Bug 161028 - Tree view for Places panel
Summary: Tree view for Places panel
Status: RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Alias: None
Product: frameworks-kio
Classification: Frameworks and Libraries
Component: Places (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Platform: Compiled Sources Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KIO Bugs
URL:
Keywords:
: 234720 392480 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2008-04-19 18:02 UTC by Jani-Matti Hätinen
Modified: 2022-01-23 03:34 UTC (History)
6 users (show)

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Description Jani-Matti Hätinen 2008-04-19 18:02:57 UTC
Version:            (using Devel)
Installed from:    Compiled sources

It would be nice if the dolphin Places panel could be used with a tree view.

This would make it possible for the user to create a tree view with several different, customisable roots. Providing IMHO maximum flexibility and functionality. (something that the KDE 3.5 system kioslave tried to do in a way)

In the current situation I'm forced to use either a tree view which has a wrong (for me), single, unchangeable root folder (Tree panel), or changeable root folders, but no tree view (Places panel).

And no, the tree view in the main list doesn't do this for me, because it doesn't make it possible to easily drag and drop files between two subfolders in the hierarchy.
Comment 1 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2008-04-20 00:30:27 UTC
Sorry, that last bit is obviously wrong. Of course I can use the current main list tree view to drag and drop between folders that are deeper in the hierarchy.

What I meant to say was that currently I can't easily drag and drop between folders that are deeper in two different hierarchies. E.g. between two different remote folders or between my home directory and a remote system.

This is something that I can currently do with the system kioslave side panel in konqueror 3.5 and I like it a lot (makes it a lot easier to administer several servers).
Comment 2 Kevin Ottens 2008-05-06 00:40:55 UTC
I took quite some time to actually understand your need... It seems to be all very hidden into your whole "tree vs list" argumentation. So let's focus on the actual need:
*You want to be able to drop in several level deep on the places*.

So for instance instead of only dropping into your "fancy plugged usb key", you'd like to be able to drop into one of its sub-sub-folder directly. For instance dropping into "fancy plugged usb key"/pictures/birthday.

Do we agree that's the actual need? Or I'm completely off track.
Comment 3 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2008-05-06 08:16:50 UTC
Yep. That's the point.
Comment 4 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2008-05-06 08:32:05 UTC
Along with more flexible drag&drop possibilities, the multi-root treeview also has the benefit of being able to show a much more complete view of the folder hierarchy as whole. (Including used remote systems and removable media)

That's IMHO also a pretty good thing, as it makes it a lot easier to navigate the hierarchy and provides a kind of a mental reference point.
Comment 5 Kevin Ottens 2008-05-07 19:29:36 UTC
I'm really not hot on making that a tree. Actually I don't buy the "more complete view" argument, it's spitting too much info to the user IMO. The "places" idea is really about having a short list of places interesting to the user.

Now, the drag&drop issue you pointed is a real need. I'll fullfill this one by reimplementing in Dolphin the "drag-hold" opens folder we had in Konqueror for 3.5. Also I think I'm actually missing this behavior. :-)

Peter is that fine with you if I implement that? I'd need to work on the KFilePlacesView but also on Dolphin icon view so I'm asking your approval upfront. ;-)
Comment 6 Peter Penz 2008-05-07 20:27:02 UTC
> Peter is that fine with you if I implement that? I'd need to
> work on the KFilePlacesView but also on Dolphin icon view so
> I'm asking your approval upfront. ;-) 

For sure I'm fine with that (I assume 4.2 will be the target?). Just 2 minor notes:
- I personally don't like the "open the folder on dragging" behavior;  it happened to me several times that I accidentally wanted to drag a file into a folder, the folder opened and I was confused and canceled the operation. What I want to say: I'd like to make this an optional feature for power users which is turned off per default. Is this OK for you?
- I think it would be necessary to implement this feature for the icons, details and column-view for consistency.

If this is too much work for you: it is on my TODO-list for 4.2 so I can do it too ;-) Just let me know. Thanks!
Comment 7 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2008-05-07 20:34:05 UTC
I'm not saying that the tree view should be the default. I'm just saying that it would be really really nice if it were an option.

I do agree that most average computer users would probably find the multi-rooted tree view a bit confusing, but this isn't Gnome or is it? Just to illustrate my point I put up a screenshot which shows the tree I had open in konqueror just now. It's at http://jannu.homelinux.net/massive_filesystem_overview.png

And that's not an exaggeration. That's the size of the filesystem hierarchy that I deal with on a daily basis. And that view only has open one of the 5 remote server trees that I administer every day.

So for me both the complete overview and the ability to drag&drop straight between two deeper hierarchies is very, very real. And no drag&hold solution is ever going to be an acceptable replacement.
Comment 8 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2008-05-08 03:16:48 UTC
Oops, meant to say:
So for me the need for both the complete overview and the ability to drag&drop straight between two deeper hierarchies is very, very real.

Also, it might be a better approach if this tree view were to be iplemented as a separate panel rather than as an option for the Places panel. The main reason I brought this up in connection to the Places panel was because IMHO it would be neat if this and the Places panel could share the same bookmarks / tree roots (along with the bookmarks in the file open dialog).
Comment 9 Kevin Ottens 2008-05-09 11:16:28 UTC
@Peter:
Yes, 4.2 as target. And if you want to split up the work as: I do my part on the sidebar, you tackle the views, I'm perfectly fine with that.

@Jani-Matti:
Wow! By looking at your screenshot, you should really be using Konqueror, not Dolphin. They just target different user groups and honestly you seem to be in the Konqueror one. :-)
Comment 10 Peter Penz 2008-05-09 12:03:31 UTC
@Kevin:
> Yes, 4.2 as target. And if you want to split up the work as:
> I do my part on the sidebar, you tackle the views, I'm perfectly fine with that.

Me too :-) 
Comment 11 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2008-05-09 17:58:26 UTC
@Kevin: Yeah, you're probably right. I'll check the situation in konq and resubmit this request there if need be.

BTW, seems that my comment about Gnome was a bit off, since nautilus actually has this feature already, although it seems that the roots are not configurable. (Screenshot at: http://jannu.homelinux.net/nautilus_sidebar_multi-root_treeview.png)
Comment 12 tobimensch 2010-01-08 05:18:57 UTC
I'd really like to have this feature in dolphin. It's a feature that shouldn't be foreign to anyone who ever operated a Windows system, it makes navigation fast and simple. I don't see why it should be too "complicated" for average users, they don't have to expand the tree, and even when they do the concept is old and well known, so what's the problem?
Comment 13 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2010-01-22 03:00:10 UTC
I'll also revoice my request for this feature.

KDE seems to be taking the position that Dolphin is _the_ file manager for the KDE desktop (as evident by the fact that konq as a filemanager hasn't seen any major development in the KDE4 series). Thus the argument that Dolphin isn't meant for power users IMHO isn't really valid.

Also, as pointed out by comments #11 and #12 this is a feature which is available in both Windows and Gnome (as well as KDE3) and is thus hardly a new nor possibly confusing concept for the average user.

IMHO the current situation provides both the average user and the power user with two suboptimal options to choose from.
On the other hand you have the Places panel the contents of which can be customised to fit your usage and which is also able to utilise KDE's kioslave functionality for both networked and removable media (plus a host of other access methods)
But if you happen to need/want a tree view instead of a flat list, you have to settle for the Tree panel, which provides neither customisation, nor user-friendly access to removable media. Also accessing & managing networked media with a tree like folderview (apart from mounted stuff obviously) is simply impossible.

With the above in mind I hope you'll reconsider this feature. Either as a separate panel, or as an option for the places panel.
Comment 14 tobimensch 2010-01-22 12:10:22 UTC
@Jani-Matti Hätinen:
I couldn't agree more.
Comment 15 Jeroen van Meeuwen (Kolab Systems) 2012-08-24 16:20:02 UTC
Resetting assignee to default as per bug #305719
Comment 16 Jani-Matti Hätinen 2016-07-01 12:02:12 UTC
Any chance this might get implemented some day?
Comment 17 Elvis Angelaccio 2017-01-14 14:42:59 UTC
*** Bug 234720 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 18 Nate Graham 2017-09-03 00:28:12 UTC
It's very unlikely the Places panel will be modified to fit this request. Any changes would take place in the Folder panel. Can someone who wants please give a concise explanation of the *specific* changes that are requested for the Folders panel?
Comment 19 Nate Graham 2018-03-29 17:22:35 UTC
*** Bug 392480 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 20 Nate Graham 2022-01-23 03:34:14 UTC
Probably never going to happen, sorry. :(