blog: open folders with xplorer2

[Kilmatead]

Let me bring back to remembrance...

Would that all English users could speak with such elevated language, and I would be a happy man.

this isn't something you would be changing every other day...

At least not until one discovers the vagaries of what it does and does not cover; one of those things (especially for new users) who think it "might" be a grand idea, until they discover the inconsistencies (not your fault, true) which make using it somewhat unpredictable.

And, put simply, for those new users, the Blog is not in the Help Manual (which is daunting enough), so (as Snakebyte pointed out originally) "jumping through hoops" is circuitously unhelpful.

Unfortunately for once I have to vote with the majority (though it makes me feel dirty) - it belongs in the Settings Editor.  By not placing it there, you are ironically forfeiting your own claim to dear Billy of Ockham's axiom.  Bill would not be fond of the modern penchant for the circuitous and the scattered.

Edit: (And before any of the sensitive take offence at my "majority == dirty" remark, please bear in mind it's an abstract philosophical distinction [Grecian demokracy], not a personal one. )

[Cosmo]

but this isn't something you would be changing every other day!?

So far I agree.
The point is, that it would be really troublesome, if anything in x2, that can only be changed via settings editor (and that means: with x2 closed, otherwise it would not matter, if editor or options dialog in x2), would have to be changed every day. Luckily, this is more or less not the fact. (My x2 is open all the day, in this point we are in common.) Nevertheless, you provide the editor for non-daily settings.

The trouble with the here discussed setting is, that there have several changes to be made in accordance to each other (drives and directories), and doing such stupid, but full of risk for making errors tasks is something, what a computer can do better than every human being. (And to be true: You have paid for the computer, so that you get clear of such jobs, haven't you?)

Either you want it default or not.

Sometimes people alter settings, that they do not alter daily. RickyF gave a valid example, Kilmatead another important aspect. Again: What would be the value of the settings editor, if all the settings there would never get changed?

[narayan]

Cosmo, It must be "autoplay" as you suggest: I mean the Window that pops up with a choice of applications when you insert a removable media (CD/DVD, pen drive).

To rphrase what I posted earlier, if there is a folder in the inserted media, an "open with explorer" option is listed in that window. I would like this to be x2 instead of explorer.

This can be done with Tweak UI.
But we should not need it at all- x2 should do this for us.

[nikos]

what i really should have done is leave this integration the arcane hack it used to be so that only the registry-brave could do it, surely!

[Cosmo]

narayan, yep, this is called Autoplay in TweakUI.

This feature is similar to the replace option for x2 instead of WE, but not the same. The similarity is the fact, that this are not x2 internal settings, but Windows' settings. And your request shows, that there can be made much more comfort in the integration question with relatively little effort; it is only a question if nikos wants to enhance the possibilities of system integration.

BTW, nikos, if the given examples are not yet enough for you, here is another one which I would call a killer aspect:
Let's say, a user has told x2 to replace WE. Than comes the day, where (s)he has some trouble with the machine and (s)he needs some help from more experienced or professional people. It is an absolutely standard behavior of supporters, that they will ask the user with plea for help to bring this to the default setting - otherwise nobody can tell, if the problem is related with this change or not, and not every supporter knows x2 (friendly speaking). After the problem is hopefully solved the user wants to get back to make x2 the default file manager. So (s) he has to alter this setting at least twice (probably on the same day), perhaps more often. The first part may be done with your reg files, but as I already said, this is a one way road. Afterwards your customer does what? Or shall the x2 user tell to the supporter "I do not do this, because the author does not provide a way back except newly installation." Be assured, that the supporter will say "Good day" and makes on with the next one.

[Cosmo]

what i really should have done is leave this integration the arcane hack it used to be so that only the registry-brave could do it, surely!

Maybe.

But the facts are at now, you did make this integration. But not only that! You made a blog about this new feature, although you knew at that time already, that this is in the actual state not really convincingly realized. The thread from AndyS shows, that the actual situation cannot be the last word; it was not the first post about the confusing with the actual situation. (I said it already some time ago: The new integration and the new x2solo layout in fix combination was the main fault. But there is the chance, to make improvements for x2 out of this.)

After this long discussion about that and the several proposals, how to improve the whole thing and make the best for x2 out of it, I am sorry, but I cannot quite resist to be a little bit sarcastic: You have now the chance, to remove the integration and make a new blog about that.

In the interest of x2, I would not say, that this would be the right reaction. If you would instead tell, what in detail and why you do not like in the several proposals, than we would have a chance to discuss this and to find a solution, that is for author and users commonly a way to go. But pitifully I cannot find such arguments by you.

[narayan]

Cosmo,

I think a blog is not linked with the development cycle of a shareware.

A blog only talks about the convictions of the blogger. In most cases the blogger is not a developer at all. Conversely, all blogs by Nikos need not be on x2 features (or file management for that matter).

In general, the readers' responses on a particular blog are not meant to change the blogger's convictions. It is more like coffee-table discussion, which stimulates the readers' minds and evokes constructive discussion. At best, the interaction brings out several viewpoints without attempting to settle the issue; or derive an action-plan.

The feature-set of a shareware is shaped by the market forces rather than readers' responses to a blog by the author.

[Cosmo]

narayan, I agree with you.

But the blog is in case of x2 in general and this topic in special the starter for the discussion, to which nikos called up; this thread is nothing else than that. And then we reached the point, where nikos wrote, what I quoted at the beginning of my last post. nikos' words are not about the blog, but about the discussed feature in x2.

My post was a reaction to this post of nikos, mentioning the blog was just for showing, how this discussion came to the actual climax (without the blog this would likely not have happened as it does) and what would happen in the hypothetical case, nikos would try to back off the wheel.

But my main message should be the idea, that there is some communication and information missing, with which the issue would get to a success. Instead of nikos' "I should have done" I placed my "find a solution", as I think that with all the differences in detailed opinion (and even personal provisos) I think we all have the interest and sympathy for x2 in common

[Wepver]

Personally I think that it should be better to remove the integration from the installer (or better add a note to tell the user how to revert the changes back) and add this as an option in the Setting Editor. (If the user enables this feature, then he/she should know where to go to disable it easily.)

I am a happy registered user of x2., but not everybody knows what is a reg file and it could became a little bit annoying to have to store lots of notes and reg files to know how to do one or another thing when it could be easily activated with just a checkbox.
Simplicity is one of the most important things in a piece of software nowadays. x2 is great because of this but when you dig a little bit deeper you ended editing the registry and having to use extra tools like Menuhack for many simple things, and this could became too much for many potential customers.

By the way, should not it be better to add a sub-forum with “all” the x2 expansion utilities? Menuhack, menu++,…

[narayan]

Cosmo, I agree with you on all counts.

I also love the way this thread is progressing (how we are able to keep the issues separate although they are running concurrently in this thread).