Bug 489700 - User Experience/Usability: on a touch device, I can neither figure out how to even enter a filename(!) nor how to save the file in a simple sub folder
Summary: User Experience/Usability: on a touch device, I can neither figure out how to...
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: frameworks-kio
Classification: Frameworks and Libraries
Component: Open/save dialogs (show other bugs)
Version: 6.3.0
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KIO Bugs
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-07-03 20:21 UTC by Ellie
Modified: 2025-03-14 19:33 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
KWrite Save Dialog resisting all my attempts of using it (681.79 KB, video/webm)
2024-07-03 20:21 UTC, Ellie
Details

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Description Ellie 2024-07-03 20:21:37 UTC
Created attachment 171344 [details]
KWrite Save Dialog resisting all my attempts of using it

SUMMARY

User Experience/Usability: on a touch device, I can neither figure out how to even enter a filename(!) nor how to save the file in a simple sub folder. My apologies if this comes off as frustrated or even narrow-minded, but having used Linux for decades and KDE for years, I feel like this is a potential problem. I recorded a video and you can probably see my frustration.

The filename field gets apparently randomly wiped when I merely try to move the keyboard out of the way to see where I want to save things, and the folder list just plain ignores any attempt at selecting a folder to store inside. I didn't miss the arrow to uncollapse the tree at the side, but these commonly just show deeper contents rather than selecting a target so it didn't make sense to me to use them.

I don't understand how I'm meant to use the dialog, but I feel like even if I was told, the things I ran into warrant change.

(This is probably not a kate and not a kwrite bug, but I'm not sure which component provides this dialog. Please tell me where to forward this, and sorry for putting it here for now.)

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Open KWrite's "save" file dialog and try to use it via finger taps

OBSERVED RESULT

See video

EXPECTED RESULT

Maybe I'm wrong on this one, but I feel like the filename field should never get wiped ever just from a simple focus change. Even when spell checking or whatever is involved, I didn't press a cancel button of any kind so please don't delete it just because I'm trying to see which folder I want this to go. Single tapping or at least double tapping a folder will switch inside to save in there, as it does for all file dialogs of all other places, and which it might do when using the mouse - honestly not sure - but apparently doesn't do with touch. I accept maybe being just confused, but with Phosh and GTK+ save dialogs I havent seen any of these specific issues.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows: 
macOS: 
Linux/KDE Plasma: postmarketOS Edge
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version:  6.1.2
KDE Frameworks Version:  6.3.0
Qt Version: 6.6.3

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comment 1 Ellie 2024-07-03 20:24:25 UTC
I'd like to add my apologies for the frustrated sounding bug description. Hopefully the feedback is somewhat useful in some way.
Comment 2 Kåre Särs 2024-07-04 06:25:03 UTC
Kate/KWrite on touch devices is something the Kate developers, to my knowledge, do not really do.

The save dialog that shows this behavior is part of KDE Frameworks/Plasma, I'm redirecting this to frameworkd-kio
(Hoping that is the correct component)
Comment 3 TraceyC 2025-03-14 18:27:20 UTC
Hi Ellie,

It looks like this bug has been fixed in more recent code. I re-tested with KDE 6.3.3 Plasma apps (Kate 24.12.3)

 I followed the steps you showed in the screen recording, which clearly showed the bug. Using Kate, Dolphin or Firefox, I was able to save files, navigate, create directories, and generally interact as expected.
Using a Lenovo Flex in tablet mode, using only the touchscreen and Maliit virtual keyboard, here are some things I verified I could do:

-  Enter a filename for the saved file
- Tap outside of or dismiss the keyboard - the filename was not erased
- Create a subfolder, navigate to that subfolder
- Save files / new folders with the name I typed in

Are you still seeing any problems around this?
Comment 4 Ellie 2025-03-14 18:36:51 UTC
I have since found out that the filename being erased is Maliit's spell check mode. So I assume that part isn't fixed, but probably not a KIO frameworks problem, and it seems like the plan is to move to another on-screen keyboard anyway. Perhaps this ticket should therefore be closed.
Comment 5 TraceyC 2025-03-14 19:33:35 UTC
I'll go ahead and close this for now. If you run into any more problems saving files with the touch screen, please open a new report. Thanks!