Bug 252675

Summary: Having to type at least three letters for initiating a search is distracting
Product: [Unmaintained] plasma4 Reporter: Kai Uwe Broulik <KaiUweBroulik2>
Component: widget-kickoffAssignee: Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: wishlist CC: apcomptec, kde, romuluspb, xgdgsc, zzyxpaw
Priority: NOR    
Version: 4.8.3   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Unlisted Binaries   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In: 4.12
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Kai Uwe Broulik 2010-09-28 19:32:27 UTC
Version:           unspecified
OS:                Linux

(I can understand the reason for having a requirement of minimum three letters to be entered into the search box for any search progress to begin.)
But if you type for example “sy” for sysinfo or systemsettings, the menu‘s contents just disappear leaving you with an empty menu and no indicator of what is going on.
One may assume that it is working in background and wait for results to appear before going on typing.
It is really distracting that there is no indication what-so-ever.

Either wait for the user having typed in three letters before the menu contents are replaced with search results or give a hint or something but don‘t just leave him with an empty search result field.

Reproducible: Always
Comment 1 Kai Uwe Broulik 2010-11-14 01:37:32 UTC
As Plasma developers (somehow understandable) won‘t remove the 3 letters restricton, at least make it more obvious that it won‘t search bevore you‘ve entered at least 3 letters.
Comment 2 GSC 2013-04-22 13:17:19 UTC
Any sane search function should start searching as typing (such as windows, mac, launchy, synapse, gnome,unity) . Only KDE I know use such stupid 3 char limit.
Comment 3 Brallan Aguilar 2013-05-28 20:03:34 UTC
In some cases, I use files or directories with a short name and is impossible to locate them :(
Comment 4 gandalf3 2013-06-02 22:00:45 UTC
*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***
Comment 5 gandalf3 2013-06-02 22:08:22 UTC
Same with Lancelot launcher..
Comment 6 gandalf3 2013-12-30 07:17:51 UTC
(In reply to comment #5)
> Same with Lancelot launcher..

It seems this is now fixed for the Lancelot launcher.
Comment 7 romuluspb 2014-03-06 11:52:44 UTC
I can't understand developers statement, everyone else out of KDE can technical do it without penalties, and here we can't... Its the same with hidden panels delay to mouse in plasma... It's somewhat sad... :(
Comment 8 GSC 2014-03-06 13:03:05 UTC
I' m on 4.12. It' s already fixed. Please close it.
Comment 9 romuluspb 2014-03-12 00:53:01 UTC
Only to notice, with 'c', show calligra aplications, but not "configurações do sistema" (system configurations), there is a limitation of elements?