details pane

[nikos]

now that i've suspended development on crack tracker for a while, I started thinking about the trusty xplorer2 again

for the next version the big thing I am planning is a kind of details pane like the one you see below windows explorer, a kind of preview-cum-property page where additionally you can edit some of the properties directly

there will be the usual stuff like file dates and attributes and also things like ratings and comments. The tricky bit would be seeing different information for different types of files.

anyway what do you think and what would you suggest in this department?

[IneedHelp]

I'm already getting excited in my pants. Most of my suggestions about this should be here: Feature Request: Advanced Extended Preview Info Pane

[nikos]

i would prefer a single page (no tabs) that would get the most relevant information for each file type, e.g. if a picture show size, if a video show duration etc. The tricky bit is how do you specify which property to show for each file type?
Plan A hardcode everything (inflexible),
plan B allow users to choose (complex GUI & registry)

[IneedHelp]

i would prefer a single page (no tabs) that would get the most relevant information for each file

Sigh...

The tricky bit is how do you specify which property to show for each file type? Plan A hardcode everything (inflexible), plan B allow users to choose (complex GUI & registry)

Definitely Plan B:

[nikos]

i can't see how you are that excited from that file manager as it doesn't show any context relative file information. Where is the movie duration tab? It just put all the preview panes xplorer2 now has in tabbed format!

[IneedHelp]

Sorry, I'm not following you.

If you are referring to the above image, that's just an example screenshot from XYplorer demonstrating the way files are organized for preview.

But if you are talking about the preview pane of XYplorer vs. X2's, then how does this:

compare to this details-wise?:

[Brig]

A very cool idea. But I'm wondering where this pane would be. With my setup, I'm not sure where I'd want it or what I'd be willing to give up for it; my monitor isn't enormous, so screen real estate is valuable. Perhaps it could be a tab in the preview pane.



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[IneedHelp]

I don't think that this pane is something you should keep expanded all the time if you do not work at high resolutions or if you're not comfortable with a large xplorer window.

My personal preference would be to have this panel underneath everything else (that is, displayed under the status bar) and its width to be as long as the xplorer window. And of course, it should be expandable/collapsible.

[narayan]

I would rather like virtual folders. Couple that with offline browser feature, and you have a powerful combination.

****
All properties are already there in details view AND the columns are already selectable.

For documents, name, size, modified date, and created date columns are enough.

With photos, EXIF columns would be needed.
With music/videos, appropriate tag columns would be needed.

But all those columns are already available.

[Tuxman]

i can't see how you are that excited from that file manager as it doesn't show any context relative file information.

It was cheap when we bought it, that's all. *scnr*

[Kilmatead]

It was cheap when we bought it, that's all.

It's pretty good for being written in Visual Basic... it seems to excel in the things that Nikos dismisses as window dressing (graphical/display niceties).

[Tuxman]

It totally looks like Visual Basic, too. For some reasons, VB controls always look like VB controls. Not everyone likes it that much. However, it has many bells and whistles.

[IneedHelp]

But it lacks grouping and the developer doesn't even consider adding, which is absurd.

[Thracx]

A very cool idea. But I'm wondering where this pane would be. ...I'm not sure ...I'd want it...

I agree with Brig.  I probably wouldn't use such a pane, and would prefer to use Columns or the StatusBar to display the info I need.

That said, a fancy Details Pane might be a good thing for the future of X², i.e. it might appeal to a larger audience that the 4 or 8 of us who are very screen-space-sensitive and love using RegExps in our daily lives

While we're on the topic, my personal 2¢ would be to let users define custom Columns with the flexibility to even add Editable features (such as a IsReadOnly checkbox column).  I fully recognize that this isn't likely to be cost-effective or even feasible given X²'s existing infrastructure though


PS.  Definitely scratch Plan A, Plan B is significantly better!  Heck, if it ends up being super-customizable, then maybe Brig and myself will end up finding a use for it