Dasher (see [link]) is an character input variant geared for use by disabled persons. The characters are on the right, in boxes sized according to the probability of them being used. They drift to the left (speed detemined by horizontal mouse position) and can be nudged up and down with vertical movement of the mouse. Every character touched by the mouse is input. The system is very speedy once mastered, and while the easiest movement (mouse hard right) will only yield the character combination with the highest probability, every option remains open, during the whole process. (Edit: I just tried. Seemingly, // Kate. Are Prons,' said // is the most likely beginning... but the system learns, according to the developers)
I propose a similar app for browsing the file system: yanking the mouse to the left will bring you to /, with all the main folders arranged to the right, sized according to their use-probability, shifting the mouse to the right speeds up their movement towards the mouse, and brushing over any of them will open up another column of possible folders/files, enabling you to surf through the whole tree. At any stage a right click will make the current selection active and the app will now lead you through a similar tree of possible actions for this selection. After selecting a file, this action tree opens automatically.-- loonquawl, Aug 25 2009 Dasher http://www.inferenc...y.cam.ac.uk/dasher/predictive character entry [loonquawl, Aug 25 2009] (?) Dancer http://www.thevilla...ager_199/dancer.gif [normzone, Aug 26 2009] (?) Prancer http://blog.vh1.com...ancer_interview.jpg [normzone, Aug 26 2009] "Every character touched by the mouse is input." That doesn't seem to be the case. Letter combinations depend on your path as you branch right.
I had trouble spelling "theater" until I kicked Dasher in the rear by adding the "a" via keyboard.
I think this would be slower than what exists now, but certainly still useful if I were physically handicapped somehow.-- phoenix, Aug 25 2009 [Phoenix] It had me confused too. The letters are in alphabetical order even if they don't all appear. For example you may see a,d,e,f,g ... b and c are there, just too tiny to see. Zoom in between a and d and you'll find them. Same deal with punctuation and capital letters. As for the file surfing idea [+]-- ixnaum, Aug 25 2009 While messing around with Dasher, I found that it can write pretty interesting poems on autopilot. Just move your mouse all the way to the left and let it fly on it's own here is a sample: "I us a dates. How newon,' the simple shall surprised hydroped upon Monday, with the strangeme!' The this exaltatuasional slutling. Woudaisoe Oh! theth lark of a prove in a leg." -- ixnaum, Aug 26 2009 Why do we have to deal with file structures at all ?-- wjt, Aug 26 2009 I didn't download it but that looks pretty neat.
But how is it at all relevant for use as a file-system navigator ? Switching on MRU sorting for existing filesystem navigators would probably produce the same thing minus the nifty graphics.-- FlyingToaster, Aug 26 2009 [+] it's at least worth a try-- calculust, Aug 26 2009 Never mind an alternative file browser, where can I find an exaltatuasional slutling?-- BunsenHoneydew, Aug 26 2009 Wow, that does sound interesting. Some kind of born-again promiscuity? You might want to check her ID though. Possibly she could follow in the linked poetic sequence.-- normzone, Aug 26 2009 random, halfbakery