Bug 352797

Summary: Regression: open dialog no longer allows convenient way to create new files
Product: [Applications] kate Reporter: jm.ouwerkerk
Component: applicationAssignee: KWrite Developers <kwrite-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE    
Severity: wishlist CC: ilmari.lauhakangas
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: 5.0.0   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Debian unstable   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description jm.ouwerkerk 2015-09-16 12:26:54 UTC
Switching from Kate 4 something to Kate 15.08 comes with a regression in its behaviour towards opening new files that do not exist yet. Previous versions allowed the slightly obscure but useful functionality to use the open dialog to open files that didn't exist. Opening a file in such a manner would create a new document similar to a new default/untitled buffer. There are a few differences to the 'untitled' document, though, which made it so much more useful:

- The new document would be titled after the selected file name
- It would be inserted in the corresponding proper location in the file/document tree (if tree view is used)
- It would already have a file path pre selected when saving using the 'Save' action (Ctrl+S).

This functionality made it a lot easier to work with multiple new documents that were not yet saved because the new documents would already be properly labeled and 'fully' integrated:
- Distinguishing between such new files and others is easier (as compared to navigating between Untitled 1, 2, 3, 4, ... Untitled $X)
- Navigation is easier because items are located in their proper place according to the file tree hierarchy.
- Documents do not move around in the file/document tree on saving them to their proper location
- Habitual saving using e.g. Ctrl+S does not throw up a distracting file dialog (minor annoyance).

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Use the 'open' file dialog in Kate version: 15.08
2. Navigate to some other directory you'd like to create a new file in
3. Type name of new file, confirm selection

Actual Results:  
A warning message dialog is displayed that no such file exists, rejecting your chosen file name. (Window is titled "Cannot open file".)

Expected Results:  
Previous versions of Kate would accept the new file name and create a new buffer/document in the application named after your chosen file, similar to the default 'untitled' buffers. Then if you saved the contents of the buffer, it would be automatically saved to the file you had specified earlier.

This used to be a really handy shortcut in Kate from KDE 4 to create files at a specific location, especially when working with multiple 'new' files at varying locations at once (e.g. when working on a source code repository).

Please consider restoring that functionality!
Comment 1 Buovjaga 2016-06-25 15:50:55 UTC

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 351189 ***