Feature Requests

[kagaku]

I recently switched over to using xplorer2 as my file manager and I love it. So many large and small improvements over the default XP explorer. But I do have a few feature requests.

1. Would it be possible to display the current drives free space when no files/folders are selected? This is the main thing I miss from explorer. I know I can goto Tools -> Free Space, but that's taking an extra step for something so small.

2. Customizable menu entries. How about the ability to customize the right click context menu in a manner similar to how you can already customize the toolbar? I know it's probably complicated, but it'd be a great feature.

3. Sort've going with #2, how about being able to add your own right click context menu or toolbar entries? There's a program that sort of allows you to do this in explorer, called FastExplorer. I used to have a context menu entry that would allow me to show/hide hidden files and folders without having to go through Folder Options. Something similar but expanded to include the toolbar would be perfect.

4. Finally, how about the ability to disable the icons in the context menus? I don't mind them that much, but I prefer an icon-less menu. I'm not sure how hard/easy it'd be to impliment this, but it'd go far in allowing even more customizability in xplorer2.

I've also got one question: When can I buy the Pro version?

[nikos]

the bad news is that the "wishing well" for this version is closed

the good news is that you can buy the pro as early as next week!
it allows you to add extra toolbars, perhaps that's what you need/want

[kagaku]

I'm not really looking to add another toolbar, just the ability to make custom toolbar buttons that do what I want. Such as linking a button to a VBScript that shows/hides files and folders, etc..

[nikos]

the pro version has this feature called "user menu"
you can add there any command you want, and place it on any toolbar too

but you can't add scripts that change file visibility etc in x2, only external programs

[kagaku]

I know that, the VBScripts I'm talking about are just typical shell scripts. Any chance of being able to add custom commands to the context menu?

[nikos]

not for this version

[eXpiation]

Hey!

Despite the "wishing well" being closed, I still think that #1, the free space feature is minor enough and important enough to be implemented with little fuss.

thx,
eXp

[fgagnon]

The good news is that nikos has been very receptive to suggestions, and has spent much (if not most) of the last year adding (& debugging) new features, while combing out the 'nits' in general functionality.

The bad news is that this has delayed initial release each time nikos has taken the time to add one more of these good ideas.

I, for one, applaud nikos for drawing the line at this time regarding new code, and concentrating on the relatively boring issues of getting xplorer² ready for shareware release.

Back to the good news:
I am sure that this suggestion and many others are on the short list of features to incorporate in the next release.

So lets all keep the suggestions coming ... we wouldn't want to see nikos become bored with commercial success.

[champ]

Hey!

Despite the "wishing well" being closed, I still think that #1, the free space feature is minor enough and important enough to be implemented with little fuss.

thx,
eXp

I too agree that the missing free space feature is a big ommission. I never realized how much I depended on it until I no longer had it.

[JRz]

I too agree that the missing free space feature is a big ommission. I never realized how much I depended on it until I no longer had it.

Well, it is not 'missing', but takes hitting Ctrl+Alt+Space to get the free space info on the statusbar.

[champ]

I too agree that the missing free space feature is a big ommission. I never realized how much I depended on it until I no longer had it.

Well, it is not 'missing', but takes hitting Ctrl+Alt+Space to get the free space info on the statusbar.

xplorer and 2xExplorer are extremely useful when performing long sessions of deleting, coping, and moving files and folders. Several of my drives don't have very much space. Occassionally I have to go on a clean-up routine by moving and deleting several thousands objects (files & folders).

2xExplorer is very helpful with this because as I delete a group of files I can see the status bar immediately updates with how much new space has been gained. Suggesting that I take my hands off my mouse to press Ctrl+Alt+Space while using xplorer2 is unreasonable considering I'll have to do this hundreds of times during a prolonged file management session.

The significance of having the Free Space displayed in real time within the status bar allows me to track my progress. That's all it's about: tracking progress in real time.

Most defragmenters will tell you the % it has completed during the analysis and defragmentation. This is a progress indicator. They also provide color-coded cluster blocks that update in real time. How do you think the customers of Diskeeper, Raxio PerfectDisk, or O&O Defrag Professional would feel if they decided to remove the "realtime" progress indicators and tell their users to press the sequence of "Ctrl+Alt+Space" in order to see the "static" not "realtime" progress of the application in action?

How would the customers of Microsoft react if they decided to remove the OS's copy, move, and delete progress indicators (bar animation) and told the users to press "Ctrl+Alt+Space" to view this info.

Take any application that provide some sort of progress indication that provides real-time statistics, remove it altogether and replace it with "Ctrl+Alt+Space" and tell me if you honestly believe that to be a preferred and more convenient approach.

I consider the original poster's comments quite significant, because he's citing a "feature" that has been fundamental in his usage of the application, and it has been removed for the sake of...

Don't think I'm bashing xplorer2. We all know and appreciate the excellence of Nikos' applications. For ever negative opinion I have about xplorer2, I have a 100 positive opinions.

[nikos]

you're not going to like this but the "live" free space indicator has been ditched due to space limitations after redesigning the status bar panes. You've already given us your opinion on that

i'll add it as an option in the next release, how's that?

[JRz]

[...] How would the customers of Microsoft react if they decided to remove the OS's copy, move, and delete progress indicators (bar animation) and told the users to press "Ctrl+Alt+Space" to view this info.[...]

Whoow, don't byte my head off

My point was not to criticize on adding the feature (I'm in favor of having it user configurable because real time updating the free space can have a significant performance penalty). Merely pointing out that the feature is not missing from X², as claimed by the poster. It is just not there all the time.

But I see Nikos already 'gave in'. Everubody happy

[Thracx]

Sorry for reviving an older thread, but I wanted to voice my opinion for the ability to toggle the 'Show Hidden Files and Folders' option.

I use the hidden flag on many of my files and I keep this option off by default, however, I often finding myself needing to go to Tools, then to Options, then switching that option on, because I need to get to a hidden file/folder real quick.  And then I need to turn it back off.  I wanted to start a new thread for this feature request but kagaku asked for it in this thread and mimeryme asked for it here (after finding two threads I stopped looking for how many times it appeared, if any more).

I managed to track the option down but I can't get Xplorer2 to toggle the option in the current session other than via menu option.

Please?  At least in the next version?  Shouldn't be to hard to do - just add a windows message for me to send to it (or let me know what it is if its there, since I can't look inside Xplorer2's design).

[nikos]

you can define two "layouts" (they include all the registry options), one with hidden files enabled and another with hidden off. Switching between the 2 would just be a single keystroke if you assign a keyboard shortcut  to said layouts. A minor inconvenience will be the extra window