••• Session Manager Missing Manual – Misc •••
HOW TO RUN
• Session Manager can be used:
— via its main menu:
› by clicking on its toolbar icon
› by clicking on its toolbar icon while pressing a
modifier (Ctrl/Alt/Shift)
— via an external run of one of its commands, from XYplorer’s:
› catalog
› custom keyboard shortcut (CKS)
› custom toolbar button (CTB)
› user defined command (UDC)
› another script
› etc. (anywhere in XY where a script can be run)
»»» List of
modifiers and
commands in SM’s menu
"Options | Display Commands…"
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DEFINITONS
• A standard
Session is a
“pack” of what you see on screen
It
stores, then restores when loaded:
— the
tabsets, i.e. the list of tabs showing your folders (whether you’re in Single or Dual Pane)
— and, optionnally and independantly:
› the
layout, i.e. the visual interface of XYplorer (visibility of Single or Dual Pane, tree, preview…)
› the toolbar
› a script
• A
Temporary Session is a
unique autonamed standard session:
— saved quickly: via SM’s main menu, or external command
— named automatically: as "— Temporary Session —" (may vary depending on your language)
— listed separately at the bottom of the session list
— supports all attributes of standard sessions (layout, Autosave…)
•
Quick Sessions are
unlimited autonamed standard sessions:
— only saved externally: via
Shift+Click on SM’s button, or external command
— named automatically: based on time and active tab folder name
— listed separately at the end of the session list
— supports all attributes of standard sessions (layout, Autosave…)
»»» Difference with Temporary Session:
+:unlimited ,
-:less identifiable ,
~:only external run
•
Autosave is a feature that
remembers the last state of a single chosen session (of any kind):
— when switching from another session to the session with Autosave, its latest state is loaded with the session exactly where and how it was last used;
whereas when switching between other sessions, it’s their user-saved state that is loaded, regardless of how it’s been used in the meantime
— session with Autosave can be reset to its original state at any time (menu
"Reset to Original Session")
— Autosave can be assigned to another session at any time (previous session with Autosave will be reset to its original state),
by loading the new desired session, then menu
"Reset Autosave to Current Session"
»»» Enable Autosave in menu
"Options | Enable Autosave…"
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SUGGESTED BASIC USE
• Concept:
Define a default/favorite session and set it to autosave; define a default layout;
create other sessions to your taste, with or without layout, and enjoy!
»»» Now, work and switch between your sessions:
Each time you’ll load your favorite “default” session (e.g. via Alt+Ctrl+Click), SM will resume with things exactly how and where you’ve left them!
And when it’s becoming too messed-up, just reset it to its original state (Alt+Click, or menu "Reset…")
• How-to:
— Adjust your tabsets (folders, view type, sort…) to your most regular/favorite content, then save session as e.g. "Default", and place it first in list
› menu
"Options | Reorder List of Sessions" > Erase everything and leave only "Default", it will be listed first, on top of all other sessions listed alpabetically below a separator
— Assign Autosave to "Default" session
› make sure "Default" session is loaded, then
menu
"Options | Enable Autosave…"
or menu
"Reset Autosave to Current Session" if already enabled for another session
— Set session as “favorite” so that later you can load it faster by
Ctrl+Alt + Click on SM’s button
› make sure "Default" session is loaded, then
Ctrl+Alt+Shift + Click on SM’s main button
— Adjust your layout according to your favorite state, then define as default
› menu
"Layout Tools | Update Default Layout"
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EXAMPLES
// Writing in progress… To be replaced by much more evocative screenshots!!! (one day…)
— “
Default” session with Autosave assigned: listing your favorite folders (default layout used automatically)
— “
Project” session: listing only specific folders related to your project in one or two panes
— “
Photos” session with layout: single pane listing all your photo folders opened in separate tabs with thumbnails view, other pane hidden, tree and catalog hidden (to save space), and Preview opened and maximized
— “
Movies” or “
Posters” sessions with layout: idem, maximize preview and minimize the rest
— “
Backup” session: full layout listing your usual
source folders in one pane, and your
destination folders in the other
— “
Sandboxie” session:
real "%program…%" and "%user…%" locations in one pane, and
corresponding sandboxed ones in the other
— “
Ebooks/Musical Scores” session with layout: Ultra-maximized layout with only one pane and tree, and maximized/enlarged preview, no menu, no tabs (one ), no catalog, addressbar next to toolbar…
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MENTION OF GOOD PRACTICE
»»» Session Manager only edits its own files, either its own INI or its own tabsets
»»» Precisely, Session Manager has only 2 kinds of write operations:
• it directly edits only 1 file:
— its own SessionManager.ini
• it sends only 1 set of file-tampering commands to XY:
— save/rename/delete of its own tabsets (named "§1§…" and "§2§…")
› all this is managed directly by XYplorer itself
(in xydata obviously since tabsets are saved in "Data\Panes" by default)