New Columns

[admin]

I need names for the next two killer features. Both are new columns. The first are columns where the user attributes data to the files, the second are columns where the user retrieves data from the files.

1) The tagging system will be extended by 5 user-definable fields/columns. The user can freely name the columns and enter file-specific information into them (just like into the Tags and the Comments columns). So you have 5 more freely definable sortable data fields for all files on your system. How to call this feature? User Columns? Soft Columns? Extended Tags? Custom Tags? User Tags? User-Defined Tags?


2) Windows offers Extended Shell Properties (over 300 and rising) for each file, but most of those properties makes sense only for certain file types, or seen from the files: each file type will have rarely more than 20 of those fields actually filled with data, the rest are just empty. Now Windows offers these properties as columns. Obviously this approach is not really practical. You don't want to show 300 mostly empty columns. So I though about a solution and cam up with this: 5 (I like this number) User-Defined Context-Sensitive Columns (well, if you have a better word...). Similar to PFA the user can define a set of patterns to match, and then the info the column should display.

For example (rough, not final) for column #1:

Code: Select all

1:jpg;png;gif>dimension
1:wav;mp3>length

For example for column #2 (not that scripting will be supported!):

Code: Select all

2:jpg;png;gif>::(width * height) . " area"
2:wav;mp3>sample rate

I have several ideas for how to flexibly assign the column header caption, but this is not the place/time to go into this. The question again is: How to call this feature, respectively these columns?

[highend]

The features: User-Defined Columns

I'd summarize them under a single feature name.

The tags:
Extended Tags

Tags are already customizable by the user so it's time to give them a different and therefore "extended" name

Jm2c.

[FluxTorpedoe]

Sounds awesome!

1) Sticking with "Tags" in the name sounds sensible, so +1 for "Extended Tags", or "Extra Tags" if you want something shorter.

2) I'd definitely go with "Meta Columns" (or Metacolumns), mainly for semantic reasons, and also because it's short and easy to promote...

[binocular222]

Agree with Highend.
"User-Defined Columns" for the column
"Extended Tags" for the content displayed in those columns

[Nighted]

I concur with the above.

[Stefan]

If it is User-Defined, I would call it User-Defined.

So I think about 'User-Defined Columns', too,
but that would be the same abbreviation 'UDC' as 'User-Defined Commands'

So perhaps
User-Selected Columns - USC

or
Virtual User Columns - VUC


Or,
'custom' is often used, so:
Custom User Columns - CUC


- - -

User-Defined Tags - UDT
or
User-Selected Metadata - USM


Or, aren't that the same a 'File Info Tips'?
So perhaps
User-Selected FileInfo - USF


I think 'Extended' is just a buzz word and gives me no glue what's meant.

[admin]

1) I'm fine with Extended Tags.

2) About the other feature: yes, User-Defined Columns is probably the most natural idea (although we have UDC already, a pity).
Here are some more ideas: Programmable Columns, Context Sensitive Shell Columns. Well, not that good...

[j_c_hallgren]

2) About the other feature: yes, User-Defined Columns is probably the most natural idea (although we have UDC already, a pity).

But...given that the columns to be shown are picked from a list of the 300+- available ones, (right?), then they aren't really user defined but user Selected it would seem and that would avoid UDC collision.

[admin]

Not only selected, but also created. The new columns will support scripting, so you could e.g. have a column that detects Cyrillic in a filename and shows the filename transliterated into Latin.

[j_c_hallgren]

Not only selected, but also created. The new columns will support scripting, so you could e.g. have a column that detects Cyrillic in a filename and shows the filename transliterated into Latin.

Ok - that wasn't entirely clear before -- so then, I'd suggest User-Customized or User-Configured to have a unique abbrev code.

[admin]

Why not simply Custom Columns!?

[binocular222]

Flexible Column
(Flexible User Column maybe better but its abbr is FUC ... not nice)

[admin]

(Flexible User Column maybe better but its abbr is FUC ... not nice)

Hm, tempting...

[Regmos]

Why not simply Custom Columns!?

+1

Nice, catchy and makes perfect sense, when translated into danish

[40k]

I'd go for Custom Columns.
Fits in with Custom File Associations and Custom File Icons.