Internet link to preview

[jacky]

Ok, this might sounds "weird" to some, hopefully not all , but something I'd like would be a way to have URLs not opened with the default browser, but within XY's preview.

For example, if I input on Go to or set a Catalog item with http:///www.xyplorer.com (note the 3 slashes!) then it would open the preview tab (Ctrl+Q) and open that URL inside XY's preview, just like if I was previewing a .url file pointing to that URL.
You could also say that, when clicking on a Catalog item thaty is an URL, if holding Ctrl (or Shift), it's done inside XY's preview instead of the browser.

To me, this could be usefull in cases like:
- you don't wanna open it with your browser cause it's slow to start, or have (a lot of) tabs that will be opened on startup, etc and you just wanna check one website quickly
- your default browser ain't IE or a shell, and for some reason you wanna browse a site with IE
- as a portability feature. Doesn't matter what is installed/set default on the PC you're working on (FF, Opera, Maxthon, etc) with this your URLs are opened quickly within XY (and since pretty much all PCs have IE installed, even when they don't use it, should work all the time)

[admin]

This sounds like a 4th Catalog action to me:
(1) go to it
(2) open it
(3) open selected items (with it)
(4) preview it

I like it, because the Catalog then could be used as an information store! Have some text files there, addresses, fotos, maps. And by a single click you see their contents in the preview, instantly!, because no browsing will happen! Or as a little music center...

The Item Properties would just need another checkbox "Preview on click", resp. I'd pack them all in one dropdown list (combobox): "On Click..." (1) Goto, (2) Open, (3) Preview.

Who likes it?

[serendipity]

Wow!! I vote for this feature too.

[graham]

me too - catalog is a very powerful feature - lots more to come from this

[j_c_hallgren]

Sounds interesting...but...bear with me...what would the current tab show in list and header while doing so for a URL?

And currently I can have a specific file in a catalog entry and when I click on that, it opens in preview, so how is this different? Maybe I'm not yet fully awake, but I don't get it...

[Linkaday]

At least three times: Yes, me!

In my library network all machines default not to IE, mostly to Netscape 7.1 - no rights to change anything. Agonizing slow on loading - about a minute just to preview a single file of associated formats. Office and text document formats configured to start the associated application and not to be opened in browser.

Meanwhile i am used to drag files of some formats to catalog items in XY on my stick - most of the time. But just not all of the time: with text files i still tend to go for XY's preview and - argh: about blank again!

I think PreviewOnClick in Item Properties would do for me - most of the time. But the combo box even more sounds of great promise to me. Portabilty as Jacky points out will be promoted either way.

To quote Randy Newman: You can leave your hat on - this man knows what file management is!
(Not to mention the teamers)

[jacky]

The Item Properties would just need another checkbox "Preview on click", resp. I'd pack them all in one dropdown list (combobox): "On Click..." (1) Goto, (2) Open, (3) Preview.

Who likes it?

Of course I do, I love it! But don't be shy, you could even put "Open Selected List Items" on that properties' combo box ! I know I have items on my Catalog I either drop files onto or Ctrl+Shift+Click.
The abilitiy to only click there to do the same would be nice, trust me

In the same way, I'd like to see the "scroll there" added as well (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Click). I've got a couple of items I mostly only use that way, so it'd be cool too. (And context menu allows to Go there when needed)

Sounds interesting...but...bear with me...what would the current tab show in list and header while doing so for a URL?

Exactly the same as before you clicked, whether you clicked an URL or anything else (picture, text file, MP3...) actually (I would think)

And currently I can have a specific file in a catalog entry and when I click on that, it opens in preview, so how is this different? Maybe I'm not yet fully awake, but I don't get it...

hmm no not really. You can click it and XY opens it (with associated app), or XY goes there and focus+select it.
True, if your panel is there it will then be previewed. The idea here is that the preview panel will be showed automatically regardless of its previous state, and the current location would not change.

[admin]

The Item Properties would just need another checkbox "Preview on click", resp. I'd pack them all in one dropdown list (combobox): "On Click..." (1) Goto, (2) Open, (3) Preview.

Who likes it?

Of course I do, I love it! But don't be shy, you could even put "Open Selected List Items" on that properties' combo box ! ...

Yes, I already decided about the little icon overlay colors for catalog items.
Goto: [none]
Open: green (as is know already)
Preview: blue
Open selected: red
Scroll to: --- hm, should I really do this?

All the rest you said: yes.