XDG Base Directory Spec

[Lars Hallberg]

Lee Willis wrote:

>>And also this My Anything thing is so stupid and useless.
>>    
>>
>
>I'd be interested to think why having a sensible, easy to understand 
>directory structure is stupid, or useless? You just object to the name?
>  
>

Personaly, i see litle use for this, i save

BDSM stuff (pics, storys, movies etc) to one folder

Family stuff to another

Skiing stuff to a third.

Punk in a punk folder.

Metal in a metal folder.....

See litle point in sorting files by type realy :-)

Think lokalized, or even to descriptive folder names is a bad idé - I 
want the pathname sain and short!

But some standard for mer descriptiv (and localized) 'atributes' for the 
filesystem would be good. So UI can ether present the filesystem in a 
less geeky way - or, what i prefere, explain the filesystem to the user.

Some standard atributes for the standard directorys - and a mekanism for 
adding atributes for new directorys - dat work across users and apps (so 
XDG is the right forum for it).

Think some central XML is the right way (using filesystem atributes is 
probably preemature).

Some example:

dir: /sbin/
short desc: System programs
long desc: Esesial mantanans programs. Usaly only used by the sysadmin 
and the system itself.


dir: /usr/sbin/
short desc: Extra system programs
long desc: Extra system mantanans programs not esensial for keeping the 
system alive. Usaly only used by the sysadmin and the system itself.

Then UI cold use it like it want. I first draft fore a filebrowser might 
be (not much thinking has gon in to this):

A togelbutton shosing if pathname or short deskription shuld be shown.

In any case - the other is shown as tooltip.

Showing both + the long deskription on an info dialog You reach thru 
menus (both menubar and right-click menu). Also holding info about 
owner, accessrightsa etc.

Generaly I prefare guru UI ower wizard UI. An UI that not only helps 
user achive stuff - but to understand and lern stuff!

It's a smal tradoff. A wizard UI can prabably be slightly easier looking 
att first impression. But an guru UI is more empowering and leads to 
more pruductivity in relatevly short time.

It must not be overdone thou, a clutterd UI is newer good!

However - a atribute standard like this should aid in building both kind 
of UI while keeping the names and descriptions consistent thru aps and DEs!

*sorry* if You get part of this more than ones, it seams like my first 
mail is somewhat loost :-/

/LaH