gio - why does typing bring up search instead of changing highlighted filename??

"David C. Rankin" <[email protected]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:48:45 -0500
Newsgroups gmane.comp.gnome.devel
Organization Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
Message-ID <[email protected]>
Guys,

	One of the most irritating features of gio file-save is the awkward way the 
file-save dialog will bring up a little search-box when you start typing instead 
of replacing the highlighted text in the filename input field.

	This occurs if you change directories to save the file where you want it. When 
you manipulate directories to get to where you want to save the file, the 
filename is still highlighted, but any text input brings up that darn little 
box. This is backwards.

	Obviously the dialog expects you to manually enter a filename first before 
clicking in the directory window, but I'll bet this is backwards to the way 99% 
of the people use a file save dialog. Usually you want to get to where you are 
going to save it, then tell the dialog what to save it as. With gio it looks 
like it will let you do this (because the filename remains highlighted), but 
typing doesn't change the highlighted text in the entry field -- you get the 
box. To actually change the filename you have to put focus back on the filename 
entry field which immediately destroys the highlight forcing the user to have to 
reselect what was just selected in order to change the filename while preserving 
the extension -- a pain...

	Is there a switch or option for gio that will tell it to apply keyboard input 
to the highlighted filename regardless of where current focus is within the 
file-save dialog to cure this problem? Any help here would be welcome.

	If there is no option to do this, what is the community consensus for changing 
gio to logically work like this? I've moved to gnome, but there are some areas 
like gio that need to be made better -- more efficient -- to eliminate 
unneeded/wasted keystrokes or mouse clicks. This is a prime opportunity of 
improvement.

	Notwithstanding the old tiresome gnome/kde debate, there are some areas where 
the 'old' kde philosophy of keeping input down to the absolute minimum number of 
key-clicks and mouse-clicks really made computing more efficient. Implementing 
some of these good time-savers could really make gnome shine...

P.S. 'old' is set apart above recognizing the fact that efficient computing is 
something the 'new' kde knows nothing about...sad, but good for gnome :-)

-- 
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
510 Ochiltree Street
Nacogdoches, Texas 75961
Telephone: (936) 715-9333
Facsimile: (936) 715-9339
www.rankinlawfirm.com