[Suggestion] Make dragging folders over Bookmarks safer

[wyattbiker]

I use Nemo all the time and I love it. It has some rough edges but it is the best GUI for file manager I have found and appreciate the work put in by the developers. I use Bookmarks all the time.

The problem has to do with the way the Bookmarks panel of Nemo works. One can easily / accidentally drag a folder or file over a Bookmark which actually causes the folder to move. I see this as a flaw. Bookmarks are for quick access to folders or files. Not for managing your files. Example, If you delete a Bookmark, it does not delete the folder. If you rename the Bookmark, it does not rename the folder, as it should. So why dragging a folder over a Bookmark moves it?

A GUI should protect the user from stupid accidents or mistakes. At the very least give a prompt when dragging folder over Bookmark if a user intends to really do that.

[Mintymandy34]

I use Nemo all the time and I love it. It has some rough edges but it is the best GUI for file manager I have found and appreciate the work put in by the developers. I use Bookmarks all the time.

The problem has to do with the way the Bookmarks panel of Nemo works. One can easily / accidentally drag a folder or file over a Bookmark which actually causes the folder to move. I see this as a flaw. Bookmarks are for quick access to folders or files. Not for managing your files. Example, If you delete a Bookmark, it does not delete the folder. If you rename the Bookmark, it does not rename the folder, as it should. So why dragging a folder over a Bookmark moves it?

A GUI should protect the user from stupid accidents or mistakes. At the very least give a prompt when dragging folder over Bookmark if a user intends to really do that.

I'm on Mint 19.1 Cinnamon 64bit.
I love Nemo.
I use bookmarks myself a lot.
I checked what you said, but when I moved a folder over to Bookmarks on the Sidebar it created a link and didn't move anything anywhere.
I can rename the bookmark, delete it without affecting my original folder.
Is this the behaviour you intend to have?

[wyattbiker]

Hi if you drop the folder over (not between) an existing bookmarked folder it is moved, instead of bookmarked. Does this not happen for you?

[Mintymandy34]

Hi if you drop the folder over (not between) an existing bookmarked folder it is moved, instead of bookmarked. Does this not happen for you?

Oh, yeah, noticed that.
May I ask your intention behind that action?
Do you wish to create a tree structure in the bookmarks?

And you're right, there should be a prompt asking if you really wish to do that, but in general the moving action isn't prompted, so I guess that's why they've not added that there.
But, I can tell you what they've implemented.
When you drag a folder over the Bookmark, there will be a small arrow on the hand icon that represents a move action.
When drag that in between, there will be a plus icon on the hand that represents a linking operation, that is bookmarking operation.
Check it and let me know if you find that indication.

Though I would agree, a move action when dragging into a bookmarked folder could be prompted for user's verification, but I think the icon tool is cool and subtle.
Cause if every time one would drag folders into a bookmark that he/she would've to verify that move action, then it can be frustrating for some users who intend to do such actions a lot.

A nice middle ground would be to have a feature that can toggle between asking when moving folder and not asking (kinda like new user mode vs expert mode).

[wyattbiker]

It is too easy to accidentally drag / move the folder instead of making a bookmark. Bookmarks should just be for bookmarks. If I am dragging a folder in the Bookmark bar, it should not do something else. No tree structure. Just don't allow it or provide prompt or some pref option.

[Mintymandy34]

It is too easy to accidentally drag / move the folder instead of making a bookmark. Bookmarks should just be for bookmarks. If I am dragging a folder in the Bookmark bar, it should not do something else. No tree structure. Just don't allow it or provide prompt or some pref option.

Actually, I use the Ctrl + D to create a bookmark of the current folder.
But yeah, the bookmark section, would be more favourable if the move action could be prompted or could be set with a key.
Like if you hold Ctrl key when dragging, then only it'll move or else it'll just add to bookmarks.

Let's see what the developers think about this.

[smurphos]

It is too easy to accidentally drag / move the folder instead of making a bookmark. Bookmarks should just be for bookmarks. If I am dragging a folder in the Bookmark bar, it should not do something else. No tree structure. Just don't allow it or provide prompt or some pref option.

Drag from nemo window onto an already bookmarked folder just creates a copy of the dragged item in the bookmarked folder for me - not dangerous, annoying if unintentional but a feature if intentional in my book. I need to hold Alt before drop to get options to copy move or create link at the destination, at which point I'd cancel if it was unintentional. The sidebar highlighting (double line vs single line in most themes) should be enough prompt of what you are doing.

I don't see the problem...?

[wyattbiker]

FYI, dragging a folder over a Bookmark, does not create a copy of the folder if it's on the same drive mount e.g. inside your home folder. It moves the folder. Not just annoying, but potential loss of data when an application is using the folder and then it disappears. Small things to worry about for me (techie), but huge for general end users who Linux Mint is the target who would not know how to recover.

[smurphos]

So it does.

I'm still inclined to think a dialog confirmation is overkill when there are existing cues of whether you are inserting a bookmark or dropping an item over an existing bookmark, and removing the ability is a loss of a feature that might be liked by some.