XYplorer 26.50 has been released on 07-Oct-2024. Here’s a quick introduction to the main new features:

• Folder Icons Based On Content
• Skip Custom Columns
• Many Other Improvements

• Folder Icons Based On Content. Now you can define a custom folder icon for branches that do not contain files, but may contain folders. This icon is used everywhere, in the folder tree, file list, all menus and drop-down lists, breadcrumb bars, address bar, etc., so you can immediately see if a folder is just an empty structure without any files.

  Custom file icons are defined under menu Tools | Customize File Icons... (Shift+Alt+F9). To define a custom folder icon for branches that do not contain files (but may contain folders) use the new /n switch (think "n" for "no files"):

  *\ /n><xypath>\XYicon_FolderGray.ico //matches all branches without files

  The above definition is predefined in a fresh installation. You just have to check the box in the list under Tools | Customize File Icons.... The XYicon_FolderGray.ico icon file is part of the release package. But of course you can use any icon file you like.

  Let's take a quick look at the syntax of the definition from left to right: *\ is a special wildcard that matches all folders (and no files). /n is the new "no files" switch. > is the mapping operator between the pattern and the icon to be used with all items matching the pattern. <xypath> is a predefined variable that resolves to the path of XYplorer.exe, where we know that the icon file XYicon_FolderGray.ico is located. Finally, after // there's a comment aka human-friendly information.

  This is what you'll see when you click Tools | Customize File Icons...:

  

  Defining custom file icons.

  Here's a screenshot showing how the gray icon stands out from the generic yellow ones and immediately tells you that you won't find any files in this folder:

  

  The gray icon gives it away: nothing in it.

  Note that the gray icon is also present in other parts of the interface, such as the address bar, the tab header, and the breadcrumb bar.

• Skip Custom Columns. Custom columns are often time-consuming, especially when scripts are involved. This new option allows you to temporarily disable them when the extra information is not needed.

  You find the new toggle in menu View | Columns | Skip Custom Columns and also in the context menu of any custom or special column header.

  Here are two views of the same listing, with and without the new skip:

  

  Skip off: All special property columns filled.

  

  Skip on: All special property columns skipped.

• Many Other Improvements. See change log (about 1.5 MB).