please help with tabsontop

[hawkes]

Can someone explain this in very simple terms please?

My understanding is that I'm supposed to go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ZabraKatranemia\xplorer2_UC\MainFrame Settings
and change the key 'binDualPaneFlags' value from 9 to 256

Is that wrong?

Maybe I don't understand how to change the value. When I double click it 'b' is shown, not '9'. Am I supoosed to change the 'b' to 256?

Thanks!

[fgagnon]

If you are not familiar with editing/working with registry settings, you are generally advised against doing so.  

That caution notwithstanding, I expect you still want to go ahead; but carefully.  Here's an explanation:

The setttings for many of the features are simply ON/OFF switches represented by a single bit in a particular keyvariable:
The DPF_TabsOnTop switch is the ninth bit (2^8 position) in the binDualPaneFlags variable.  
So, to SET this particular feature, simply add 2^8 (256 base10, or hex:100) to the current value of the variable.
Example: If the current value is 11 base10 (hex:b, binary:1011),
change it to 267 base10 (hex:10b, binary:100001011).  ;)

[hawkes]

Ok, thanks. Well, I have to admit that I'm still stumped. Guess I'll have to live with tabs on the bottom.  

[ZoNi]

I don't understand why those (advanced) settings are not in some settings window of xplorer2, and not in Registry directly  :?:

btw: Happy New Year! /// Srecna Nova godina!  :P

[fgagnon]

Ok, thanks. Well, I have to admit that I'm still stumped. Guess I'll have to live with tabs on the bottom.  

I admit that I probably gave you more info than you need to know to simply get the tabs_on_top feature working the way you want let's not give up so easily...

2nd try at expanation - When you open the key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ZabraKatranemia\xplorer2_UC\MainFrame Settings
and d-click on the variable binDualPaneFlags
you will be able to change its value to whatever you want.
If it is currently=11 in decimal, then adding 256 will make
the value you want to set = 267
Be sure to have the number base display set to "decimal".
(I presume you will be doing this using regedit.)

For me it's easier to do it in hexadecimal number base:
in which case, I would just change the value from "b" to "10b",
which adds "100"(hex) which is the same as 256 base10.

In either case, be sure that you have NO instances of x2 running when you make the registry tweak; or x2 will not 'see' the change you make and will overwrite the variable with it's current setting when it closes.
___________________________________________________________________

PS: All of the above may be found by carefully reading the file registry.txt

[jarquin]

As a new user of Xplorer2 I agree you that you shouldn't have to mess around with the registry just to have the tabs on top.
So that is why I have created an external settings program that
lets you do just that and also all the other 'exotic' registry settings.

You can download it at
http://www.masmex.co.uk/utils/xplorer2_reg.zip

It hasn't been fully tested with all the other settings but the tabs part certainly works for me.
If there any problems let me know and I will try to fix them.
Other than that you are on your own.

Philip

[nikos]

nice, you saved me the effort!

[luke]

If Nikos adds new reg keys, are they handled as well or has the tweak tool to be updated as well?

//edit

Program looks good and works fine over here. Maybe it is a good idea to create a seperate config program just for all settings if that makes programming easier.

[WimdeLange]

It hasn't been fully tested with all the other settings but the tabs part certainly works for me.
If there any problems let me know and I will try to fix them.
Other than that you are on your own.
Philip

Nice tool, but after using the tool I lost F3 en F4 functionality for starting the editor (in view and Edit mode). And I did not made a backup of the registry settings first. Not a problem, I remove the keys for the editor and viewer and start xplorer2 again.

After some playing with it.  The tools looks nice, but is not complete.

Some minor problems I had with it:
New settings are (off course) not there (when will there be an update for 1.1.0.3), no documentation on what some of the options mean. Like what is a new refresh system? And ok, it is in the registry.txt, but if it is an integrated tool, it should be in the program?

And I use the xplorer2_UC, but how does this tool know I use that one? It is not an option? Or mabye it only works for the UC version?

And maybe a backup/restore option would be nice, without resorting to the registry editor.

Again, very useful for setting some of the config options, but please remove the 'F3/F4' bug....

[jarquin]

Of course if there are new settings or Nikos adds new settings
then the tool will have to be updated.

I'm not sure what caused F3/F4 to stop working maybe Nikos
could shed some light on that or at least you could  tell me what settings you changed to cause that to happen.

At the moment it detects the OS and presumes if you are running
NT or higher then use unicode or 98 use non-unicode.
You are right this is not ideal and I will add an option to update either
application keys.

I originally made this tool for the tabs on top but thought why not do it
for all the others as well.
I am going away for 10 days but if Nikos would like to integrate the tool
or the code then it's ok.
I will post an update when I get back.

You will have to discuss it with him.

[WimdeLange]

I'm not sure what caused F3/F4 to stop working maybe Nikos
could shed some light on that or at least you could  tell me what settings you changed to cause that to happen.

When I start your tool, do an update, without changing anything, F3 view and F4 edit, stops working: Cannot launch editor/viewer, check command lines in  Tools Options.

I think it has to do with the default behaviour of xplorer2 that if the keys don't exist, xplorer2 finds the editor in the same directory as xplorer2, but if the keys exist, it uses the keys, but if they are empty...

Not sure about this. Nikos? Can you shed some light on this?

But now I'm removing the following keys (again ) szEditor2Path, szExternalEditor and szExternalViewer to make it function correct again.

[nikos]

for F3 to work properly szEditor2Path should be empty or contain the exact path to ed2 without any command line options

the unicode/ansi assumption won't work if people are using the lite version which is always ansi. Ideally we need a combo box with ansi/unicode which will initialize itself according to your logic but allow users to change it, too

[hawkes]

Thanks fgagnon & jarquin!!  :D
I don't know why, but nothing would work. I did a fresh install of xplorer2 and then getting the tabs on top was no problem.  

[BRX]

@fgagnon

Dumb question maybe, but - regardless the newly available tool - isn't it much easier just to post a "regedit  reg file" for registry tweaks which can be pasted into a reg file and double clicked on instead of leading the common user through editing the registry?

[fgagnon]

True; but the user would miss the learning experience.

PS: ... OK, here's the .reg file method.
Copy (cut & paste) all of the following lines from the code block to a text file and name it something like  x2_TabsOnTop.reg

Code: Select all

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ZabaraKatranemia Plc\xplorer2_UC\MainFrame Settings]
"binDualPaneFlags"=dword:0000010b

After saving the file, d-click on it to set the binDualPaneFlags variable .
________________________________________________________________________________
PPS:  If you are running a non-unicode setup (Lite or on w9x) the key path will not include "_UC", so the .reg file contents would be:

Code: Select all

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ZabaraKatranemia Plc\xplorer2\MainFrame Settings]
"binDualPaneFlags"=dword:0000010b

... enjoy