes
now).  I mean, when would you *ever* want an icon dragged from the shelf
into an open or save panel to disappear from the shelf?  Similarly, I don't
think it should ever be removed from the shelf if dragged to a Stuart or
Terminal window.  I think the shelf on stuart windows have the right
behavior in this regard, items to not automatically disappear from the shelf
when they are used.

Hmm.  Thinking about this for another 12 seconds, I'd almost be willing to
claim that for *most* targets that one would drag an icon into, the user
probably does not want it removed from the shelf.  The times it makes sense
to remove it from the shelf are if you're dragging it into the background
(ie, you're purposely removing it from the shelf), or if you are dragging it
into some File Viewer window (into some folder, for instance).

If I have something on my shelf, it's not likely to be sitting there just
for the benefit of one open panel.  I wouldn't bother putting it on the
shelf just to be used one time.  I either put things on the shelf to move
them between folders, or I do it because I reference them frequently (in
which case I don't want them to disappear from the shelf when I use them).

Does this sound reasonable, or am I just too tired right now?

--
Garance Alistair Drosehn     =     [e-mail]
ITS Systems Programmer            (handles NeXT-type mail)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;           Troy NY    USA

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