First wish

alpha · Post by **alpha** » 23 Dec 2006 23:34

Hello

I've just started using xyplorer. I have a wish already.

I would like to be able to assign a shortcut key to a category that would allow me to cycle round the items that belong to that category. This allows me to quickly get to the folders that I am currently visiting the most. The tree pane, the category pane and the content pane would all update as the items are stepped through. Failing being able to assign a shortcut key, how about having a default category called "hotlist" (yes I know this conflicts with the existing hotlist) that has a fixed shortcut key assigned to it - or even just let the user create a category called hotlist if he chooses and xyplorer associates a fixed shortcut key to it.

Actually I have another wish - I would like the content pane to update when up arrow/ down arrow are used in the category window.

Also, there may be an issue with how a folder is filtered when it's selected through the category window - currently I'm finding that if I have a tab locked to a folder with filtering of say *.pdf and another tab for that folder with no filtering, when I select that folder through the category window, sometimes it shows the filtered version and sometimes not - so if it's not already possible, I would like to be able to set the filtering for a category item.

Thanks

alpha

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 23 Dec 2006 23:57

Welcome to world of XY! Wanted to give you a quick reply to help if possible...
But I'm a bit confused by some of your terminology: "category pane" and "content pane" and "category window"?
There is the 'Tree' on left, the 'Catalog' at lower left, the 'List' at right, and the 'Info Panel' at lower right, in most configurations...so when you say category pane, might you mean the Catalog? In which a category may be an entry, as well as other entries...And content pane may be? Also category window is?

BTW, customizable shortcut keys is high on the list of features that are coming in 2007...that is, assuming what you want to shortcut can be done via existing key combo's...

Also, when one moves up/down in the Catalog by arrows, you must hit Enter to show that selected folder in the List...or double click on it..

alpha · Post by **alpha** » 24 Dec 2006 00:16

ok, well what you call the List I call the content pane coz it shows the content of a folder, whereas lists appear all over the place. What you call the Tree I call the tree pane for the same reason. I got mixed up on Category and Catalog. What you call Catalog I referred to as category pane and category window - I'm not sure I know what a catalog is so I think I'll just call it the Category pane from now on...

Cheers
alpha

alpha · Post by **alpha** » 24 Dec 2006 00:22

j_c_hallgren wrote:Also, when one moves up/down in the Catalog by arrows, you must hit Enter to show that selected folder in the List...or double click on it..

Yes I know, that's why I asked for the content pane to update automatically as it does when you move up and down the tree in the tree pane with up/down arrow.

alpha

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 24 Dec 2006 01:03

alpha wrote:ok, well what you call the List I call the content pane coz it shows the content of a folder, whereas lists appear all over the place.
- I'm not sure I know what a catalog is so I think I'll just call it the Category pane from now on...

Part of the problem we ALL have with getting used to a new product is the terminology!

However, you'll likely find that you may get better answers here by using XY terminology if/when possible...
I'll admit that I don't do so 100% either, but try to...
FYI: The List may contain things other than folders, like when you are viewing "My Computer", it shows drives...
And when I first read your post, to me, "content pane" could have been the Info Panel, as it actually shows the contents of a file in Preview/Raw View tabs...so I'd suggest attempting to call the List that...

The Catalog is what shows (or not) when one use F8...
Have you looked at the wiki? http://88.191.26.34/XYwiki/index.php/Catalog
Gives what I think is a very good description of it...

Also, having the list update automatically might be nice, but it would cause a fair amount of overhead when I'm just moving up/down in the Catalog to get to the desired entry...so having to hit Enter or dbl-click makes up for that, IMHO....Maybe there could be some other way to do it in future? Like using the right-arrow to cause List to match Catalog...

And please don't feel that I'm picking on you, ok?

I'm just tryng to help when I can, as a fellow user...

jacky · Post by **jacky** » 24 Dec 2006 01:57

Hello alpha,

I see jc already gave some answers, so I'll just add a bit. First of all, to correct a bit, you don't need to dbl-click on a Catalog Item, a single click is enough to go there/etc. Catalog items are one-click actions!

Regarding the keyboard shortcut to browse though a Category, might be an interresting idea, but it will be up to Don to decide I think.

alpha wrote:Also, there may be an issue with how a folder is filtered when it's selected through the category window - currently I'm finding that if I have a tab locked to a folder with filtering of say *.pdf and another tab for that folder with no filtering, when I select that folder through the category window, sometimes it shows the filtered version and sometimes not - so if it's not already possible, I would like to be able to set the filtering for a category item.

Not sure I understood exactly how you do this, but XY always works the same when you click on a Catalog item, and in your case that means it will activate the first tab he finds on the desired location, and if there are no tab on that location he'll change location of the current tab (if locked, then open a new tab or use default tab if you have one)
I'm not sure in what order tabs are checked, but i think it's from left to right, so if you have 2 tabs on the same folder, the one that will be activated in the one most on the left.

Also, when a tab's location is changed the current Visual Filter is NOT affected, ie it stays as it is. So if you're on a tab with a VF set to *.pdf and click a Catalgo item that changes that tab's location, the VF will stay to *.pdf as it was before, only location is changed.
Note that you can however (un)set VF through Catalog items using the separator pipe ( | ), you'll find more on how this works on the wiki.

alpha · Post by **alpha** » 24 Dec 2006 03:18

Hmm, ok, I have to change my wish a little bit. I would like a shortcut key (Ctrl F8 would be good) that takes the focus to the catalog pane if it's not already there and if the focus is already there, then Ctrl F8 would cycle round the current Category items and actually show them in the List and if Ctrl F8 is pressed and the List isn't currently showing the selected item, it would show that item rather than step to the next item in the list.

Perhaps the updating of the List when up/down arrow are used in the Catalog pane could be a config option and/or Ctrl up/down would update and up/down not.

I think there's a problem with which tab gets chosen when you select a category item - I'll post a bug msg for that to make sure it gets noticed.

Thanks
alpha

alpha · Post by **alpha** » 26 Dec 2006 01:41

I'm gonna change this wish again.

Ctrl-F8 should put the focus on the Catalog pane if not already but I don't need it to cycle round the category items as long as the List pane updates with up arrow/down arrow (any reason not to?) and left arrow should collapse the category when it's on any category item rather than only when it's on the category name.

alpha

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 26 Dec 2006 02:22

alpha wrote:left arrow should collapse the category when it's on any category item rather than only when it's on the category name.

A more logical option, IMHO, would be to move the selection "up" to the category level on left arrow....(given that a left arrow in tree moves up to next higher level in most cases)...then using a second left arrow, the category would collapse by that usage.

alpha wrote:Ctrl-F8 should put the focus on the Catalog pane if not already

I don't see any downsides in this...and it might speed up user access to Catalog by a keystoke or two...

RalphM · Post by **RalphM** » 26 Dec 2006 13:05

Please keep in mind that the catalog is able to hold direct links, which open the file they point to in the associated app.
I certainly don't want those to open just by browsing through my catalog using up and down arrows.
There should definitely be the distinction between focussing and selecting an item of the catalog IMO, so I'm quite happy with the current implementation.

alpha · Post by **alpha** » 26 Dec 2006 14:15

RalphM wrote:Please keep in mind that the catalog is able to hold direct links, which open the file they point to in the associated app.
I certainly don't want those to open just by browsing through my catalog using up and down arrows.
There should definitely be the distinction between focussing and selecting an item of the catalog IMO, so I'm quite happy with the current implementation.

Yes, I'm well aware the catalog is able to hold direct links and when you press Return on them, they don't affect what shows in the List pane so it's a simple matter for up arrow/ down arrow to not react to those kind of items - xyplorer already knows the difference.

alpha

jacky · Post by **jacky** » 27 Dec 2006 16:32

alpha wrote:the List pane updates with up arrow/down arrow (any reason not to?)

I honestly don't think it would be such a good idea. I can understand how one could want to easilly be able to browse to a few locations over & over, but I don't think the Catalog should work any differently.

Yes in your case having items being triggered while using Up/Down arrows on Catalog would be nice, but to me it sounds very unnatural. And think about all the key-guys would want to browse down in their Catalog to trigger one item, and don't want all in-between items to be triggered!!

Besides, as mentionned, not all Catalog items affect the List. You said:

they don't affect what shows in the List pane so it's a simple matter for up arrow/ down arrow to not react to those kind of items - xyplorer already knows the difference

But I don't think this statement is entirelly true. See, yes an item with location will affect the List, a Name Search also, and a VF can aswell. But those could affect the current tab, or jump to another already opened tab, or even create a new tab, depending on different configuration settings & the current "workspace" XY in on (tabs opened, etc) so it might not be that easy to tell which would affect the List, or the current List that is.
Besides, why would the same action made by the user (using Up/Down keys) have different results on Catalog items, this could be a bit confusing I guess.

In a way, the Catalog is a favorite pane. Could you imagine opening your Favorites menu/whatever in your Internet Browser, and every time you use Up/Down keys to browse though it would actually open the link!! I don't think this behavior would be appreciated by most, and again, doesn't seem so "natural" to me.

Maybe having another way to do that could be better, for example using Up/Down keys while holding Shift would then trigger all items that gets focused. Would work the way you want to, but the holding Shift part is there so you have to say you want all items to be triggered... ?

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