When dragging files from Nautilus, raise other windows in front of Nautilus on mouse hover
Use cases
On smaller screens, like a laptop, it is common to have overlap between a file manager window and another application window (for example, a web browser). When dragging files from the file manager to the application, the file manager will be the topmost window, concealing the other application window from view. This can make it impossible to target an area in the application window designed to accept incoming media via drag-and-drop.
Desired behavior
When dragging a file from Nautilus over another application window, the application window should be brought in front of Nautilus, to allow the file to be dropped into the portion of the application window that accepts media via drag-and-drop.
Benefits of the solution
This benefits usability. As it presently stands, the current process for dragging and dropping to an application window concealed by Nautilus is cumbersome. The user must:
- Initiate drag-and-drop
- Hover over the part of the application window that is visible
- Discover that the application window won't be elevated above the file manager during drag-and-drop
- Abort the process
- Resize the Nautilus window so that the desired file is visible, and resize/reorient the application window so that it doesn't overlap with Nautilus
- Restart the drag-and-drop procedure
Possible drawbacks
- It is possible that GNOME applications supporting drag-and-drop are meant to have their entire window accept drag-and-drop media, and this issue therefore stems from me using a non-GNOME application (in my case, Firefox)
- Users with other windows open in between Nautilus and the target window may be surprised to find those windows have their "Z position" changed while dragging
- The proposed solution may introduce unwanted complexity for both the implementers and the users. Entangling a file manager with mouse hover effects on unrelated windows might violate both the technical and conceptual boundaries of a file manager