[Usability] gtk 2.3.2 file selector suggestions



I logged some notes in the file selector bug (#29087), but wanted to get
some opinions here.  Unlike some other recent attempts at file selector
suggestions, these are just minor tweaks to the already existing UI
which shouldn't require radical UI reimplementation.  ;-)

Hopefully I'm not being an idiot posting these to the list; seemed like
the right place.  My apologies if indeed I am an idiot.

The biggest or most interesting problems in my list are:

#1) the Add/Remove bookmarks buttons are in completely the wrong place. 
It's not obvious at all that they have anything to do with the
bookmarks, especially not that they're placed just next to the Up button
(which is unrelated to bookmarks).  I suggested that the add/remove
buttons be placed under the bookmarks list (the bottom of the buttons
would be near the bottom edge of the file list).  Is this a good idea?

#2) If the bookmarks feature isn't supported by the backend in use, then
should the add/remove buttons not be present, or just be disabled?  The
current behaviour has a popup after you click on the buttons, which I
feel is bad because popups are generally evil, and the buttons are
rather "advertising" that they work.

#4) The Modified dates for directories are bold just like the folder
names.  This (to me) makes the dates feel like they over-power the
folder names.  Should these be bold, or just normal font, and leave the
bold solely for the folder names themselves?

#11) *biggest probloem* clicking on a folder in save mode over-writes
the filename entry.  This was just recently fixed in the old file
selector, and is a rather serious regression; it makes saving files a
complete pain in the arse.  Selecting a folder when not in folder mode
should never over-write the file name entry.

The other issues are just general UI tweaks and things which I don't
doubt are just bugs/incompleteness.  Suggestions/comments there of
course are useful.

I think the design of the file selector on a whole is useful, and while
it may (or may not) be much worse than some of the more radical
suggestions recently made, it is usable and workable within the release
time frame.  I just want to make sure it gets the final polish and HIG
compliance it needs before that release comes around.  ;-)
-- 
Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>
AwesomePlay Productions, Inc.




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