Paper Folders

[Robbson]

I haven't tried the Paper Folder feature in the Beta yet but I'm trying to understand what could be possible using it.

I wonder if this could be useful for a presentation or something like this. If XY could "playback" a paper folder from the very beginning file by file you could present any kind of data without switching trough the programs and folders yourself.
So XY could open some PDF slides, play a video, list files of a folder location, open a specific tool, etc. in a predefined sequence.

In case of executable programs: Are command line arguments also allowed in an entry of a paper folder?

Thanks,
Robbson

[nerdweed]

Should I wait for the dust to settle down, I guess no.

How I would like to see Paper Folder and what is required to achieve it

paper:Demo
D:\Demo\
D:\Demonstration\Sample
D:\Readme.txt

1. For it to be treated as a VFO, show in groups is a must. As I see it, it can be treated as a selective branch view. However; this view should show the folder name in a row rather than in a column for each of its items. Yes, the Group View
2. After the Paper Folder is opened, it should allow actual copy/paste to the contents of the Paper Folder as well. Lets say with Ctrl+V on the the group D:\Demo should do an actual paste in D:\Demo. And a Ctrl+Shift+V should add it as an item to the Paper folder
3. Similary Delete to delete the actual file and Ctrl+Delete to exclude it from the paper folder. This is easily possible with CKS
4. If I navigate to subfolder of D:\Demo or Demonstration, the BC Bar should show paper:Demo\Demo\<subfolder> rather than D:\Demo\<subfolder>

[binocular222]

IMO, this approach is no worse than Paper:
- Label any item as "Paper"
- Having a Tab pointing to "Computer?:lbl:Paper"
IMO, this approach is even better because Paper is static (not reflect file rename).
I wish Label/Tag can auto-save as Paper does

[Enternal]

Why so complicated?

I simply have a catalog item pointing to this location: paper:Stuff Then I drop my stuff onto it. When I want to see the list I click the item. (Have a locked tab to that item and it will be openend automatically.)

Complications are like spices. Just a good amount and it can be wonderful. Your method works too but it's like boiled turkey for breakfast. Edible but boring.
(Although I did have it setup that way. I am just mimicking something I saw in another file manager that I thought is kind of nice.)

@Enternal, there's get("tabs",,a) and get("tabs",,i) which will return tab paths, but the required tab will have PaperScrap in path too.

Oh! That would simplify the code a bit more! Thanks! I completely overlooked that.

@ binocular222
That's how I had my SelectionStore script worked as. However, Papers is static and that can be a feature by itself. Also, Papers is a nice thing because now you don't need to mess with labels which can get out of hands at times. With Papers, all you have it a portable container that contains links to files/folders but also has the ability for you to act upon it. Simple yet effective and because of its simplicity, it's much faster than when I was using labels. You can try something like do a search for *.dll and *.exe for the entire system. Switch tabs from the search results and back -> XYplorer will try to do the search again. Label those files and then switch tabs and back -> faster but there's still some lag. Using Papers -> very fast since XYplorer merely displays whatever is in the container.

[nerdweed]

PFAllowZombies=1

Can you please expose this to the undocumented tweak command. Sometimes undead are good and at times you need to heal them.

[nerdweed]

Also the SC PaperFolder in the append mode doesn't check if the item already exists in the PaperFolder.

[yusef88]

can make a dynamic paper folder form favorites?

[neil9090]

Wishlist items;
Sub Folders with items within the "Paper" folder are not listed in the popout list under "Paper >", would be nice!

But what should happen when you click such a folder? You don't want to go down into the the app data folder to the PF source files, right?

I expected the sub folder to show (probably un-clickable) but the items within that sub folder to popout of that tree i.e. sub tree items...?
i.e.
Animals>Cats>Moggy
Animals>Cats>Spot
Animals>Dogs>Brutus
Real Folders of Animals\Dogs, Animals\Cats

Ability to lock/prevent the removal of items from the list.
i.e. on a portable installation items may not always be available due to run location e.g. using network devices that are not always on, running from a different machine.

Perhaps have a clean up feature to remove unwanted/orphan items in the Paper Folder file for end user to action.
You could even have Stats: 3 items unavailable, click here to clean this paper folder now

Excellent new feature. Just trying to work out how best to use it..

I made some experiments with this during development, but it's not good. XY is not made to show non-existing items in the list. This would mean some deep restructuring.

I added an unofficial/undoc tweak anyway (next beta) to let you have some fun:

Code: Select all

PFAllowZombies=1

Making the paper folder file readonly could be a way to prevent files from being removed, but I was getting access denied (can't think why!)
But it did stop the removal of the orphaned/offline files...

[binocular222]

Switch tabs from the search results and back -> XYplorer will try to do the search again. Label those files and then switch tabs and back -> faster but there's still some lag

Config > Find files & Branch view > Cache search results

[Stef123]

IMO, this approach is no worse than Paper:
- Label any item as "Paper"
- Having a Tab pointing to "Computer?:lbl:Paper"
IMO, this approach is even better because Paper is static (not reflect file rename).

When I asked for this feature, the main objectives were
a) drag & drop
b) live view/update WHILE collecting (in real time + at one glance)

Quoting from my first thread:

What I have in mind is the simple handling of other file managers, where you just drag and drop stuff into the other pane (or tab)...
What you see is what you have. In full view while you're collecting (in dual pane). Sort your collection as it grows - in real time - very easy to keep track of what you're doing.

I did not request to remove labels. Nor do I mean to denigrate labels. They have their use as a tagging feature. But when it comes to collecting stuff, I found them less intuitive, less comfortable, less efficient. They eat up more time and mental overhead than the features I had come to cherish in other managers.

XY has caught up with the rest. PF can do things I didn't even dream of when I asked for it. The air is getting thin for other file managers. Very thin.

[LittleBiG]

I think the paperfolder("mypaper",,,"d"); command should delete the whole content of the paper folder. Just to keep it straightforward.

[LittleBiG]

Code: Select all

The objective was maximum integration of Paper Folders. Ideally they
      should work just like normal folders.

I hope scripting commands will handle paper folders soon. (for example listfolder and folderreport)

[admin]

I think the paperfolder("mypaper",,,"d"); command should delete the whole content of the paper folder. Just to keep it straightforward.

Yep, good.

[admin]

Code: Select all

The objective was maximum integration of Paper Folders. Ideally they
      should work just like normal folders.

I hope scripting commands will handle paper folders soon. (for example listfolder and folderreport)

Me too. listfolder will come soon...

[admin]

Also the SC PaperFolder in the append mode doesn't check if the item already exists in the PaperFolder.

Yes, should be fixed now.