DnD^? issues

3 main questions regarding DnD^?:

1. What can be DnD^?ed?
2. What are the different kinds of DnD^? feedback?
3. What are the semantics of the drop? What's the default?
   • Add: DnD entity is added to destination entity
   • Move: DnD entity is removed from source entity and added to destination entity
   • Remove: DnD entity is removed from source entity
   • Duplicate: a new item which is a duplicate of the DnD entity is created and added to the destination entity

To answer these questions, we first introduce the distinction between ModelSpace^? entities and ViewSpace^? entities. We borrow this distinction from the Model/View/Controller paradigm. ModelSpace^? entities have a specific formalization in the content model. However, they can be represented to the end-user in many visible forms or instantiations. We call such instantiations ViewSpace^? entities.

In order to ensure DnD consistency across Chandler, our approach is describe DnD principles in ModelSpace^? and to ensure that ViewSpace^? entities conform to such principles with a possible few well thought out exceptions. The table below describes the key ModelSpace^? entities and their ViewSpace^? instantiations.

1. DnD entities

#	DnD entities	Semantics	View space instantiations
1	Content item	Content item	Summary table row Calendar summary item Contact card Attribute value in Detail view URL
2	Collection	Collection of content items	Sidebar entity Tray Tab Summary table section Mini-calendar browser selection Attribute Attribute value URL Search string
3	Attribute	[OI?] What does this mean as a DnD entity? An attribute? A collection of "All items that have this attribute"? A collection of "All items that have the attribute values listed in this particular instance of the attribute"?	Detail view Universal text box Search bar Column header
4	Attribute value	[OI?] Collection of all items with that attribute value	Detail view Universal text box Summary table view cell Calendar item Contact card Mini-calendar browser Common examples: Time Names Text Location
5	Container	Widget container	Column Status bar Tab Detail view
6	Container	Container of Content Items & Collections. Only a destination, not a draggable entity	URL / Search bar Sidebar Tab Bar Detail view Summary views Universal text box

• There are, of course, other objects (e.g. URLs, attachments) than can be DnD which are less key to Chandler design and out of scope in this document.

When	Source	DnD entity	Destination	DnD Action	DnH Action	ctrl-DnD	Feedback on MO	Feedback on Drop
.4	Any	Content item(s)	Collection	Add If the collection is governed by a rule, labels DnD entity content item with any label attribute values specified in the rule	None	Move	Hilight destination collection container	Flash animation
	Any	Content item(s)	Collection	Duplicate	None
	Any	Content item(s)	Complex-rule collection	Add Labels DnD entity content item with any label attribute values specified in the rule Flags attributes that have more than one possible attribute value	None	Move	Hilight destination collection container	Flash animation
.4	Collection	Content item(s)	Another content item	Adds DnD entity content item to the bottom of the destination content item's default ad-hoc collecton Adds destination's default ad-hoc collection to DnD entity content item's list of ad-hoc collections	Pops open destination content item's default ad-hoc collection
	Collection	Content item(s)	Another content item	Nothing	Pops open destination content item's list of ad-hoc collections DnD onto an ad-hoc collection in the list DnH over an ad-hoc collection in the list to load new collection in-place Adds selected ad-hoc collection to DnD entity content items list of ad-hoc collections
	Collection	Content item(s)	Void (outside Chandler chrome)	Remove from source collection	None	Delete content item	None	Poof animation
	Any	Collection	Tab bar	Loads collection in new tab	None	None	Add icon	Loading animation
.4	Sidebar Tab bar Detail view	Named collection	Another sidebar named collection Detail view collection attribute value	Adds the contents of the DnD entity to the destination collection. [OI?] How is that reflected in the destination collection's base rule?
.4	Sidebar Detail view	Named collection	Tab	Adds the contents of the DnD entity to whatever collection is being displayed in the tab.
	Sidebar Tab bar Detail view	Named collection	Search bar	Adds the collection as a parameter for search. [OI?] Is that reflected simply by CollectionName=Foo or does it add any parameters set in the base rule of the collection?
.4	Sidebar Tab bar Detail view	Named collection	Detail view collection attribute In between collection attribute values	Adds the collection as an attribute value. Allows user to assign a single item to multiple collections at a time.
	Search bar	Collection	Sidebar	Adds a named collection to the sidebar
	Search bar	Collection	Sidebar named collection Detail view collection attribute value	Adds rule specified in the Search bar to the destination collection
.4	Tab bar	Collection	Tab	Adds the contents of the DnD entity to whatever collection is being displayed in the tab [OI?] temporarily? Similar to cmd-click in Apple Mail
	Search bar	Collection	Detail view collection attribute In between collection attribute values	Adds named collection as an attribute value
	Search bar	Collection	Collection / attribute manager	Adds named collection to the collections / attribute manager (Need to go over collections / attributes manager)

* Multiple select applies only to 1 kind of DnD entity
* Multiple select applies only to content items in the same view

[OI^?]

• When DnDing a content item directly into another visible collection (ie. by DnH the content item over the destination tab or where the destination collection is in a new window, another instance of Chandler), how do we differentiate between
  1. adding the item to the destination collection
  2. adding the item to the defulat ad-hoc collection of a particular content item in the destination collection
  • Proposal
  • DnD over white space to add to collection: Hilight appears around view
  • DnD over text to add to destination item's default ad-hoc collection of a particular content item: Item is hilighted
  • DnH over text to open in-place destination item's default ad-hoc collection
  • If it turns out that it's "too hard" to avoid accidentally DnDing an item onto another item, we can institute a 2-3 second hover threshhold to make it hard to do "item on item" DnD.
  • Works like Apple Finder
• How do we distinguish between selecting text that represents a content item as a content item OR as text
  • Proposal
  • Click and drag to DnD as content item
  • Click and release to edit
  • For calendar items: D-click to edit
• When moving collections around in the sidebar, does that change the view in the main content area? No. Only a simply click and release changes the view. DnD manipulations in the sidebar to combine and reorder view does not change the main content area.

-- MimiYin - 15 May 2004