Existing item-to-item copy/move/symlink not possible

[aramazano]

Consider these operations in a terminal session:

~$ ls
dir1/ dir2/ file1.txt file2.txt
~$ cp file1.txt file2.txt
~$ cp file1.txt dir1/
~$ ln -sf file2.txt file1.txt
~$ lin -s ../file1.txt dir1/
~$ ln -s ../dir1 dir2/
~$ mv file1.txt file2.txt
~$ mv dir2 dir1

In pcmanfm-qt these operations are not possible. Dragging a file/dir on top of another file/dir behaves as if the item is dragged over to an empty space, i.e. it offers to create a new entry.

Instead, it should have worked as an intrusive copy/move/symlink operation (selected via pop-up context menu) on top of the target item.

System Information

• Distribution & Version: LXQt experimental-snapshots on top of Debian Testing (Buster)
• Kernel: 4.9.0-4-amd64
• Qt Version: 5.10.1
• libqtxdg Version: libqt5xdg3 / 3.1.1~14-g01f283b-1
• libfm-qt Version: libfm-qt5 / 0.12.1~41-ga88d6db-4
• pcmanfm-qt version: 0.12.1~37-gebd961d-1

[tsujan]

All of the operation you mentioned are possible. For example, to copy X as Y, use DND. And so on.

[aramazano]

Hmm you are right in that "to directory" operations work as expected with DND. I have been quick to generalize file and symlink DND behavior. My bad.

As for "to file" or "to symlink" operations:

In order to copy file1 to file2;

• DND file1 to file2
• Choose "copy": It behaves as if I DND file1 to empty space to copy file1 over to itself (doesn't detect that I have DND it on top file2)
• So the overwrite dialog (wrongly) pops for file1 -> file1 copy, with an option to rename destination.
• Rename the destination as "file2". Only then it understands that I actually want to copy file1 over to file2. So this first "overwrite dialog" was unnecessary.
• Now another overwrite dialog (rightly) pops up for file1 -> file2 copy, with an option to rename file2.
• Choose "overwrite" and file1 is now copied on to file2.

The first overwrite dialog was unnecessary, and it was because pcmanfm-qt didn't understand item-to-item DND.

Item-to item move via DND behaves the same.

Similar things happen for symlink copying and moving.

[tsujan]

DNDing a file over a file has no meaning and that's shown visually too: when you DND a file onto a folder, a temporary rectangle shows up, showing a "DND-over", while no rectangle will appear otherwise, showing that you aren't dropping "over" any file -- you're just dropping the file.

That DND menu -- which a user was wrongly annoyed about and I hope I've closed his report -- is there for such jobs.

[tsujan]

In short, all file operations are done easily and in an elegant, minimalistic way; you just have to change your habits. That's the case with all apps you start to use, whether they are buggy or not.

[aramazano]

DNDing a file over a file has no meaning

Copying, moving and linking a file over an existing file has no meaning?

when you DND a file onto a folder, a temporary rectangle shows up, showing a "DND-over", while no rectangle will appear otherwise, showing that you aren't dropping "over" any file -- you're just dropping the file.

Both cases of file->folder and file->file DND show up exactly the same rectangle here.

[tsujan]

Copying, moving and linking a file over an existing file has no meaning?

Who said that?! Quoting myself: "DNDing a file over a file has no meaning."

[tsujan]

Both cases of file->folder and file->file DND show up exactly the same rectangle here.

Not true. Actually, if true, your pcmanfm-qt/libfm-qt/libfm installation should have a problem.

[aramazano]

I am not sure I get this. OK, then how am I supposed to copy/move file-to-file through GUI, if file-to-file DND is not to be used?

[aramazano]

file->file DND works ditto file->dir DND, because pcmanfm-qt is ignoring file->file DND and taking it as a file->dir (current directory) DND. So there is no file->file DND. If you do that, it is taken as file->current_directory DND.

[tsujan]

I took the following screenshot with Fusion (because I think you use Fusion) to show you the drop rectangle:

how am I supposed to copy/move file-to-file through GUI

I'm sure you'll find the way if you trust pcmanfm-qt. And believe it or not, we do that a lot ;)

[aramazano]

Could you be more specific about that please?

I've looked at it again, but the shortest path I have found so far for file1->file2 copying is the one I mentioned here: #663 (comment)

[tsujan]

So, you know the way. Quoting from you:

Choose "copy":

Or another item, depending on what you want to do.

Only then it understands that I actually want to copy file1 over to file2

People don't have telepathy, let alone computer programs.

So this first "overwrite dialog" was unnecessary.

No it wasn't, for the above-mentioned reason (telepathy).

[tsujan]

The problem is that you think in terms of "dropping over...", while I told you (twice) that there's no dropping-over in pcmanfm-qt. You could have asked why and I'd tell you because it would cause hassles for the user when there's no easily accessible empty space and the user does NOT want to copy over any file (which happens more often than your scenario).

The same is true for changing a symlink target....

[tsujan]

Wow! I'd forgotten #319 (comment). So, I told you about that 3 times ;) And I added a screenshot to this page too. I really don't understand the source of your misunderstanding.

[aramazano]

I told you (twice) that there's no dropping-over in pcmanfm-qt.

I do understand what you say, and I see that it is a deliberate design decision. So I was not reporting a "bug" here, I was suggesting a design change.

You could have asked why and I'd tell you because it would cause hassles for the user when there's no easily accessible empty space

I would have accepted this as a good reason why file-to-file DND should not work. But then suppose you are in a directory with lots of subdirectories (think of /etc for instance) so all your window is filled up with directory entries. Then the same hassle would pop up again, wouldn't it? So, blocking file->file DND is not an ultimate solution for this problem, I think.

At the end of the day, it boils down to clumsy file-to-file operations.

Anyway, I don't want to argue about this. I simply don't agree with how it works. But if it will work this way, it will work this way. :)

[tsujan]

Then the same hassle would pop up again, wouldn't it?

No, it wouldn't because (1) you could drop the file in question "on itself" and (2) files-after-folder is the sorting mode most people use.

Anyhow, the point is that we drop files only into folders -- not "into files" -- and pcmanfm-qt shows that by showing/not showing the drop rectangle.

[agaida]

same here - make a screencast and we can discuss it