> As an aside, the only problem I see with using a regular file as a > template is that most users are just going to click "Save" and end up > overwriting their template rather than being prompted for a > name/location to save it to. The templates folder (assuming we went with a folder based implementation) should have some magic, so that when a user opens it and double-clicks the file, it should ask: What do you want to do? (o) Change this template ( ) Create a new document And if "Create a new document" is chosen, a wiz-like window should appear letting the user select a location to save the file to, and type a file name (think, this could even enforce the file extension automatically, based on the template's original extension). Then, once this step is done, the editing application should automatically, without user intervention, open the file. This Would also apply to dragging documents out of the Templates folder. The default action for dragging documents out of the Template folder should be, in sequence, 1) copy the file, and 2) open the editing app automatically. We need to "hint" the users into knowing that the whole idea of templates makes file creation EASIER, not harder, than just opening the application and hitting "Save". We need to drag users away from the "Use a particular app" concept and into the "Work on a specific document" idea, so the users discover that they can work on particular document types, without first needing to learn that "To write a letter, I need to run OpenOffice". Despite the appearance of Windows 95 and the continuing existence of Mac computers, the great majority of users directly open a Word processor and write text, then save, implicitly acepting the poorer usability of the "Save" dialog box when pitted against the system file manager. I think auto opening the app once the document is created is one step closer to the ideal situation. Oh, perhaps when the user is prompted to type a name on the template file, a list of currently associated apps to this file type can be shown to this effect: (assume the user just dragged an OpenOffice document to the desktop, or whatever folder, if you're a desktop-void lover) -------------------------------------------------------- [ =) Create a new OpenOffice document here ] <- title bar File name: ___________________________ Which program do you want to use? (o) The default (OpenOffice Writer) (favicon) ( ) One of the listed below: [ (favicon) OpenOffice Writer ] [ (favicon) AbiWord ] [ (favicon) KWord ] -------------------------------------------------------- > > > Templates are user-owned, and shouldn't be touched by any app or distro. > > At the most, a sysadmin might add some default Templates to /etc/skel > > for his site, but if the user deletes these (and its his full right to!) > > he can. > > Certainly post-installation I agree, but it would probably help to seed > them with something. > > Joe -- Manuel Amador (Rudd-O) GPG key ID: keyserver.net C1033CAD
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