Use Undo instead of prompting "Are you sure?"

[Michael Spencer]

[Originally reported in a Google+ comment]

Instead of asking the user if he really wants delete item XYZ (after he previously clicked the delete button) just delete it and add an undo option to the button menu bar. This way it would be less interuptive but still save → give the same level of security as the "Are you sure..." dialog.

[Carlos Jose Mazieri (carlos-mazieri)]

It needs something like "Trash" implementation, rigth now files are removed as if using "rm" command on a shell prompt.

[Michael Spencer (ibelieve)]

Right, so in the backend it looks like we're going to need an implementation of the XDG Trash specification [1].

Then, in the UI, we'll need a way to display the trash can, and then, specifically for this bug, an undo history.

I'm thinking the best way to handle this in Launchpad is to break this down into three bugs, one for the trash backend, one for the trash frontend, and leave this for implementing the undo history part in the UI.

[1] http://www.ramendik.ru/docs/trashspec.html

[Carlos Jose Mazieri (carlos-mazieri)]

I have not seem any mobile file manager with this feature, do you know any?

[Thibaut Brandscheid (k1au3-is-37)]

@Carlos Jose Mazieri
It is not important if there is a file manager out there already doing it. Google Mail on Android for example has the described undo-remove feature and it's a big usability win. The delete function stays out of the way and is still easily accessible.

Android: http://eurodroid.com/edpics3/nexus-5-review-29.png
iOS seems to have it too: http://socialtimes.com/files/2011/04/gmail_undo.png

[Michael Spencer (ibelieve)]

In addition to what @Thibault says, it's also important to remember that this is going to be used on the desktop and tablet. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that this will probably replace Nautilus as the default file manager on the desktop some time in the future once it gets enough features. And on the desktop, undo functionality is a definite must-have.

[Carlos Jose Mazieri (carlos-mazieri)]

Ok guys,

I asked because I have never seem any mobile file manager with undo, emails usually have a Trash folder, so it is easy to undo.

I will look at the implementation spec and see if it is hard to implement.

[Carlos Jose Mazieri (carlos-mazieri)]

A Trash implementation is going on.

[Carlos Jose Mazieri (carlos-mazieri)]

Trash is already implemented on the plugin.

The UI needs to add this, also, changing navigation to selection approach is a good idea.