middle click should close app and not open new window

[Pavol Klačanský]

it works same with tabs in browsers, so it would be more consistent

[George Karavasilev (kokoto-java)]

Hmm, doesn't middle clicking on a link in any browser opens the link in a new tab?

[Pavol Klačanský (pavolzetor-deactivatedaccount)]

it does, but I think it would be more helpful to close app instead of opening new tab. Many of apps run only in one window

e.g. I have two windows only in Empathy (roster + chat window); Terminal, Thunderbird, Chrome/Firefox, Nautilus

[Marco Biscaro (marcobiscaro2112)]

To close there is already right click -> Quit.

[George Karavasilev (kokoto-java)]

Right, all things considered here:
To close an app the user can A) Click the "close button" or B) Right click on the launcher and then click on "Quit". To open a new instance of an app the user *must* A) Middle click on the app icon on the launcher.
Surely some apps have "New window" in their quicklists menu, but not all of them. And even if all of the default apps have the "New Window" quicklists, what happens with those that does not come out of the box. It's impossible that EVERY app to be patched to have such quicklist.
So re-assigning middle-click to "close" instead of "new instance" will remove the only way to open new window for EVERY app, which I daresay will not be a good call :)
P.S. Still, doesn't this need "need-design" tag, @om26er?

[Pavol Klačanský (pavolzetor-deactivatedaccount)]

Hmm, actually, maybe you are right, that closing is not nice middle click (can cause problems). But middle click works for apps, whose have also quicklist (try middle click on rhythmbox, thunderbird, ...)

[Pavol Klačanský (pavolzetor-deactivatedaccount)]

marked as invalid

[George Karavasilev (kokoto-java)]

Right, but if the icons to the apps that have "New Window" quiclists get patched and others don't a UX inconsistency appears, middle clicking on the non-quicklisted apps will open new instance and middle clicking on the quicklisted will close them. And apart from introducing inconsistent behaviour this can be kinda confusing and makes the user remember which apps has the "New Window" quicklists and which doesn't.
In my opinion, this should stay "Invalid"

[Pavol Klačanský (pavolzetor-deactivatedaccount)]

Okay, can you point out some app, which does not have quicklist new window option and has working middle click? And if middle click will close app, then for all, as I said, there will also be problems with multiple instances or when user clicks randomly.

[George Karavasilev (kokoto-java)]

Every app has a "working middle-click" :) For example an app without the "New window" quicklist is Minitube.
And yeah, I agree with the statement that middle click will create all kinds problems if it's set to "Close" instead of "Open new instance", so that's why I should stay "Invalid". We're basicly splinting hairs :P

[Pavol Klačanský (pavolzetor-deactivatedaccount)]

Okey, rhythmbox doesn't, so I disproved since there exists at least one app without working middle click (when app is running of course). ;-).

I agree.

[lokster (lokiisyourmaster)]

I think middle-click should close the app.
Why? Because the tabs in many apps work the same way (and also some task managers/docks). Why make something, that works in exactly the opposite way?
Also, the "close" function is used much often than the "new instance" feature, and it seems logical to have some quick way to close any app, even if it's minimized.
In a normal usage scenario how often do you think the user creates new instances of some app? Relatively rare, compared to how ofteh the user closes the apps.
Additionally, MANY apps don't support multiple instances/windows (or there is no point in running another instance).
Why do you insist on creating new "standards" that are exactly the oppisite of everything?
By doing so, you are widening the already huge gap between the users of unity and the users of different desktop environments/shells.

[George Karavasilev (kokoto-java)]

Right, I took the liberty of restoring the status to new and adding the "needs-design" tag. (This one obviously needs a design call)
However, @lokster, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't middle clicking on Win 7 "superbar" opens a new instance of an app?
And there is of course the argument that @Marco Biscaro introduced - "To close there is already right click -> Quit." So will adding way to close an app (or a group of them).
Anyway, like I said we can go on like this forever, but the thing needs a design call :P

[Conscious User (conscioususer)]

"Why do you insist on creating new "standards" that are exactly the oppisite of everything?"

You have a strange definition of "everything"...

- The Windows 7 taskbar opens new instances on middle-click
- Docky opens new instances on middle-click
- AWN opens new instances on middle-click
- The GNOME-Shell Dash opens new instances on middle-click
- If I remember correctly, the OSX dock opens new instances on middle-click
- A middle-click in the KDE taksbar does *not* close the corresponding window
- Middle-click in URLs is associated with opening new instances

[Conscious User (conscioususer)]

On the subject of consistency with tabs: the analogy between tabs and launcher items is not straightforward.

For starters, a single launcher item can be associated with multiple windows, whereas a single tab is always associated with a single document.

Should middle click close all windows? This sounds... catastrophically easy to do by accident.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[John Lea (johnlea)]

Middle click on a link in a browser also opens the link in a new tab. Middle click on a folder in Nautilus opens the folder in a new tab. etc, etc... Additionally this has become a behaviour that users expect from the Launcher so marking as won't fix.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

;-)