Hello, i would like to ask if it would be possible to implement tabbed-folder-browsing abilities into thunar. It would be a real improvement if you could just use multiple tabs instead of multiple windows. http://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3144 There is also something related to my wish. Thanks in advance!
I second this request, tabs would be very useful to copy/move/link files from one directory to another, as long as there is no ability to split folder view to emulate a two panels filemanager.
I vote for this request. I'm a web designer and usually I must to work with several folders at time (images, html templates, documents, remote ftp hosting, etc.). Have tabs allow me to be organized and have a clear desktop. ¿Have you planned to add this feature? Thank you!
I would also be very, very happy about this ;-). I've switched to XFCE recently and this is one of the very few things I really miss...
What are the developers thinking? I also second this request.
Created attachment 3877 Tabbed Thunar!
I say YES! to tabs in Thunar! It would be great.
I would really like that, too. Nevertheless, it doesn't look like it's gonna happen: http://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=5904 I really like thunar, but this is missing.
I use XFCE since I updated to Ubuntu 11.10 on my notebook. Thunar is a smart and light filebrowser. I like it. But with tabs it would be even better! I vote for it!
I think to not include Tabs could be an option, but never could be explained cause usability issues. The tabs were created to allow a improved usability. One of the most important and revolutionary web browsers feature was just the tabs. It is a fact that tabs increase usability. Developers can decide not to implement Thunar tab cause they dislike the tabs, cause full moon or anything, but they can not argue tabs are not usable, cause is not true. One good thing about Tabs is that user can decide to use them or not. You could use some Firefox windows or one window with some tabs... The Thunar users could be do the same. Tabs is an non-intrusive feature. The users can use them if they want. This is another reason because Tabs are not a usability problem. ;) Thanks for your efforts and your nice XFCE desktop! ;) jEsuSdA 8)
+1 I love XFCE, but I really miss Tabs in Thunar... In LXDE we have PCManFM (love it too) but I don't want to move to LXDE... One vote for it. Thanks for your great job guys ;)
Hello would be nice to have tabs, i really miss then. Nautilus Pacman i know now (lol) have tabs, for be honest when i need do operation on file i use nautilus at the moment or my shell. Tabs in file-manage are a great features and put in advance Linux and Unix-Like end-user desktop experience with GUI. I found a bit strange did not have implanted this feature in Thunar. I know it's an hardwork to code, thanks for the development of Xfce it's a perfect light and complete desktop environment just need have tabs in Thunar. Thanks in advance for this next feature...
Since the devs seem to have already decided not to implement this, should it be marked as WONTFIX? Regarding Nick's "usability", which he seems to have never explained: When a single application uses windows that appear and disappear frequently, windows that are rarely used, or many windows, tabbed browsing groups them to unclutter the Window Buttons panel. This means the panel won't look like " X...  Y...  Z... etc.", and applications shift around less. In certain cases, this improves usability greatly. There are two costs. The first is duplicating functionality: you are reimplementing Window Buttons in Thunar, for dubious benefit. There is obvious bloat here. The second is user speed. With tabs, switching requires two clicks instead of one, because you must first click on Thunar and then click on the tab you need. If you're frequently transitioning from other windows to Thunar, tabbed browsing can slow you down, especially if your Windows Buttons panel is on the bottom and tabs are on the top. Tabs are preferred in the following use cases: 1. If people tend to have a lot of Thunar windows open. 2. If people tend to switch between Thunar windows, and between other windows, significantly more than from other windows to Thunar windows. 3. If people tend to open Thunar windows and rarely touch them. My use case doesn't lean toward tabbed browsing. I never have more than 4 Thunar windows open, and I don't spend much time in Thunar, so none of the reasons for tabbed browsing apply to me. I suspect that most other users are in the same situation. The reasons not to implement tabs at all, even as an option, are related to the existence of other good file managers, the infrequency of users who use the file manager heavily, and the cost of development. Xfce does not have enough developers to throw at all the features it might like to have, so it is better to spend time on features that are clearly beneficial.
In my case, the reason I'd like tabs to be implemented is to easily perform drag and drop from one directory to another, something I have to perform frequently.
(In reply to comment #13) > In my case, the reason I'd like tabs to be implemented is to easily perform > drag and drop from one directory to another, something I have to perform > frequently. There might be a UI issue I missed. In this case, how would tabbed mode be superior to opening a few Thunars in windowed mode and displaying them side-by-side?
(In reply to comment #14) > (In reply to comment #13) > > In my case, the reason I'd like tabs to be implemented is to easily perform > > drag and drop from one directory to another, something I have to perform > > frequently. > > There might be a UI issue I missed. In this case, how would tabbed mode be > superior to opening a few Thunars in windowed mode and displaying them > side-by-side? It requires much more user operations : selecting the source thunar window in taskbar, then moving/resizing it to leave room for the other window, then selecting the target thunar window and again moving/resizing it to make it stand in the empty space besides the source window. Only then, you can perform drag and drop. With tabs, this is much simpler, you just have to select in taskbar the unique thunar window, then select the tab for the source directory, and drag the file you want to the target directory tab.
Would it be possible to implement similar functionality using drag-and-drop to the Window Buttons panel? I know that we can drag-and-drop into the trash can and application launchers. The currently available method, which is similar to but slower than the tab method, is to drag the file over to the target destination in the taskbar, keeping the mouse held down, wait for the target window to pop up, and drop the file in the newly focused target window.
(In reply to comment #12) > Since the devs seem to have already decided not to implement this, should it > be marked as WONTFIX? > > Regarding Nick's "usability", which he seems to have never explained: > When a single application uses windows that appear and disappear frequently, > windows that are rarely used, or many windows, tabbed browsing groups them > to unclutter the Window Buttons panel. This means the panel won't look like > " X...  Y...  Z... etc.", and applications shift around less. In certain > cases, this improves usability greatly. > > There are two costs. The first is duplicating functionality: you are > reimplementing Window Buttons in Thunar, for dubious benefit. There is > obvious bloat here. > The second is user speed. With tabs, switching requires two clicks instead > of one, because you must first click on Thunar and then click on the tab you > need. If you're frequently transitioning from other windows to Thunar, > tabbed browsing can slow you down, especially if your Windows Buttons panel > is on the bottom and tabs are on the top. > > Tabs are preferred in the following use cases: > 1. If people tend to have a lot of Thunar windows open. > 2. If people tend to switch between Thunar windows, and between other > windows, significantly more than from other windows to Thunar windows. > 3. If people tend to open Thunar windows and rarely touch them. > > My use case doesn't lean toward tabbed browsing. I never have more than 4 > Thunar windows open, and I don't spend much time in Thunar, so none of the > reasons for tabbed browsing apply to me. I suspect that most other users are > in the same situation. > > The reasons not to implement tabs at all, even as an option, are related to > the existence of other good file managers, the infrequency of users who use > the file manager heavily, and the cost of development. Xfce does not have > enough developers to throw at all the features it might like to have, so it > is better to spend time on features that are clearly beneficial. Well, you can think about why you dislike tabs for as long as you wish, but for me it is still one of the few things I really miss since I left GNOME. I just consider it a lot lot easier to switch between folders if I can just klick on the file manager and then search the right directory from the tabs; especially since I've got a lot of running applications. I also used tabs for grouping: Using GNOME I had one open Nautilus window for music (with all tabs belonging to that topic) and another one for documents and so on... I also can't understand your development effort argument. What exactly do you want the Thunar developers to do that costs so much developing power? I can't see any big problems with that software. Furthermore tabs are not a complex feature, it is simple to implement (just use that notebook widget and we're all fine). Tabs also don't bother anyone else; of course the default setting is to display everything as it is, there's just one ne hotkey (Strg+t) and one new menu entry somewhere. Lastly I also totally disagree with the argument that there so many other file managers out there for everyone who wants to use tabs. None of them integrates well with XFCE. I tried using Nautilus (which just doesn't fit; not only it sometimes did strange things to my desktop, but also offered tons of broken menu entries for GNOME) and that pcmanfm-thing (which is nice but misses other features Thunar has). All together I think this is just about forcing other people to things "the right way" and nothing else. You dislike tabs so you don't anyone to able to use them. I actually lack the right adjective for my feelings towards such an attitude...
(In reply to comment #12) > Since the devs seem to have already decided not to implement this, should it > be marked as WONTFIX? > > Regarding Nick's "usability", which he seems to have never explained: > When a single application uses windows that appear and disappear frequently, > windows that are rarely used, or many windows, tabbed browsing groups them > to unclutter the Window Buttons panel. This means the panel won't look like > " X...  Y...  Z... etc.", and applications shift around less. In certain > cases, this improves usability greatly. > > There are two costs. The first is duplicating functionality: you are > reimplementing Window Buttons in Thunar, for dubious benefit. There is > obvious bloat here. > The second is user speed. With tabs, switching requires two clicks instead > of one, because you must first click on Thunar and then click on the tab you > need. If you're frequently transitioning from other windows to Thunar, > tabbed browsing can slow you down, especially if your Windows Buttons panel > is on the bottom and tabs are on the top. I understand this, but I can not be agree with this explanation, because I think you are forgive an important think: Users can use TABs OPTIONALLY. The big thing is that: * The users who does not need tabs can keep using Thunar with multiple windows, like now. * The users who need tabs, can use them. All of them will be happy!! Who losses?! What's is the problem here?! Usability? There are no one usability problem! The TABS are an usability improvement, and are optional, giving the option to use or not the tabs. I will understand the developers can not do this job. Sincererly, it is a work they don't want to do. Ok! I understand this. I will respect this. But I can not understand the usability, and bla, bla, bla, excuses, because I think there are no real fundament on these things. Saying "Tabs forces user to clic more" is no necessary true: The user can use keyboard shorcut, or maybe the user wants tabs for making minimize Thunar windows unnecessary, then, the user does not clic more, instead the user actually have to do less clics!! There are lot of applications with TABs and the users are happy using them. I think there are no discussion here. The discussion will be much more useful if we talk about the TABs implementation problems: There are no enough developers?, there are no funny in tabs coding? there are an estructural Thunar problem?... What kind of problems exist to avoid to implement this higly demanded feature? You can say anything, but usability issues is not the right answer. ;)
(In reply to comment #17) > I tried using Nautilus (which just doesn't fit; > not only it sometimes did strange things to my desktop, but also offered > tons of broken menu entries for GNOME) and that pcmanfm-thing (which is nice > but misses other features Thunar has). Did you try SpaceFM? It's a very active fork of PCManFM. See http://ignorantguru.github.com/spacefm/
Believe it or not, but this has been implemented.
Great news, thanks !
Just one question : does it allow thunar to open folders in new tab instead of new window when externally called ? (the way pcmanfm acts which is very handy) That would be nice, but if not, no matter, having tabs is already a great improvement.
No it doesn't, but I think i can make this options depending on the tabs/window setting.
That would be fine !
Thank you for implementing the tabs! I will try using Thunar again. I built it from thye git repository which I cloned today and it seems that one thing isn't working, though: When I change the preference for the middle click to "Open folder in new tab", clicking with the mouse wheel opens new folders in new windows anyway. Am I doing something wrong? The version is: Thunar 1.5.0git-7ce7347 Thank you!
(In reply to comment #25) > When I change the preference for the middle click > to "Open folder in new tab", clicking with the mouse wheel > opens new folders in new windows anyway. Am I doing something wrong? Probably in details view, missed that one. Pushed to master.
Great, the middle click works now. Thank you!
@Nick Schermer I'm using Thunar 1.6.2, it works fine with tabs, including drag and drop, very handy, thanks ! Just one question, is what you mentioned in comment #23 already implemented or is it only for future plans ? Regards, Denis