Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

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DrJJWMac
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Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

Post by DrJJWMac »

I think this may have been raised in the past but I cannot find the note.

I have selected a Folder in its COLLAPSED state. I use the context menu option to create a New Folder. The collapsed Folder is opened, and new Folder is created INSIDE the now expanded Folder.

I would prefer that creation of a new item in the sidebar honor the open/closed state for what is selected in the sidebar menu. Context clicking on an already OPENED Folder to create a new item creates it inside the already opened folder. Context clicking on a CLOSED Folder to create a new item creates it at the existing level of the closed Folder.
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Jon
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Re: Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

Post by Jon »

If I understand you correctly, I disagree. If you click on a folder and create a new group it belongs in that folder, and I think the existing folder should open automatically, if needed, to display it. If you want it create an item at the same level as the folder, right click on a group at that level and create the new item. Or click on white space, if there is any, and move the new group where you want it (if you don't want it at the root level).

Jon
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DrJJWMac
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Re: Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

Post by DrJJWMac »

> If you want it create an item at the same level as the folder, right click on a group at that level and create the new item. Or click on white space, if there is any, and move the new group where you want it (if you don't want it at the root level).

This presents a difficulty. Suppose that my sidebar has only folders at the root (My Groups). I cannot find anywhere to click to allow me to create a new folder at that level. The minute I click a folder, it stays selected. There is no white space there.

OK, so now I should move the mouse to the All level and re-click.

OmniFocus, Curio, and DevonThink all follow my suggested convention. If the folder is closed at the context click to create a new item, create it at the same level. If the folder is open, create the new item inside the open folder (in DT, the terminology is Group rather than Folder).

The only exception is how OmniFocus insists on defying this same convention when creating sub-actions inside projects.
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Jon
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Re: Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

Post by Jon »

It's not a convention as far as I'm aware. There is no end of minute UI decisions in an app, and what you like someone else won't. When you create a new group/folder it's far more likely than not you'll want to do something with it immediately (like add content). It seems obvious to me that if you create one in a closed folder you want that folder to open automatically so you can continue your work. It actually took some effort to design it to work this way (which is perhaps some other apps don't, they didn't take the bother). In any case, as mentioned and you see, you can do what you want without right-clicking on a closed folder.

Jon
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DrJJWMac
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Re: Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

Post by DrJJWMac »

> If you want it create an item at the same level as ... Or click on white space,

Please allow then that a context click anywhere in an empty location in the left pane *even while a folder has active focus (is highlighted)* is recognized as being different from a context click directly on the folder itself. A context click directly on a folder acts on or within that selected folder. A context click not directly on a folder acts at the root level (e.g. the My Groups level).
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Jon
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Re: Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

Post by Jon »

Not so easy to do. A group must be selected, so right clicking on white space won't deselect it. Just right-click on any of the pre-defined groups at the root level (All et al.) and create your new group/folder.

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Re: Honoring Open/Closed State in creating in sidebar

Post by Jon »

If anyone else has an opinion about this small bit of the UI, please chime in. Should Bookends add an item to a group folder when right-clicked on if it is open, but put it at the root level if the folder is closed? The current behavior is that Bookends adds the item to the clicked-on closed folder and opens it to reveal the item.

Jon
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