Simplify the Move to / Copy to / Create Link context menus

[BePhantom]

Move to, Copy to, and Create Link sub menus are extremely complex, due to the number of folders and sub folders (before.png​).

There's much room for improvement, it can be simplified. I made a rough image with gimp so as to show how it could look like (after.png​). I think new users would benefit from this, my image is just a suggestion and I hope it will trigger a discussion on how to further improve it.

[umccullough]

Guessing this belongs as a "Tracker" enhancement

[Disreali]

The current behavior is not "complex", it is efficient. If I want to move a folder from /home to /apps it is very easy, one movement. Your suggestion makes it more work, albeit only one level more, but still added mouse movements that are unnecessary and unwarranted. By trying to "simplify" the 'move to' behavior you are actually making it more difficult. It is my opinion that this ticket be marked as 'Invalid'.

[humdinger]

The Phantom has a point. There are too many submenus but there are also a few missing. Where does a user move/copy stuff? Within his home folder, /boot/common/ and mounted volumes. In fact, these will be the only touchable folders when multiuser rights are enforced.

IMO, in general, the /boot/apps/ folder should be moved to /boot/home/ and /boot/common/. Same for the /boot/preferences/.

So, in anticipation of multiuser limitations, I'd hide the folders you don't have rights to anyway under the "Haiku" entry (which should be navigatable as well as all other mounted volumes.
Like this:

 Current Folder  >
 Recent Folders  >
 Desktop  >
 home  >
 common  >
-------------------
 Haiku  >
 [mounted Volume 1]  >
 [mounted Volume 2]  >
 [mounted Volume 3]  >

[axeld]

Not sure I understand what humdinger is talking about wrt permissions (please note that you might not have the rights to write access /boot/home but still /boot/home/humdinger, for example), but I like BePhantoms and his solution better than the status quo - it's not obvious (and helpful?) why that menu shows the root directory of the current volume.

[humdinger]

I meant, why offering to copy a file to a location you're not supposed to write (e.g. /boot/system). The "home" above is of course your own home folder, which is ATM just /boot/home/.
Note that you still can do so by using the navigational submenu of the boot partition ("Haiku"). It's just not necessary to show it all, when you in most case just need your home folder, the shared common folder and mounted volumes.

[jonas.kirilla]

Things I don't like about the menus:

• showing mostly folders I don't care about
• the use of italics
• not showing "Current folder" by its real name
• the "parent folder" item
• haphazard mix of real/unreal folders

I think these menus were originally meant to start at top-level items (e.g. Home, Desktop, Volumes) and be traversed in a single-direction only.

I don't think these menus have to be the optimal way to accomplish every possible move/copy/link operation. (Say, parent's parent in a deep hierarchy.) It's more important that the menus make sense. And by that I mean easy recognition and immediate understanding. So that the menus get used.

Replying to Disreali:

The current behavior is not "complex", it is efficient.

If there is to remain a speed dial (the folders below the separator) it would make more sense to use that area for Favorite and/or Recent folders. (see BFilePanel's menu)

[jonas.kirilla]

One could of course make it configurable, but that would not make it any less important choosing a good default configuration.

[x] Desktop        [o] submenu [ ] expanded  (up) (down) (insert separator)
[x] Volumes        [ ] submenu [o] expanded  (up) (down) (insert separator)
[ ] Recent         [o] submenu [ ] expanded  (up) (down) (insert separator)
[x] Favorites      [ ] submenu [o] expanded  (up) (down) (insert separator)
[ ] Current Folder [o] submenu [ ] expanded  (up) (down) (insert separator)

[humdinger]

I would like to avoid a configuration panel.
In your above list, I would just add a submenued "Recent Folder" and I would also submenu the Favorites. Maybe the Desktop and Home folder could be added to the Favorites by default.

[BePhantom]

So many comments :)I agree with what jonas.kirilla said, menus should make sense. Sometimes "efficiency" kills the whole experience. On a side note I think the "home" folder should be cleaned up, there shouldn't be a visible "config" folder inside, it should be hidden or moved somewhere else. It would be nice to have Pictures, Music, Documents, etc. sub folders by default inside home.

[Disreali]

After a day to think about what everyone else has contributed to the discussion, I now see my initial comment as a "knee-jerk" reaction to change.

I now see there is merit to BePhantom's suggestion. I like humdinger's proposed menu setup in comment 3, although I would remove /common and make /Haiku and other mounted volumes navigable.

 Current Folder  >
 Recent Folders  >
 Desktop  >
 home  >
 Haiku  >
-------------------
 [mounted Volume 1]  >
 [mounted Volume 2]  >
 [mounted Volume 3]  > 

Though Jonas's suggested configuration panel would allow more choice for users, I agree with Humdinger on that matter. It would add more complexity for little benefit. I would suggest any config functionality be done after R1 is released.

Replying to jonas.kirilla:

I think these menus were originally meant to start at top-level items (e.g. Home, Desktop, Volumes) and be traversed in a single-direction only.

That was the original behaviour but when OpenTracker replace Tracker, axel and other added more functionality for which I am greatful. I especially like the 'Current/Parent Folder' and 'Recent Folder' options.

If there is to remain a speed dial (the folders below the separator) it would make more sense to use that area for Favorite and/or Recent folders. (see BFilePanel's menu)

I would not move the 'Recent Folder' option there as its current location is easier for many including myself. However, I do not have any other reasons to keep it at the second spot other than habit.

[aldeck]

As i'm currently reworking those menus in my branch, i could take care of this. Though i'd need some kind of conclusion to the discussion ;)

One thing to notice that i already changed locally in my branch is regarding that comment: ​http://dev.haiku-os.org/browser/haiku/trunk/src/kits/tracker/ContainerWindow.cpp#L2347

Since cross volume move has been implemented a few months ago, we don't need to differentiate the "Move To" menu anymore. Currently the "Move to" menu shows all the root folders of the selected item's volume instead of the other volumes.

edit: /boot -> selected item's volume

[humdinger]

Replying to aldeck:

As i'm currently reworking those menus in my branch, i could take care of this. Though i'd need some kind of conclusion to the discussion ;)

FWIW, I like Disreali's suggestion in comment 10, which is like the "Copy to..." and "Create link..." menus are already, only that the "Haiku" volume is below the separator together with the other mounted volumes, and I'd add a "Favorites" under the "Recent Folders".
Personally, I wouldn't need the "Recent Folders" at all, because I always get confused what folder it is exactly that I see there. For example: "add-ons" could be /boot/system/add-ons, /boot/home/config/add-ons, /HiQ-Data/source/haiku/trunk/src/add-ons etc...

[axeld]

I like Disreali's suggestion in comment:10 best as well. I personally like the "Recent folders", although I agree that it's sometimes not clear which one is meant, I'm not sure there is a good solution to that problem (always showing full path would be a bit crowded as well). The same problem exists in Deskbar's window list BTW, although we'd need a new API to solve it there (to make it possible to still have differing window titles).

[aldeck]

Ok, just one thing, should we do something special when, current == (home or desktop or Haiku) and thus makes a duplicate item?

And thinking about it, i noticed two things.

1) i wonder if "Current folder" should just show its real name, maybe with a separator after (just like menu navigation). Or possibly "realname (Parent)"

2) "Current folder" isn't correct semantically anyway since we're talking about the "Parent folder" (of the selected item). This is especially pertinent if you select an item in a query window. Which also means that we shouldn't show it at all when you have a multi-selection with items from different parents.

[humdinger]

Good points, Alex. I don't think we should do something special to avoid the odd duplication of "home" or "Desktop". Better to have the "Current folder" always at the same place in the context menu, e.g. at the top.

IMO we should go with "{real folder name}" and put that at the top, maybe followed with another separator, and avoid the current/parent dilemma.

[Disreali]

Replying to humdinger:

Replying to aldeck:

As i'm currently reworking those menus in my branch, i could take care of this. Though i'd need some kind of conclusion to the discussion ;)

FWIW, I like Disreali's suggestion in comment 10, which is like the "Copy to..." and "Create link..." menus are already, only that the "Haiku" volume is below the separator together with the other mounted volumes, and I'd add a "Favorites" under the "Recent Folders".

If I understand correctly, most responders like the following setup for all Move/Copy/Link menu entries

 Current Folder  >
 Recent/Favorites Folders  >
 Desktop  >
 home  >
-------------------
 [Haiku_boot_volume]  >
 [mounted Volume 2]  >
 [mounted Volume 3]  > 

I know the issues of Recent or Favorites folders or how to determine the "Current Folder' are important. However, may I suggest that that the "move to" entry be changed to either the above(preferred) or the one from comment:10 hence resolving the ticket.

We can continue to discuss and work out the thornier issues of Current/Recent/Favorites folders, either in this or another ticket.

[waddlesplash]

Moving Tracker enhancement tickets out of R1 milestone -- Tracker's source code comes from BeOS R5, so it already has all the features it did on R5.