Spatial mode list view does not collapse folder when that folder is opened in a new window or vice-versa

[mycophobia]

Expected behaviour

When double-clicking a folder in list view to open it in a new window, if the folder is expanded it should collapse. When expanding a folder in list view of a folder that's already open in a new window, it should close the open window.

Actual behaviour

Neither of the above happens. One can display the contents of a folder in two different windows. This, in a fairly minor way, harms spatial orientation.

Steps to reproduce the behaviour

Open a folder containing other folders. Set it to list view if necessary. In either order, double click a folder to open it in a new window and then click the arrow to expand it.

MATE general version

1.26.0

Package version

1.26.1

Linux Distribution

Debian 12

Link to bugreport of your Distribution (requirement)

[lukefromdc]

Confirmed

[mycophobia]

In the menubar, View > List

[lukefromdc]

I am used to the toolbar for view changes. The icon does at least change color, though the folder is not collapsed. No idea if it ever was when this code was first written. It it did, this may have changed way back at the GTK2->GTK3 transition

[mycophobia]

I recall this always having been an "issue" since Caja was Nautilus.

[lukefromdc]

That in turn raises the issue of whether this is expected behavior for some users, since it's worked this way so long

[mycophobia]

I mean I'm not going to lose any sleep over it if it isn't changed, but it is essential to the concept of spatial file management that the contents of folders aren't displayed in two windows at once; the expected behavior mentioned here is shown in the classic Mac OS Finder on which Nautilus's spatial mode was modeled.

However, as mentioned, the violation of this principle in this specific aspect is relatively inconsequential, especially in light of how well Caja's spatial mode maintains state in nearly all other aspects.

edit: And for full clarity, the real danger in a spatial file manager of having two windows show the same folder's contents is that affecting the size, shape or view options of one window and then closing both could throw uncertainty onto the state of the resulting window when you open that folder again, however that doesn't really apply here; you're pretty unambiguously modifying the parent folder's spatial properties when a subfolder is expanded in list view, so again, there's no real harm in the actual behavior here. It's more or less about having a visual shorthand to drive the point home.