Drag & Drop not possible from Sidebar

[jansende]

 * nemo 5.2.4
 * desktop
 * Mint 20.3 Cinnamon
 * 64 bit

Issue Drag & Drop does not work from Sidebar.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open two Nemo Windows.
2. Select a file/folder in the Main Window..
3. Try Draging&Dropping the file/folder from one Nemo Window into the other. (It works.)
4. Open the Sidebar.
5. Select a folder in the Sidebar.
6. Try Draging&Dropping the file/folder from one Nemo Window into the other. (It does not work.)

Expected behaviour Drag & Drop from the Sidebar should work as if the selected folder was dragged from the Main Window.

[Jeremy7701]

The sidebar does not contain files; it contains bookmarks.

[jansende]

Please expand. I do not understand.

[Jeremy7701]

I think I may have been mistaken in identifying the 'red' area as a sidebar (press F9 to actually get/remove a sidebar).

On inspection, you appear to have one window, split into two unequal panes, with the red pane showing your /home/username directory and the green pane showing /home/username/music/itunes.

Do you have write authority to the itunes directory? If not, you should get an error message when trying to drag a file to it.

[MANICX100]

I second as an important defect to fix. That the 'folders; are infact bookmarks shouldn't matter the same way on windows if I pin a folder to Quick Access. The item in quick access is a shortcut but it is smart enough to take any files dragged into it as move this inside.

[Jeremy7701]

I believe there is some confusion here:- @jansende 'sidebar' - note that it appears to contain the entire home directory.

However a true sidebar - which can be toggled with F9, does allow dragging a file/folder into the sidebar. It is necessary to choose whether the purpose of the drag is to create a link, move or copy the file/folder. The ALT key allows this to be done with a prompt.

Have to say I didn't previously know this was possible.

My toolbar looks like this:

[MANICX100]

I believe there is some confusion here:- @jansende 'sidebar' - note that it appears to contain the entire home directory.

However a true sidebar - which can be toggled with F9, does allow dragging a file/folder into the sidebar. It is necessary to choose whether the purpose of the drag is to create a link, move or copy the file/folder. The ALT key allows this to be done with a prompt.

Have to say I didn't previously know this was possible.

My toolbar looks like this:

Ah I understand.

@jansende So the 'folders' you see under my computer don't work as folders do you can't drag into them they are strictly shortcuts. To drag and drop you must first setup folders under the bookmarks sections where you can drag/drag these then work as traditional folders to drag/drop.

@Jeremy7701 - I would counter that this is still very unintuitive, especially as if I press Ctrl+B for bookmarks I see both real 'bookmarks' and shortcut 'bookmarks' in this case. Expected behavior would replicate windows as this would save me having to setup true bookmarks.

[Jeremy7701]

@Jeremy7701 - I would counter that this is still very unintuitive, especially as if I press Ctrl+B for bookmarks I see both real 'bookmarks' and shortcut 'bookmarks' in this case.

Ctrl+B should only show nemo bookmarks.

By 'real bookmarks' do you mean symbolic links in the style of ?

[MANICX100]

@Jeremy7701 - I would counter that this is still very unintuitive, especially as if I press Ctrl+B for bookmarks I see both real 'bookmarks' and shortcut 'bookmarks' in this case.

Ctrl+B should only show nemo bookmarks.

By 'real bookmarks' do you mean symbolic links in the style of ?

Ctrl+B shows all both types of bookmarks. By this I mean that listed under My Computer and last listed under bookmarks for me.

@jansende - You can wordaround this issue for now by going Bookmarks, Edit Bookmarks and deleting all. Then go into each folder wanted for drag and drop and add them via Bookmarks, Add bookmark

I would then in the Bookmarks, Edit Bookmarks move everything below the divider e.g.

And Close

You can confirm the folders have been added by running nano ~/.config/gtk-3.0/bookmarks

(nano or alternative editor )

You will then be able to drag and drop once relaunching nemo with folders on the left.

[Jeremy7701]

I have no problem. cat ~/.config/gtk-3.0/bookmarks reflects my nemo bookmarks. I did not delete anything!

[MANICX100]

I have no problem. cat ~/.config/gtk-3.0/bookmarks reflects my nemo bookmarks. I did not delete anything!

Sorry I @'d the wrong person.

[smurphos]

There's a bit of confusion in this thread - nemo's sidebar can operate in Places (i.e default places + Bookmarks) view or Treeview (which is what the OP's original screenshot showed). The sidebar in either view does not display files only folders, and the sidebar in either view a is valid destination for drag and drop, but not a valid source (it's a bit pointless having it as a source when you could only move folders).

OP - you may benefit from dual pane mode dedicating one pane in list view for your wanted workflow.

[jansende]

Wow! That generated much more response than I expected :open_mouth:

@Jeremy7701

I think I may have been mistaken in identifying the 'red' area as a sidebar (press F9 to actually get/remove a sidebar).

On inspection, you appear to have one window, split into two unequal panes, with the red pane showing your /home/username directory and the green pane showing /home/username/music/itunes.

Do you have write authority to the itunes directory? If not, you should get an error message when trying to drag a file to it.

My screenshot shows the sidebar you are talking about. This is not a split window. F9 toggles it.

I have write permission, but that is not the problem. I do not know how to create a screenshot of this, but when I drag from the main window, the mouse cursor changes. If I do it from the sidebar, nothing happens.

[jansende]

@MANICX100

I second as an important defect to fix. That the 'folders; are infact bookmarks shouldn't matter the same way on windows if I pin a folder to Quick Access. The item in quick access is a shortcut but it is smart enough to take any files dragged into it as move this inside.

I agree. From an UX perspective that makes the most sense.

[jansende]

@Jeremy7701

However a true sidebar - which can be toggled with F9, does allow dragging a file/folder into the sidebar. It is necessary to choose whether the purpose of the drag is to create a link, move or copy the file/folder. The ALT key allows this to be done with a prompt.

You are right. It seems like it is possible to drag files INTO the sidebar. However, it is not possible to drag them FROM the sidebar.

My toolbar looks like this:

For me it is the same. However, I can toggle between bookmarks, and the whole filesystem with the buttons at the bottom left.

[jansende]

@MANICX100

@jansende So the 'folders' you see under my computer don't work as folders do you can't drag into them they are strictly shortcuts. To drag and drop you must first setup folders under the bookmarks sections where you can drag/drag these then work as traditional folders to drag/drop.

Although I think this is weird from a user perspective (Why are bookmarks different to folders?), I could accept this as an exception. However, I still think it has to work when using the tree view of the filesystem as it looks like a normal window view and thus normal window actions are expected to work.

[jansende]

@smurphos

There's a bit of confusion in this thread - nemo's sidebar can operate in Places (i.e default places + Bookmarks) view or Treeview (which is what the OP's original screenshot showed). The sidebar in either view does not display files only folders, and the sidebar in either view a is valid destination for drag and drop, but not a valid source (it's a bit pointless having it as a source when you could only move folders).

Thanks for bringing that to a point.

My problem is exactly that. If I have normal window open, I can move folders via drag and drop from the tree. However, I cannot move them using the sidebar. This is weird!

In addition, another useful thing you could do from the sidebar is copying a folder. This would even make sense for bookmarks (where moving might not be a good idea).

OP - you may benefit from dual pane mode dedicating one pane in list view for your wanted workflow

I personally dislike splitting the window. In my workflow I am constantly opening and closing windows, snapping them to quadrants of my two screens. All of this is not supported by a split window...

[Kenny-Dave]

+1 on this please. I've been away from Windows for 18 months, and still try and drag and drop folders from the tree several times a day.

pic (apologies for the camera picture but print screen doesn't seem to work with the menu open).