[Solved] Possible bug while dragging an item on the desktop

Banshaku · 2016-07-11 16:17:23

I'm new to Xfce so I'm not sure yet if it's a setting I didn't find or it's an actual bug. I'm using
XFCE 4.12 on Xubuntu.

Expected behavior: When I drag a file/folder inside a window over an existing folder, the
icon should be highlighted and a rectangle will be shown about the current target. Thundar reacts
that way for it's visual cue and it is easy to understand.

Current behavior: If I drag a file/folder over a folder on the desktop, the folder doesn't highlight
and no rectangle is shown about the current target. There is no visual cue if the item will be moved
or not in that folder.

Because of this behavior/bug, while trying to organize my files manually on the desktop, my files
were vanishing and I didn't know why, until I figured out that I drag & dropped then in the nearest
folder by accident.

How can I confirm if it's a bug or not?

Thank you in advance for the information on the subject.

Last edited by Banshaku (2016-07-13 00:32:48)

MountainDewManiac · 2016-07-12 00:31:50

Technically, your operation isn't on the folder, it's on the file you are moving (so I would not expect such an operation to cause the folder to be highlighted).

Banshaku wrote:

How can I confirm if it's a bug or not?

You could try asking on one of the Xfce email lists that the developers use (look for "developer"/"development" in the name):

https://mail.xfce.org/mailman/listinfo/

Might want to make sure to spell Thunar correctly if you do. They probably wouldn't get angry if you don't, lol, but you never know.

Regards,
MDM

Banshaku · 2016-07-12 02:29:15

Yes, the operation is on the file, my bad, I didn't know what is the proper way to explain it in that case. My intention was to say that the target was not highlighted like in Thunar when you drag the icon over a folder. If you just put the mouse cursor over a folder on the desktop it will get highlighted properly but not when you drag a file/folder over it.

I was able to find at the office an old VM with Debian and XFCE 4.6 and the behavior is the same. It seem to be by design but it feels quite unusual if you come from a Windows/Mac OS background. Cannot say about other popular desktop manager on Linux yet since I played a little bit with many of them but never gave much attention to this particular issue until my files vanished for unknown reason. I will try to install different desktop manager on my test machine at work to see if it's a common paradigm on Linux or for some reason only XFCE does it.

As for the Thunar name, I'm still new to XFCE and its tools so it was a spelling mistake. I will try to be more careful next time.

I will check the mailing list and maybe ask for a possible enhancement since I think it should react that way. Maybe there is a reason it was not done and the people on the list will be able to clarify why. I searched on the net but couldn't find any information on the subject. I would
like to develop this feature but I have no knowledge of the code base so I guess it could be quite challenging. Maybe I can try, someday.

Thank you again for the information, I really appreciate it.

Sideburns · 2016-07-12 22:05:02

If you're trying to move a file from your desktop to a folder that's on your desktop, you might try this instead: right-click on the file and select Cut, then right-click on the folder and Paste Into Folder. The file will stay on your desktop until you paste it, but will be in muted colors to show that it's been selected.

Banshaku · 2016-07-12 23:50:54

Thank you for the comment but by intention was not to move files on the desktop but to organize then manually. Some of them were close to a folder and I moved them accidentally because there was no visual feedback that I was hovering a folder. I'm now more careful when doing so but the visual feedback is important in that case, I think.

I installed yesterday on a test machine lxde and there is a visual feedback when hovering so it's specific to xfce. Shouldn't I fill an enhancement request on the xfce bugzilla tracker instead?

Sideburns · 2016-07-13 00:04:10

Yes, if that's what you need an enhancement request is probably your best bet.

Xfce Forum

Sub domains

#1 2016-07-11 16:17:23

[Solved] Possible bug while dragging an item on the desktop

#2 2016-07-12 00:31:50

Re: [Solved] Possible bug while dragging an item on the desktop

#3 2016-07-12 02:29:15

Re: [Solved] Possible bug while dragging an item on the desktop

#4 2016-07-12 22:05:02

Re: [Solved] Possible bug while dragging an item on the desktop

#5 2016-07-12 23:50:54

Re: [Solved] Possible bug while dragging an item on the desktop

#6 2016-07-13 00:04:10

Re: [Solved] Possible bug while dragging an item on the desktop

Board footer