In this week's KDE Commit-Digest: "Pencils down" marks the end of the Summer of Code for 2007. Python highlighting support, with work on a new, handwritten lexer in KDevelop. A data engine and associated Plasma applet for KGet. Start of the Plasma-based Wikipedia and Service Info applets for Amarok 2. Wikipedia integration, and other improvements in the Step physics simulation package. A console added to KAlgebra. New graphical themes for KGoldRunner. XMP metadata support in Digikam. More progress in the unobtrusive search dialog for Kate. Usability work across many applications. No mixer functionality in Phonon for KDE 4.0. The start of development on KChart 2.
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Given that the code is in QT, and it requires very minimal code, time isn't the answer.
People were already complaining that Dolphin was getting too similar to Konqui, and it was defeating the entire purpose of a simple file manager. Personally, I don't see why the FM has to be simple. I've seen some brilliant mock-ups to clean up the look and UI for Konqui and Dolphin without sacrificing the capabilities.
Why do you care? Why not use konqueror? There is nothing dolphin can do which Konqueror can't. Why turn Dolphin into Konqueror, what's the purpose of that?
Can we please keep Dolphin easy and basic? Sorry, but name me ONE big desktop environment with a filemanager which has split view - let alone a tabbed interface. Not Mac OS X'finder, not Thunar, not MS Explorer, you won't see it in Gnome nor BeOS. I think implementing tabs in a filemanager which is supposed to be basic and simple is stupid, and I'm glad the dolphin dev's didn't do it. I will use Konqueror, so should you.
Who said that Dolphin we aimed at being simple? I thought (and I may be wrong here) that is was aimed at being a very good filemanager, and just a filemanager at that. That is not the same in my view. I personally like tabs very much in file management, and will probably continue to use Konqueror for this. That no other big desktop uses it is a moot point in my view. Why is that relevant? Can't KDE make up it's own mind? Ah well, we'll see how it pans out. He who codes decides in the end, and since I'm not coding, I guess I should just shut up now.
"Who said that Dolphin we aimed at being simple? I thought (and I may be wrong here) that is was aimed at being a very good filemanager, and just a filemanager at that. That is not the same in my view."
Seriously. A file manager that aimed to be simple would not give the option to embed a terminal, which is far, far more of a power-user feature than tabs, IMHO.
I think this totally ignores the problems (both technical and social) of refactoring an app the size of konq.
The fact is that dolphin is meant to be a pure filemanager, it will not blatendly copy features from konq that had a stupid user-interface mechanism anyway.
So, the 'basic' idea were never there. Not sure where you got that from. Easy was the goal; and its a gnomism to assume that means basic or simple or lacking advanced features.
All it means is that the guys and gals creating Dolphin are very much aware that this app should stay 'easy' to use. Which means that usability wise a lot of work is being done to allow new features to not get in the way. But, again, it doesn't mean features shouldn't be added.
I hope that meme can die soon :)
Quite frankly, I thought the purpose of Dolphin was to create an app that was a dedicated FM, the way that Okular is a dedicated document viewer. Konqui is not an incredible FM because it tries to be all things to all people. There are many things about Dolphin that I like, and embedding a terminal is nice, but I still prefer yakuake. I enjoy being able to use tabs to eliminate having multiple windows open.
I think a split view works better if you're just using two locations, as you can easily drag-and-drop directly across a split view. However, if you're working with several locations at once, tabs are essential.
A good FM should be flexible and allow choice.
Isn't that exactly what I said as well?
Why do you care? Why not use konqueror? There is nothing dolphin can do which Konqueror can't. Why turn Dolphin into Konqueror, what's the purpose of that?
Can we please keep Dolphin easy and basic? Sorry, but name me ONE big desktop environment with a filemanager which has split view - let alone a tabbed interface. Not Mac OS X'finder, not Thunar, not MS Explorer, you won't see it in Gnome nor BeOS. I think implementing tabs in a filemanager which is supposed to be basic and simple is stupid, and I'm glad the dolphin dev's didn't do it. I will use Konqueror, so should you.
Dolphin isn't basic and I think it was never intended to be "basic".
What about the embedding of a terminal, which is already in Dolphin? Is THAT "basic" in your mind???
Dolphin is intended to be a good filemanager, not to be "basic", "easy" or what else you use as description for crippled.
Name me ONE big Desktop Environment, that has got a browser which you can also manage files with, besides KDE. That no other Desktop Environment has got it is not an argument! If all people would argue like this, then NOTHING new would be able to be developed! That's like if you'd say "No other Desktop Environment has got a thing like plasma, so we'll stop it" or something like that!
So will Dolphin have tabs or what?
Will there at least be an add-on to have tabs?
At this point it's looking like No and No, which is a huge shame as, with a bit of ingenuity, tabs could be added in such a way that the casual user was never even aware of them.
Why are there so many borders is the every Dolphin panel? It's a (Oxygen) style problem or a application one?
Look at the screenshots, the places panel have a border around it, the name 'places' (and the buttons) are almost over this line. And appears to me that every panel have it's border, and vertical and horizontal "splitters". The information panel (2nd screenshot) it's pretty overcrowded, so full of stuff that it's difficult to find the information that you need.
http://img164.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=30400_7_122_1144lo.jpg
http://img192.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=30406_sreencast_122_505lo.jpg
Please remove all that borders you can. Sorry to say that, but in this shape Dolphin looks a lot like a KDE 3 application running a modded Plastik theme.
Another problem is the green progress bar. It's pretty strange, too big, with a weird proportion. I suggest that you create a small contour around it and make it a little smaller (in the vertical).
Thanks and sorry for my bad english.