Tabbed Exploring

[admin]

3) Wouldn't it make sense, to move the "Refresh..." and "Rebuild..." menues from the "Edit" to the "View" menu?

I have to agree. I always look in the View menu, and then remember they're in Edit...

Ok ok, I give up

...What happens if you select eg. a subfolder in a named tab, then switch to another, and drag something onto the named tab? Do the dragged files go to the subfolder or not? If not, then it's really just a different way of doing favourites, and doesn't fulfil my desire for tabs...

Good point!

I don't really see the point of frozen tabs. They make things slower (to change the settings of a frozen tab) and more complicated.

I'm starting to think the same. As the tabs are right now, they are very intuitive and easy to understand. I need a very good reason to complicate this situation.
What's the purpose of fixed tabs? For me for example, I have defined one tab that searches my download folder for files added in the last 30 min. So I have a quick access to recent downloads. I switch to the tab, check my downloads and move them to where I want to have them. Since that does not change the tab's remembered configuration, there's no need to fix it.

[RalphM]

I don't really see the point of frozen tabs. They make things slower (to change the settings of a frozen tab) and more complicated.

I'm starting to think the same. As the tabs are right now, they are very intuitive and easy to understand. I need a very good reason to complicate this situation.
What's the purpose of fixed tabs? For me for example, I have defined one tab that searches my download folder for files added in the last 30 min. So I have a quick access to recent downloads. I switch to the tab, check my downloads and move them to where I want to have them. Since that does not change the tab's remembered configuration, there's no need to fix it.

...that's the point exactly - well somehow.
You programmed TV3, so you're well aware which actions change the config of the tab...
But you have to agree, that it is tempting to switch to another folder while the finding tab is still active - e voila...
1) the search location is changed, and to make things worse, you might not even notice it, if the info panel is hidden...
2) with the removed distinction of browse vs. finding tab mode, the tab even changes to browse mode
3) so next time you switch to your download find you wonder about the content, well, as I said, you might not, but a regular user or DAU definitely will.

Therefore I still like the idea of "fixed" tabs.

[admin]

Ok, here's a new thought: there's a well established computer metaphor called "home". And aren't the "fixed" tabs not in fact tabs with a home??
So here's a plan: when you name a tab, its current config becomes its home config and the icon changes to a home symbol. Now comes the cool part: when you click on the icon itself, the tab jumps back home, whereas when you click on the caption it behaves like all other tabs (goes back to its last state).
Would work, but it is a complication and also non-standard behavior (which often means trouble). So it might be too confusing for DAUs...

Less confusing for DAUs but still serving advanced users would be: no home icon-clicking but just a keyboard shortcut that brings the tab home (Leopoldus already suggested this before). So when you select the tab and it's not at home where you want it you just hit a key and you're back.

There's still another (minor) problem: how do you know where home is? First you remember, but later you will forget, especially when you have many home tabs.

Then Chris and probably others want named unfrozen tabs. That would be possible if we take the home icon as a marker for home tabs (we need some marker). But then I will have to create an icon with a house+lupe for home finding tabs, well... is it really worth all this???

[Chris Wood]

Ok, here's a new thought: there's a well established computer metaphor called "home". And aren't the "fixed" tabs not in fact tabs with a home??
So here's a plan: when you name a tab, its current config becomes its home config and the icon changes to a home symbol. Now comes the cool part: when you click on the icon itself, the tab jumps back home, whereas when you click on the caption it behaves like all other tabs (goes back to its last state).
Would work, but it is a complication and also non-standard behavior (which often means trouble). So it might be too confusing for DAUs...

Sounds like a great idea to me - the best of both worlds.

There's still another (minor) problem: how do you know where home is? First you remember, but later you will forget, especially when you have many home tabs.

Why do you need to remember? Clicking the icon would tell you...

Then Chris and probably others want named unfrozen tabs. That would be possible if we take the home icon as a marker for home tabs (we need some marker). But then I will have to create an icon with a house+lupe for home finding tabs, well... is it really worth all this???

I assume "lupe" (not english) means magnifying glass? What's wrong with having an icon with a house and a lupe? That way it's more consistent (you can always click the icon to go home - unnamed tabs are always "home" so they follow this too).

[admin]

I assume "lupe" (not english) means magnifying glass?

Oh, I tought it was english ... so there's one german word that's way shorter than the english counterpart!

Thanks for your comments! Meanwhile, however, (we had enough words on this!) I found a solution and implemented it. It's simple, intuitive and not confusing because if you don't use you don't note it. You'll see with the next BETA... (cliff-hanger! )

[admin]

So, folks, here it is (see BETA): the home tab.

I plan to add another button to the toolbar (yep, a house): its tooltip will tell you where home is, and its enabled/disabled state will tell you whether you have a home.

[Leopoldus]

The command "Set Home" does not work nor from main menu neither from context menu. Is this a bug of a fresh version or the (temporary) problem of my system?

[admin]

The command "Set Home" does not work nor from main menu neither from context menu. Is this a bug of a fresh version or the (temporary) problem of my system?

Maybe a misunderstanding? If you click "Set Home" nothing happens visually (just the current configuration ist stored internally). When you now change the configuration and then press Go Home, something should happen!

[Leopoldus]

Maybe a misunderstanding? If you click "Set Home" nothing happens visually (just the current configuration ist stored internally).

Oh, sorry. This is a misunderstanding, right. I waited for some additional dialog opens to let me set "Home" settings. Oh, those DAUs...
But may be it would be a bit more fool-protected to use the command's name "Set this as Home" or something like this instead of "Set Home" you use now?
P.S.
Tabs' conception becomes to be very power!

[admin]

OK, I already added a little dialog that explains what's happening.

Question to English speakers: is "Set Home" okay?

[Gandolf]

Question to English speakers: is "Set Home" okay?

Yes, I can understand what it means and I can't think of a good alternative.

[Leopoldus]

OK, I already added a little dialog that explains what's happening.

Thanks!
But how about additional option in this message (or in general configuartion): "Don't display this message again" - for those DAUs, who after 999 times get understanding what is happaning when they use the command "Set Home"?

[admin]

But how about additional option in this message (or in general configuartion): "Don't display this message again" - for those DAUs, who after 999 times get understanding what is happaning when they use the command "Set Home"?

But I don't want to add this kind of functionality just for one little message. See it like this: setting a new home is not a very common operation, and it's also about losing an old home, so it's not bad to get a chance to press OK or Cancel.

[RalphM]

Question to English speakers: is "Set Home" okay?

Yes, I can understand what it means and I can't think of a good alternative.

Well, if setting the home would be the only function of it, I would agree completely, but since all the settings of the tab are saved and remembered with it as well, I still believe something like "freeze" and maybe an anchor symbol would hit the mark better.

If I create a finding tab and set it home, the location of the tree view is stored, remembered and displayed when hoovering over the home symbol.
Wouldn't it be more descriptive to store the content of the find location box instead?

Another thing I encountered, was, that TV3 checks the existence of the home folder for tabs you switch to, and tells you if the folder isn't available. (which can happen if you use your computer in different networks)
This isn't a problem itself, but in 4.00.xxxx onward until I guess 00012 TV3 crashed with an error code of 91 when the folder of the current tab wasn't available. (Sorry Donald I didn't report earlier, but wanted to check it first again)
Apparently this was fixed somehow in 0016, so no crash anymore, but the tabs location isn't preserved but switches to "Desktop".
The message would suffice, because I would like to keep the settings of the tab for the next time I'm in the same configuration.
Couldn't the tabs with currently unavailable folders just be shaded inactive?

Thanks

[admin]

If I create a finding tab and set it home, the location of the tree view is stored, remembered and displayed when hoovering over the home symbol.
Wouldn't it be more descriptive to store the content of the find location box instead?

Well, it does show the content of the find location box in the tooltip.

...tabs location isn't preserved but switches to "Desktop".
The message would suffice, because I would like to keep the settings of the tab for the next time I'm in the same configuration.

Yep, I'll have a look at that.