How about a file viewer and editor?

[admin]

My view is short and sweet: I see and use XYplorer virtually as a file manager, not as a files' content manager. I do use XYplorer's 'Edit Script' window as a little text editor when fiddling with ASCII art, but that's about it. As much as I think that XYplorer should inherit features that are normally present in dedicated apps, read FTP, I am wary of XYplorer slowly transitioning into an All-In-One type of application. This would be something that I really would not like, because fans of dedicated apps would be saying "...but you don't have this feature and this isn't working in the same way..." and the like, so its a Pandora's Box that I'd rather remain closed. We have preview function, which is great. For anything else, not MasterCard , there are dedicated apps.

Thanks, this thread was really going out of hand...

Did I say or imply anywhere that I intend to make a TC clone? I certainly don't.

[mwb1100]

I think that editing a file is a common enough task that having some specific configuration to bind a key to launch an editor makes sense (and maybe a viewer, but I think an editor will suffice for most viewing purposes that aren't handled by the preview window).

However, general purpose editing is such a big topic in its own right, and users have widely varying ideas about how an editor should work (and users tend to be quite set in those ideas - moreso than for filemanagers, I think), and there are already a bazillion editors out there from nice, quick, free ones to big, complex, expensive ones that it makes little sense for XY to incorporate this function natively. Just default to opening the file in notepad.exe, and users who want something better can configure for another commandline to launch what they want.

As Jacky has mentioned, this is possibly today (is that true for the home version, too?), but it would be nice I think to have a dedicated configuration item for this since I think it's a very common need and probably shouldn't require a user to delve into something like scripting.

[j_c_hallgren]

However, general purpose editing is such a big topic in its own right, and users have widely varying ideas about how an editor should work (and users tend to be quite set in those ideas - moreso than for filemanagers, I think), and there are already a bazillion editors out there from nice, quick, free ones to big, complex, expensive ones that it makes little sense for XY to incorporate this function natively. Just default to opening the file in notepad.exe, and users who want something better can configure for another commandline to launch what they want.

I basically agree with this and zer0's opinion about Pandora's Box...even my old WinZip which has a basic built-in viewer has option to define where to find an external viewer that isn't the normal for that file type...and then that can be used as option when "view" is selected:

Win Zip -- View options

SS XY - 11-26-09.jpg (14.88 KiB) Viewed 3369 times

Having this type of setup seems quite common and thus being available in all variants of XY should give more flexability without having to re-invent the wheel (and given that some want chrome mag wheels, much less work! )...

I don't quite follow the need to have both an editor & viewer definition...are there really that many cases where a viewer other than the Preview in XY already isn't enough? However, based on looking at a couple of other pgms, having some sort of a optional command/parameter string associated with the editor seems necessary...and being able to optionally locate the desired EXE via browse appears to mandate a second entry box for any parms/cmd.

[zer0]

...if XY's preview could be "snapped out" and appear in a modal window, then that's something I'd give thumbs up to

[admin]

- The Viewer (F3) and Editor (F4) open selected files from the list, using different executables.
- Sth very special to both of them is some kinda program linkage. E.G I use TC's search feature (search in files/folder). It then shows it's search result in a file list popup. I now select the file I wanna view (all w/ keyboard) or edit (using F3 or F4) and just press F3 or CTRL-F to jump to the previously searched term. It then jumps to the line in that file and marks the search term. THATs NEAT!! Its so seamlessly streamlined
- And pressing Esc just immediately closes the Viewer again, letting me press arrow down to view & search the next listed file; it's just very fast viewing/editing w/o using mouse movement (which would slow down things A LOT, I cannot effort that in some situations (although I'm a mouse guy )

I probably did not get it but what you describe looks like totally standard behavior. You seem to describe working with windows and keyboard shortcuts. Every app can do that, and of course XY as well.

[ReviewPilot]

- The Viewer (F3) and Editor (F4) open selected files from the list, using different executables.
- Sth very special to both of them is some kinda program linkage. E.G I use TC's search feature (search in files/folder). It then shows it's search result in a file list popup. I now select the file I wanna view (all w/ keyboard) or edit (using F3 or F4) and just press F3 or CTRL-F to jump to the previously searched term. It then jumps to the line in that file and marks the search term. THATs NEAT!! Its so seamlessly streamlined
- And pressing Esc just immediately closes the Viewer again, letting me press arrow down to view & search the next listed file; it's just very fast viewing/editing w/o using mouse movement (which would slow down things A LOT, I cannot effort that in some situations (although I'm a mouse guy )

I probably did not get it but what you describe looks like totally standard behavior. You seem to describe working with windows and keyboard shortcuts. Every app can do that, and of course XY as well.

I agree to the dominant opinion here. as long as there are easy ways to add such features with sth like mwb1100 suggested. I understand that not everything can be built in to all extents.

Donald,
How would I bind an external viewer (let's say I take the viewer-exe from TC) so it grabs my search term and can use it on it's own?
And can I adjust XY to compare contents of folders or files in a way (w/o having to reselct the stuff for that program)?
I don't see aproblem binding any Program I want o open selected files, but I DO see a problem to integrate it in any way like I described in my post on last page. I won't repeat what I wrote there.
As I think you have read it, I think you believe it can be done with XY, as u say, so maybe you can give a link or small hint/or even an instruction?
I would be very happy about that.

[admin]

- The Viewer (F3) and Editor (F4) open selected files from the list, using different executables.
- Sth very special to both of them is some kinda program linkage. E.G I use TC's search feature (search in files/folder). It then shows it's search result in a file list popup. I now select the file I wanna view (all w/ keyboard) or edit (using F3 or F4) and just press F3 or CTRL-F to jump to the previously searched term. It then jumps to the line in that file and marks the search term. THATs NEAT!! Its so seamlessly streamlined
- And pressing Esc just immediately closes the Viewer again, letting me press arrow down to view & search the next listed file; it's just very fast viewing/editing w/o using mouse movement (which would slow down things A LOT, I cannot effort that in some situations (although I'm a mouse guy )

I probably did not get it but what you describe looks like totally standard behavior. You seem to describe working with windows and keyboard shortcuts. Every app can do that, and of course XY as well.

I agree to the dominant opinion here. as long as there are easy ways to add such features with sth like mwb1100 suggested. I understand that not everything can be built in to all extents.

Donald,
How would I bind an external viewer (let's say I take the viewer-exe from TC) so it grabs my search term and can use it on it's own?
And can I adjust XY to compare contents of folders or files in a way (w/o having to reselct the stuff for that program)?
I don't see aproblem binding any Program I want o open selected files, but I DO see a problem to integrate it in any way like I described in my post on last page. I won't repeat what I wrote there.
As I think you have read it, I think you believe it can be done with XY, as u say, so maybe you can give a link or small hint/or even an instruction?
I would be very happy about that.

As I said already there was probably a misunderstanding on my side. OTOH streamlining is my passion, and I personally don't miss a bit of streamlining in XY. Different work styles...

[ReviewPilot]

..Different work styles...

yepp, I guess so, too.

but anyhow, are there ways to give information to another program via any kinda bridge? I mean st. XY supports currently? Would be interesting ..

[JimW]

Just to make sure: Your F3 does open the same viewer app for each file type?

I assume you're referring to TC? If so then the answer is yes, it launches the internal file viewer (which is primarily designed for text files). TC can be configured to use a different --external -- viewer if you hit the F3 key.

[JimW]

But XY does all that already, pretty much.
XY does have a viewer actually, under File|Quick File View, great to read text files, and for binary files you get an hex view of its content. Although limited (to the first 32KB for binary files, and 256KB for text files IIRC), it still is quite useful and found to be enough most of the times for me.

I did see the the Quick View, but that's far from what I need. I often view files ten's of megabytes in size so limits -- and no find function -- are restrictions that really don't work for me.

Also, it is very easy to add a Quick File Edit feature using a simple script, for instance I use this : http://88.191.26.34/XYscripts/script/quick-file-edit
Very basic, but for quick editing of text files (config, log, etc) it's damn useful IMO.

Unfortunately I can't get that link to work, so I'm unable to see what you're referring to.

That's for internal stuff. Now if you want more, I'm not sure XY should provide it itself (after all, it is not an editor.. although often I wished the QFV offered a simple search function), but if you have a good editor that fits your need, you can use a UDC (menu User) or, indeed, the Portable Open with Menu to open whatever file you may come upon (you don't have to specify an extension, just use * for any & all files). Using the former, you can assign a KS so pressing F3 for example could always open the selected items with a predefined application.

For instance, I am an EditPad Pro user, and I have this PFA defined, so that I can open any file with it:

Code: Select all

|*>"..\EditPadPro\EditPadPro.exe"

And just in case, and to have a KS assigned to it, I also have an Open With UDC to achieve the same.

Code: Select all

"..\EditPadPro\EditPadPro.exe" <items>

What more do you want?

Perhaps nothing, because that might just do it. I went back to the FAQ to find out what UDC and KS meant and it appears as though this could be the functionality I seek. I'll have to play around with it before I know for certain, but it appears as though that might do it.

[JimW]

BTW, it just came to me that JimW maybe does not know about the Preview tab... maybe that's what he means by "viewer"?

I did see that one too, but it's a bit different then what I was looking for. Trust me, if you had to work with the size and complexity of the logs files I do you'd quickly realize that a viewer and/or editor has to have a lot of power to meet your needs.

[JimW]

Hey - an interface to define 3rd party programs
(Sorry - I had to say that )

I'll try to get serious again: I think it's not bad to give users some pre-defined solution for more or less common functions, instead of letting them learn to do this in a mor flexible, but complicated or complex way. Just as you said.
I think people looking for a new product will test and try it with easy-to-go functions - and when they decide for the product they (maybe) will learn about the more complex things - isn't it so?

There's some truth to that. I'm certainly not a "lite" user by any definition, which is why I'm looking at the more powerful file managers, but for the home user? New user? Yea, I can see it. Probably a good way to get more people to look at XY that way.

[JimW]

Well, we'll see. I'm not even sure what is expected since JimW never came back to answer the questions...

He's busy preparing for a business trip that will have him away from home for a week, so time was not something he had a lot of. But seriously... I did want to see how this was working out today, because all of next week I probably won't be in a position to do much on-line.

[JimW]

You may try "snippets" one-click solution for "F3 View" / "F4 Edit" as shown in "XYplorer behave NortonCommander"--thread ?

Thanks for the link - I'll look into those. Interesting coincidence... the program those scripts call is the UniversalViewer, which is what I use for viewing files too.

I think an tools-build-in solution would not be that great since there would be a lot of work to do to bring the functionality of that viewer/editor to an acceptable level.

I agree, at least for an editor. That's a very complex program, and it's not worth doing if the final product doesn't have the necessary power. Besides, there are a lot of very good freeware editors already available, so it might not make sense to invest the time. A viewer? That's a different story, because it would be easier to develop. But like editors there are a lot of good, free viewers around, so that might not be worth the time to develop either. A program like XY is very time consuming to update. Developing another program -- like a viewer -- would just add to that.

But i missed an "View/Edit" menu entry first too as i was new with XY. I was very wondered how to preview or edit an file in the first few days of using XY and feel very lost.

So i would suggest to deliver XY with such view/edit item with both link to notepad.exe as default and the user should be able to config the tool to use (like TC does):

In the back that could be still pre-configured UDCs
but linked in the "Edit" menu as "Edit > View" and "Edit > Modify" or like this.
And then deliver it with an default hotkey, smtg with "F3" to call the viewer and with "F4" to open the editor would make this perfect.

That's exactly the same feeling I had. You said it perfectly.

[j_c_hallgren]

I think an tools-build-in solution would not be that great since there would be a lot of work to do to bring the functionality of that viewer/editor to an acceptable level.

I agree, at least for an editor. That's a very complex program, and it's not worth doing if the final product doesn't have the necessary power. Besides, there are a lot of very good freeware editors already available, so it might not make sense to invest the time. A viewer? That's a different story, because it would be easier to develop. But like editors there are a lot of good, free viewers around, so that might not be worth the time to develop either. A program like XY is very time consuming to update. Developing another program -- like a viewer -- would just add to that.

Agree fully! I would suspect that 'power users' (or even normal users) already have their favorite viewer/editor(s) and if they are using another FM (like TC), then switching to XY could/would be much easier since they could maintain using some of what they are familar with.

And Don has enough to do already without having to code an editor that would be sufficient to keep users satisfied so just providing a built-in interface (in all vers, incl Home) with any needed parameters able to be passed would be a good solution to this issue...even if the underlying method used is a variant of a UDC which isn't part of Home but could be "hard-coded" for this usage if that makes it simpler.