File Browser Download

We provide a service to synchronize devices with our server.

Every device has a file browser which is accessible through HTTP.

Possible actions are: Download, Delete and Rename.

Delete and Rename should not be possible for an folder / file that is being downloaded.

Now I'm a little stuck with the download feature:

Folders and Files can be relatively large (>100MB) and it takes some time to zip them in the backend. The zipping process should not be cancelled when the user leaves the page.

Earlier I simply blocked the whole file browser when a download was initiated.

But I think this solution is suboptimal. The user should still be able to browse other files (and optimally download other files/directories).

Goals I want to achieve (ordered of importance):

  • 1.) The user should be able to browser through other folders while a download is in progress. (most important)

  • 2.) The user should be able to easily cancel started downloads.

  • 3.) The user should be able to browse through folders which currently are being downloaded.

  • 4.) The user should be able to download other folders / files while another download is in progress. (least important)

Here some mockups of the solution I have thought of:

Normal view:

Normal view

Selection view:

Selection view

View after user initiated download of selection:

View after user initiated download of selection

Questions I need help answering:

  • Should the user be able to open a folder which is currently being downloaded?

    • If so:
    • How can I differentiate a normal opened folder and a folder that is being downloaded? (I thought of changing the icons)
    • Should other downloads in this folder be allowed?
    • If so:
      • How can I display the download progress in a clear manner.

  • Are there better ways to display the information? (I also thought of a download-queue, on top of the file browser).

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