Design/Whiteboards/File Manager

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    Summary

    Design an ODF file manager for Android tablets.

    Status

    Call for Proposals Analyzing Proposals Shaping Tentative Design Implementation in Progress Implemented

    Scope

    In Scope Out of Scope
    • File creation
    • File browsing
    • File search
    • Folders
    • Basic file management tools (deletion, renaming, etc.)
    • Follows the Android HIG
    • Presented either as a single application or as one application per module
    • UI integrates with the file viewer (together they make one app)
    • Behavior and UI layout should resemble that of the Template dialog
    • Support for files not readable by LibreOffice

    Discussion

    Personas

    • Ellen: Single mother, happy user of a tablet. When she uses a computer, she's always frustrated that she doesn't know where her files are and has trouble navigating through the myriad of folders that the file manager presents her with.
    • Sarah: College student. She uses Google Docs for most of her productivity needs, though she turns to LibreOffice when she needs to. She's always unhappy that she can't easily browse through her ODF files.

    Tentative Design

    TentativeFileManager.png

    Action bar

    Allows the user to view All or one file type, holds the search button and the overflow menu.

    Contextual action bar

    The CAB would provide actions related to the current selection, and replace the action bar.

    Selection

    The selection mode would present an overlay that would allow the user to select several items and act on them using the context bar. It would be triggered by long-pushing a thumbnail. This behavior is a copy of Gnome's new behavior and is a boon for touch interfaces, as it doesn't require using the keyboard to select multiple items.

    Folder

    Tapping on a folder would launch an overlay showing the content. There is only one level of hierarchy

    Templates

    Every category would house a Templates 'folder', always listed as the first item of the file grid. It would provide quick access to templates and allow the user to quickly convert documents into templates and vice versa, effectively obviating a Templates dialog. Tapping it shows the templates where ordinary files and folders were displayed before. It doesn't use an overlay.

    Layouts

    The dialog would offer two layouts: list and grid. The layout could be changed under the overflow menu.

    Gestures

    Pinch zoom to make the documents larger of smaller. zoom from four documents down to two documents.

    Proposals

    Proposal by Mirek2

    Mockups

    Description

    Categories

    The manager would be split into 5 categories, one per each supported file type, and one for all the supported filetypes. The categories would be shown as tabs within the top toolbar. If there was not enough space for the text labels, icons would be used instead.

    Static bar

    The static bar would be a non-contextual toolbar, appearing on the right of the top toolbar. By default, it would only hold the search button and the overflow menu.

    Context bar

    The context bar would provide actions related to the current selection, docked at the bottom.

    Selection

    The selection mode would present an overlay that would allow the user to select several items and act on them using the context bar. It would be triggered by long-pushing a thumbnail.

    This behavior is a copy of Gnome's new behavior and is a boon for touch interfaces, as it doesn't require using the keyboard to select multiple items.

    Templates

    Every category would house a Templates folder, always listed as the first item of the file grid. It would provide quick access to templates and allow the user to quickly convert documents into templates and vice versa, effectively obviating a Templates dialog.

    Layouts

    The dialog would offer two layouts: list and grid. The layout could be changed under the overflow menu.


    Proposal by android272

    Mockups

    Description

    Top bar

    Allows the user to view All or one file type, search for files, and has a overflow menu

    Bottom bar

    To create a new document tap the file you want to make.

    Static bar

    The static bar would be a non-contextual toolbar, appearing on the right of the top toolbar. By default, it would only hold the search button and the overflow menu.

    Templates

    tap "templates" to switch to templates view. everything is the same in the Template section as in the Document section except the bottom bar.

    Gestures

    Pinch zoom to make the documents larger of smaller. zoom from four documents down to two documents.

    Open problems

    Template "Folder" Appearance

    Submit your mockups of what a template folder should look like below. You might want to use this SVG file to craft your mockup.

    Relevant Art