[TxMt] Re: [TM2] File Browser colour and functionality

[EyeMatz]

Hi Allan, 

Thanks a lot for your prompt reply!!  Very much appreciated, as always!

Please do NOT take my comments as negative criticism!  I am only trying to understand and help in some small way.

I have been incredibly happy with my TM1.x versions for roughly 6 hours/ working day since mid 2005, so I guess I'm feeling a bit defensive about certain changes to my default working environment. ;-)


>> 1) Is it / Will it be possible for users to change the background colour of the file browser?
> 
> It is presently not possible. I can’t predict the future, so can’t answer the second part of your question.


Ha ha ha :)  Let me rephrase my question.  

Allan (and other TM devs) would you personally consider adding such a feature in TM2?  

To your current knowledge/beliefs could such a feature be technically possible to implement with the TM 2 code base ?

I would love to help out on such a feature, but sadly think I probably don't have the skills and ability to do so. I have looked at the TM source code on Github, but don't understand most of it. Perhaps some guidance could change that if it is relatively trivial change?


>> 2)  Why have some of the core functionality of the file browser (project drawer) changed so much between TM1.5 and TM2?
> 
> Because 1.x contained a source list and 2.0 contains a file browser.

Thanks!  I now see the distinction between a file BROWSER (TM2) and a source LIST (TM1.5), which I did not take into account before.


>>  a)  Why do we need to double-click on the file name to open the file, but can single-click on the tiny icon?
> 
> You need to double-click because single click selects the item. There are many situations where selecting a file is not done to open it.
> 
> Single-clicking the icon is a shortcut.


OK, I understand that logical choice as well.  It make sense and mostly follows the Finder (OS) default.

I personally really like the TM1.5 behaviour when we click on a file (select it) in the "file browser" and it automagically opens up as a tab.

Could this become a preference setting for users?  i.e.: would  it be possible for you TM devs to create such a preference feature?

I guess I will grow used to it, but muscle memory is hard to change over a few days ;-)


>>  e)  Also, why does TM2 not remember the previously saved file name and format like TM1.5 does?
> 
> I am unsure what this refers to.


In TM1.5 when you create a new file in a directory in the "file browser" (i.e.: a .rb file) and then creates another file, then the dialog sheet has the name and extension of the previously created file as the default filename.

In TM1.5 you also have the option of pasting in the clipboard, or a number of templates into the new file.  I actually really liked that feature too.

Any chance of that or a similar feature(s) returning to TM2 ?


>> I love the SCM integration in the file browser, but other than that the TM1.5 file browser was much better!
> 
> So adding a dozen features to the simple source list has made it worse? OK…

My sincere apologies for the bad choice of words there. It was not intentional.

Overall I think the TM2 file browser is better, however I just miss some of my favourite features from TM1.x. (described above)



Kind regards,

Matz



On Sep 3, 2012, at 6:25 PM, Allan Odgaard <mailinglist at textmate.org> wrote:

> On Sep 3, 2012, at 10:19 AM, EyeMatz <eyematz at me.com> wrote:
> 
>> 1) Is it / Will it be possible for users to change the background colour of the file browser?
> 
> It is presently not possible. I can’t predict the future, so can’t answer the second part of your question.
> 
>> 2)  Why have some of the core functionality of the file browser (project drawer) changed so much between TM1.5 and TM2?
> 
> Because 1.x contained a source list and 2.0 contains a file browser.
> 
>>  a)  Why do we need to double-click on the file name to open the file, but can single-click on the tiny icon?
> 
> You need to double-click because single click selects the item. There are many situations where selecting a file is not done to open it.
> 
> Single-clicking the icon is a shortcut.
> 
>>  c)  Why have the "Create New File" functionality been removed from TM2? 
> 
> It has not been added (as 2.0’s file browser is not based on 1.x code). You can use ⌥⌘N for new tab (followed by ⌘S to save it defaulting to the file browser’s path, or selected folder in file browser)
> 
>>  e)  Also, why does TM2 not remember the previously saved file name and format like TM1.5 does?
> 
> I am unsure what this refers to.
> 
>> I love the SCM integration in the file browser, but other than that the TM1.5 file browser was much better!
> 
> So adding a dozen features to the simple source list has made it worse? OK…
> 
> 
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