Bug 286263 - digiKam automatically expands albums tree-view item while dragging over them
Summary: digiKam automatically expands albums tree-view item while dragging over them
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: digikam
Classification: Applications
Component: Usability-Drag&Drop (show other bugs)
Version: 2.3.0
Platform: Ubuntu Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Digikam Developers
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2011-11-10 13:26 UTC by Thomas Damgaard
Modified: 2017-08-02 15:49 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In: 4.3.0


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Description Thomas Damgaard 2011-11-10 13:26:05 UTC
Version:           2.3.0 (using KDE 4.7.2) 
OS:                Linux

When a user drags a folder over another folder in Digikam, the folder is automatically expanded. This confuses users and makes it very easy to accidentially drop the folder in the wrong album.

A screencast illustrating the problem is available here:
http://ifile.dk/d/c4bd89b9-6f4b-49bf-be82-53ffc24ef7f8/

I see three problems here:
1: The automatic folder expansion can be useful in some use cases, however, it is my experience that it confuses users more than it helps.
2: Appearently, there is no way to disable this behaviour from the Settings window.
3: .. and this is probably the detail that makes this behavior most annoying/dangerous: the folder expansion happens too quickly. I am guessing it happens after hovering between 1 and 2 seconds. This is just too fast. Many users require much longer time in order to position the mouse correctly. I would say between 3-5 seconds would easily be needed.

Recommended solution:
1: Provide an option to enable/disable this feature.
2: Set the default bahavior to have this option disabled. (I think other KDE applications such as Dolphin, etc. also have this feature disabled by default)
3: Make the delay before folder expansion configurable: let the user set the delay from a range between 500ms to 10s. Set default value to 4s.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
Drag a folder over another folder containing subfolders.


Actual Results:  
Folder expands very quickly

Expected Results:  
Should not expand -- or there should be a bigger delay.
Comment 1 Marcel Wiesweg 2011-11-10 20:55:32 UTC
The property is called "auto-expand delay" and currently set to 300 ms. Suggestions on a better value (the value used by dolphin e.g.) are welcome; 4 sec are clearly too long, could just switch it off then.

I would not like to add application-specific options for details in handling of basic UI components. If ever, then KDE-wide, but better, finding a clear KDE-wide guideline for the time constant.
Comment 2 caulier.gilles 2011-11-12 13:39:08 UTC
Marcel,

I agree with Thomas. I use D&D all time in digiKam to manage collections and items. when i drag icon-view items to album tree-view, target switch between collapsed and reduced tree-view mode, depending if the position of mouse cursor. It sound like a dysfunction... This behavior need to be improved and polished.

Gilles Caulier
Comment 3 Marcel Wiesweg 2011-11-12 16:55:37 UTC
In Dolphin, press F7 to get the "folders" sidebar. Drag a file on this view. You'll see there is the same auto-expand functionality, but apparently with a longer delay. (and some nice smooth-scrolling animations...)
Comment 4 Thomas Damgaard 2011-11-13 15:57:05 UTC
Marcel:
>The property is called "auto-expand delay" and currently set to 300 ms.
> Suggestions on a better value (the value used by dolphin e.g.) are welcome; 
> 4 sec are clearly too long, could just switch it off then.

How to switch it off?

Why not add an option for the user to set the desired delay? I do not think 2-4 seconds is onreasonable for many users. Keep in mind that many users are not software developers and do not spend nearly as much time in front of their computers than we do. Thus, many users are not as trained in using the mouse to quickly position the mouse where they want. (I am *not* kidding -- this is a major usability concern)
Comment 5 Thomas Damgaard 2011-12-13 12:40:43 UTC
Marcel, as I read your text: 
> Suggestions on a better value (the value used by dolphin e.g.) are welcome; 
> 4 sec are clearly too long, could just switch it off then.

I get the impression that there already exists an option to disable this feature. Is that correct? If so, where do I find this option?
Comment 6 Marcel Wiesweg 2011-12-24 17:03:51 UTC
We could switch it off in code. As detailed in comment #1, I would not like a digikam-specific option for this
Comment 7 caulier.gilles 2014-08-30 17:37:08 UTC
Marcel,

I'm hurting myself with this behavior on my lead computer. I use D&D everywhere when i can.

On OSX, similar concept exist, but delay is not 300ms, but few seconds.

How we can customize this delay ?

Gilles
Comment 8 caulier.gilles 2014-08-30 17:40:20 UTC
MArcel,

I just seen that expanding folder feature is configurable in Dolphin (turn on/off)

Turn off this feature have no sence in digiKam for me, but delay is not very well adjusted to be usable well.

Gilles
Comment 9 caulier.gilles 2014-09-03 09:43:43 UTC
*** Bug 307231 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 10 caulier.gilles 2014-09-03 12:18:15 UTC
Git commit 093fb17867b46d0868269261154e2ca731f88221 by Gilles Caulier.
Committed on 03/09/2014 at 12:15.
Pushed by cgilles into branch 'master'.

Increase delay to expand album tree-view item with D&D operations from 300 to 800ms (as Dolphin)
code polish
Related: bug 307231
FIXED-IN: 4.3.0

M  +3    -1    NEWS
M  +34   -19   digikam/album/albumtreeview.cpp
M  +3    -2    digikam/album/albumtreeview.h
M  +9    -3    digikam/utils/globals.h
M  +1    -0    libs/widgets/mainview/dxmlguiwindow.cpp
M  +6    -5    libs/widgets/mainview/dxmlguiwindow.h

http://commits.kde.org/digikam/093fb17867b46d0868269261154e2ca731f88221