Empty folders should not open in list tree view, unless a placeholder is used

[Ezra Sharp]

If you have a list of folders open in list view in FIles, in this case my Home directory.

I can open my downloads folder with the tree view option and explore, but I can also do the same to my Documents folder which is empty, and reveals an empty space below which nothing can be done in.

I'd suggest removing the black triangle tree-view indicator entirely or adding a placeholder in the empty space with the text "Empty" or similar with some options for creating new files or folders.

Or add support for right-click on the empty space and create a new file or folder or paste files (currently the menu popups up, but files are created in the directory above it, not within it) and some hint that you can do that.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: elementary OS 0.3
Package: pantheon-files 0.1.5.1+r1658+pkg35~ubuntu0.3.1 [origin: LP-PPA-elementary-os-daily]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-40.69-generic 3.13.11.10
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-40-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.5
Architecture: amd64
CrashDB: pantheon_files
CurrentDesktop: Pantheon
Date: Mon Dec 1 14:31:58 2014
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/pantheon-files
GsettingsChanges:

InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-11-26 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: elementary OS 0.3 "Freya" - Daily amd64 (20140810)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_NZ:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_NZ.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: pantheon-files
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Jeremy Wootten (jeremywootten)]

I agree the current behaviour is not ideal. You can right-click on the blank line exposed by an expanded empty folder but it behaves like the root folder of the view, not the expanded folder. i.e. if you create a new file it gets created in the root folder, not the expanded folder which is not intuitive. However, you can drop files onto the blank row to add them to the empty folder. The dummy row is created by the fm_list_model which is why the expander appears.

For comparison, Thunar and PCMan do not show any expanders at all while Nautilus shows a blank line labelled "(empty)" for which most of the context menu is insensitive but which can be dropped on. Its probably easiest to follow the Nautilus behaviour.