[Thunar-dev] Location Bar ala Firefox

[Auke Kok]

Jeff Franks wrote:

> Benedikt Meurer wrote:
>
>> [snip]
>> I'd really like to avoid having the location bar as a toolbar item 
>> (we've seen that before and it does not fit the current UI). But I 
>> think I have a mockup that'll make the location bar addicts happy as 
>> well:
>>
>> http://www.xfce.org/~benny/tmp/thunar-alternative-bar-20050320.tar.gz
>> http://www.xfce.org/~benny/tmp/thunar-alternative-locationbar-20050320.png 
>>
>
>
> This mockup (thunar-alternative-locationbar-20050320.png) is the best, 
> and most logical, I've seen to date. 


<IMO>

I still contest that. When I want to type a path I'll open up a 
Terminal-0.2.4, not a file manager. The average user will become 
dissatisfied with a lack of navigational features of a file manager if 
it doesn't allow him to move from one location to another quickly and 
without (more importantly) typos.

In my history as system administrator I have seen many users use file 
managers in all sorts and kinds, and the ****ONLY*** people I have ever 
seen _TYPING_ a pathname into a dialog ox or file manager were colleague 
system administrators. I dare all developers to ask their moms to use a 
location bar to copy a file from a CD to their home directories.

bottom line: a location bar is for a web browser or a skilled person, 
but not for the meek and plebs. Make it optional, but not the default. 
The path buttons are far more understandable then a location bar that 
begs to be filled in (I think it should be at the bottom too, since it 
bears no relation to the content displayed in the right pane _at all_, 
but that's optional).

with these arguments, the following mockup fit the best:

http://www.xfce.org/~benny/tmp/20050319-thunar_go1.png

arguably the location bar can be below the menu as well, but must be the 
full width, not the width of the right pane, as this would suggest a 
relation between the location displayed in the right panel as well.

</IMO>

sofar