2Nikos: long list of Xplorer2 requests

[Valery_Kondakoff]

Hi!

A year or two ago I was an 2XExplorer user. Now after a long period of using the FAR File manager I'm evaluating the latest Xplorer2 beta: very impressive and modern file manager. There are some glitches though. Let me, please, post this list of feature requests, which (IMHO) can greately enhance the usability of Xplorer2. Excuse me for the long posting. (I was trying to be as clear as possible, when describing these requests, but I'm still not sure I explained them all well enough, so, please, don't hesitate to contact me for additional info). I'm evaluating Xplorer 1.1.0.90 Unicode under WinXP Pro SP2.

Essential requests:

1) Please add an option to put the Console and Scrap standalone windows to the tabs!.. I think this is one of the most often requested feature in the last time. Am I right?..
2) Please consider supporting descript.ion/files.bbs files descriptions. There are already such a requests in the forum. I know, this will force you to implement a special way of copying/moving/renaming files with descriptions, but the feature worths it! 'Descript.ion' is a standard way of describing the files in archives and program distributives... So, IMHO, supporting these comments (in addition to NTFS stream comments) is a essential feature for an advanced file manager!
3) Please, enhance the copy/move routine to create non-existant directories during file copy/move. Do I need to explain this? The idea is easy.
If the user enters 'c:\xxx\yyy' as the destination path he wants to copy/move the selected file(s) to the file 'yyy' in 'c:\xxx\'. If 'xxx' directory does not exists, it should be automatically created. If there are several files selected, they should be 'combined' to the single file 'yyy' (appending one by one).
If the user enters 'c:\xxx\yyy\' as the destination path he wants to copy the selected file(s) to the folder 'c:\xxx\yyy\' without changing the selected file(s) name(s). If the folders 'xxx' and 'yyy' do not exist, they should be automatically created.
4) Enhance the copy/move dialog in two ways:
a) I'm pretty sure the 'Browse' dialog (located at the right side of 'Here' input field) should defaults not to the 'My Computer' folder, but to the path of the current (active) pane. This is pretty logical: in the copy/move dialog you will provide the opposite pane path, current pane path and the option to set another one path just by browsing the tree...
b) There is a special input field, called 'Tab' with the path of available Tabs in active pane. Why do you set this restriction? I'm pretty sure all Tabs from both active and not-active panes should be displayed here. Don't you think so?..
5) Add a special token (like '$?') to invoke a dialog asking user to enter some additional parameters before executing the program. This token may be used, for example in User Commands or in Command Script to allow more flexibility in entering parameters, that are changing from time to time. Please, contact me if you need an additional info - how this feature is implemented in other File Managers.
6) There is a really annoying bug: when you first enter the directory after Xplorer2 restart, the first file or folder in this directory is not hilited - there is only a 'dotted' cursor line around it (see screenshot: http://www.nncron.ru/temp/xplorer2.png ).Thus it is impossible to work with this file until you move the cursor down and up to select it. If you go up one level ('Bcksp') and then enter the directory again ('Enter') the same file becomes hilited (screenshot: http://www.nncron.ru/temp/xplorer21.png ). After restarting Xplorer2 the situation repeats: when you enter the directory for the first time the first file is not hilited.
7) There is a lack of the option which allow user to specify the column in 'Details mode' which should gain the maximum available width when the overal size of the window changes. For example, after maximizing Xplorer2 window, all columns stay at their normal width except one, which gains all the free space. This column may be for example a 'Name' or 'Comment' column: it's a good idea to maximize the view by hotkey when there are very long file names in the folder (like mp3-files).
8) Allow us to maximize the active folder panel width. This can be done in one of the different ways:
a) enhance the 'Double Pane' command: currently pressing 'Ctrl+O' is always turning of the right folder pane. I think it will be better if pressing 'Ctrl+O' will turn of the non-active pane. This will allow users to temporary maximize the width of the currently active pane. If you like the idea, you can enhance this further by implementing 'Ctr+Shift+O' hotkey to turn off the active pane.
b) implement additianal commands (assignable to keyboard hotkeys) to maximize the active pane width and to restore the previous width
c) give as a command to toggle vertical/horizontal tiles of folder panes.
9) Think about adding the external command line archivers support. Are there such a plans?
10) Customizeable keyboard hotkeys. I'm sure this request is already in your todo-list and I'm adding this just for 'completeness' :)

Cosmetic requests:

1) Set focus to the initial dir, after applying 'Up a level' command. Currently the focus is set not on the initial dir, but on the last visited dir in parent folder, or on the first available dir in parent folder if there is no last visited dir. This is rather annoying... (I'm not sure I explained this issue clear enough. Please, don't hesitate to contact me if you need additional info...).
2) Please, add an option to show the Drive Selection, Folders History and Pane View popups which are invoked by keyboard hotkeys (Alt+F1/Alt+F2/Ctrl+Alt+V) at selected pane header and not at the mouse cursor. It is not easy to find a popup at the mouse cursor when you are working mostly with the keyboard - so the mouse cursor may be found at unpredictable location...
3) Please, add an option to dispaly the traditional '..' (Up a level) link in the panes. The link like this will allow user to use the same key to enter the folder and to go back. For example: I'm examining the contents of the folders. Now I need to click 'Enter' on a folder to go a level down and 'Bksp' to go back a level up. If there will be a '..' link I can press 'Enter' to go a level down and press 'Enter' again to go a back to a previous level... I think this is rather convenient.
4) Change the icon (or just the color of the icon) of standalone Console window (to make difference with the Xplorer2 main window icon). When browsing the open windows using Alt+Tab it is not always easy to determine the Console window because it has the same icon as Xplorer2 main window.
5) Custom coloring of the specific file names/extensions and files with specific properties (like hidden, system, encrypted etc)...
6) Please, add another one indicator in the status bar to show if the Sticky Selection mode is On of Off (like the Visual Filter indicator). I know, there is a possibility to put the 'Sticky' button to the toolbar, but still think that all of the Xplorer2 working modes should be indicated at status bar as well...
7) PageUp/PageDn keyboard keys are behaving unpredictable when 'View Pane' is set to 'List'. As far as I understand, after pressing the PageDn, the cursor should go to the last file visible in this window. If there are more files in this folder, the list should scroll and the last file should become the first one in the window.
The current implementation is not logical at all: if there are not many files in a list (less than one column) the cursor is not moved at all. If there are many files, the cursor is moved to the beginning of the second or third column. If the cursor was initially in the middle of the column, after pressing the PageDn it will go to the middle of the another column... I don't really see the logic here!..

Nikos, what do you think about these requests? I hope I did a good work by collecting these reauests and you will find them useful. Please, post your comments, when you have enough time for this.

Thank you!

[yaronnir]

Sometimes requests by users sounds like nagging but think of the place it comes from (comfortable, nice, easy)

I second all the requests listed above, especially the most necessary one

3) Please, add an option to dispaly the traditional '..' (Up a level) link in the panes. The link like this will allow user to use the same key to enter the folder and to go back. For example: I'm examining the contents of the folders. Now I need to click 'Enter' on a folder to go a level down and 'Bksp' to go back a level up. If there will be a '..' link I can press 'Enter' to go a level down and press 'Enter' again to go a back to a previous level... I think this is rather convenient.

thanks

[yaronnir]

I know it was requested before, but can the registry self editing is become a nice window in a options dialog?

speaking of which, can the options dialog be with a list on the left and replacing dialogs on the right (same as in msn messanger, icq etc. option dialogs)?


thanks again

[nikos]

i think you are trying to turn x2 into the old NC
i like the recommendation about that $? token !

[quietbritishjim]

6) There is a really annoying bug: when you first enter the directory after Xplorer2 restart, the first file or folder in this directory is not hilited - there is only a 'dotted' cursor line around it (see screenshot: http://www.nncron.ru/temp/xplorer2.png ).Thus it is impossible to work with this file until you move the cursor down and up to select it. If you go up one level ('Bcksp') and then enter the directory again ('Enter') the same file becomes hilited (screenshot: http://www.nncron.ru/temp/xplorer21.png ). After restarting Xplorer2 the situation repeats: when you enter the directory for the first time the first file is not hilited.

The first half of this is not a bug, it's standard behaviour (at least, it's what windows explorer does).  The key you're looking for to select it is [space].

Ironically, the second half of this (i.e. it selecting when you go up then down) really is a bug!  It should be focused but not selected after this operation, just like in the first screenshot (consider this a bug report).