Edit program load

Features wanted...
graham
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Post by graham »

j_c_hallgren wrote:
graham wrote:
To really get XY on steroids why limit it to two options. The 'EDIT' tab could become a drop down list of available 'edit' programs.
Do you mean like "Open With" does now? It's not a drop-down list but a sub-menu, as I understand the terminology...and how would that be then invokable by a single KS?

That's my question, too. I've already built in the mechanics but I'm still in doubt about the interface.
As, is my viewpoint, I can enjoy the simplistic vision which satisfies my one dimensional requirements. These things become complex once it becomes multi-dimensional to meet other users needs and XY design structure. I apologise if my wish creates work and mind-puzzles but on the other hand this is what XY is all about - providing more than just the same as every other file manager.


In my case I am predominately a mouse user and thus I think along these lines and conveniently miss out the complexity of key use or indeed XY menu structure.

The basic concept of being able to 'edit' a file using different programs is power to any user who recognises that not all programs are equal. Even XY is not immune in this respect and just recently I read in the forum how users compare file managers and must,presumably, have them available for special needs.

As to my basic thoughts about Don's response.

Clearly the LM File Preferences is ideal for setting program options along the lines use described -intuitively simple.
Could it be the Edit menu be used instead of File Menu?
For mouse use the inclusion of a Toolbar button or Tab in the Info Panel (only visible if the file in question has more than one association). Either way, for multi choices a drop down list for selection.
For Edit menu - an item called 'Edit With' similar to 'New Items'
For UDC - a new item 'Edit With'

I am not always in favour of too many user KS unless one has a good memory or they are used for frequent operations. To me, it seems better for infrequent ops to be directed using menus as these can provide multi-layer options. So in this respect I would consider the need to choose an optional 'edit' program a non-frequent occurrence and unlikely to require a dedicated KS but is still available from the menu or tool bar.

Hope this helps, unfortunately I am still learning my way round XY and inevitably what to me appears simple has knock-on effects. I do hope there is a simple solution. Incidentally, I do not consider this a priority need compared with Undo and Scripting as these offer far more functionality to XY but I do see that more and more people will use a variety of programs that do things better for specific needs. Think digital raw processing where no program can do all that is needed and at present plug-ins fill the gap - badly.

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Post by admin »

graham wrote:
j_c_hallgren wrote:
graham wrote:
To really get XY on steroids why limit it to two options. The 'EDIT' tab could become a drop down list of available 'edit' programs.
Do you mean like "Open With" does now? It's not a drop-down list but a sub-menu, as I understand the terminology...and how would that be then invokable by a single KS?

That's my question, too. I've already built in the mechanics but I'm still in doubt about the interface.
As, is my viewpoint, I can enjoy the simplistic vision which satisfies my one dimensional requirements. These things become complex once it becomes multi-dimensional to meet other users needs and XY design structure. I apologise if my wish creates work and mind-puzzles but on the other hand this is what XY is all about - providing more than just the same as every other file manager.


In my case I am predominately a mouse user and thus I think along these lines and conveniently miss out the complexity of key use or indeed XY menu structure.

The basic concept of being able to 'edit' a file using different programs is power to any user who recognises that not all programs are equal. Even XY is not immune in this respect and just recently I read in the forum how users compare file managers and must,presumably, have them available for special needs.

As to my basic thoughts about Don's response.

Clearly the LM File Preferences is ideal for setting program options along the lines use described -intuitively simple.
Could it be the Edit menu be used instead of File Menu?
For mouse use the inclusion of a Toolbar button or Tab in the Info Panel (only visible if the file in question has more than one association). Either way, for multi choices a drop down list for selection.
For Edit menu - an item called 'Edit With' similar to 'New Items'
For UDC - a new item 'Edit With'

I am not always in favour of too many user KS unless one has a good memory or they are used for frequent operations. To me, it seems better for infrequent ops to be directed using menus as these can provide multi-layer options. So in this respect I would consider the need to choose an optional 'edit' program a non-frequent occurrence and unlikely to require a dedicated KS but is still available from the menu or tool bar.

Hope this helps, unfortunately I am still learning my way round XY and inevitably what to me appears simple has knock-on effects. I do hope there is a simple solution. Incidentally, I do not consider this a priority need compared with Undo and Scripting as these offer far more functionality to XY but I do see that more and more people will use a variety of programs that do things better for specific needs. Think digital raw processing where no program can do all that is needed and at present plug-ins fill the gap - badly.
I thought about it this afternoon while crossing the Rhine and I still thought about it while crossing back. Result: I'm not sure if a distinction between "open" and "edit" does really serve the purpose in the long run. What most people would be happy with, however, would be a simple Open With menu (with menu icons even, like the drives menu, or new items menu).
Probably that's exactly what you are talking about in the quote above. I did not read it very intensely... I only read posts < 10 lines. :P

So, yes: I think it would be a nice and also popular enhancement to have a Portable Open With menu, that's fed by the Portable File Associations (PFA -- I decided to use this term from now on XY's file associations, to distinguish them from the OS file associations) we already have since long; fed depending on the extension of the currently focused file!

The Portable Open With menu could reside:
- in a TB button
- in the right-click file context menu
- in the list's white space context menu
- in the File menu (KS accessible)
In all or some of these options.

j_c_hallgren
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Post by j_c_hallgren »

graham wrote:In my case I am predominately a mouse user and thus I think along these lines and conveniently miss out the complexity of key use or indeed XY menu structure.
I'm a touchpad user so I can relate somewhat, though some functions that are easy/quick on mouse are not always such on touchpad setup...so the XY menu layout for me makes a difference as that's typically how I access various functions.
graham wrote:I am not always in favour of too many user KS unless one has a good memory or they are used for frequent operations. To me, it seems better for infrequent ops to be directed using menus as these can provide multi-layer options. So in this respect I would consider the need to choose an optional 'edit' program a non-frequent occurrence and unlikely to require a dedicated KS but is still available from the menu or tool bar.
I'd definitely agree about the KS! I don't use that many and thus having them simple is my best option...

Now as to the edit program: I quite often would like to either view or edit a file that needs different modules for each function, so having a way to invoke a simple edit function quicker and easier than the present right-click + nested OS "Open With", such as 'somekey'+ENTER or 'somekey'+Dbl-click would/should be very useful to me...having a way to do so via menu would be ok as backup for when I'm tired and forgot the KS! And using the present OS method when I've got a handful of choices isn't all that bad, just would like to have one that I can get to directly.

You made a number of other good points in your post, IMO, and it's all of us with different usage methods that makes XY so good, as it doesn't get skewed just towards one way of usage.
Still spending WAY TOO much time here! But it's such a pleasure helping XY be a treasure!
(XP on laptop with touchpad and thus NO mouse!) Using latest beta vers when possible.

graham
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Location: Isle of Man

Post by graham »

admin wrote:
So, yes: I think it would be a nice and also popular enhancement to have a Portable Open With menu, that's fed by the Portable File Associations
Great! Does the job and simple
Not sure about the term 'Portable' - understand why as it is specific to XY PFA
Can't think of another term though -

try - Open With (OS)
Open With (MY)

and MYFA

(< 10 lines to get your attention) :lol:

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Post by admin »

graham wrote:admin wrote:
So, yes: I think it would be a nice and also popular enhancement to have a Portable Open With menu, that's fed by the Portable File Associations
Great! Does the job and simple
Not sure about the term 'Portable' - understand why as it is specific to XY PFA
Can't think of another term though -

try - Open With (OS)
Open With (MY)

and MYFA

(< 10 lines to get your attention) :lol:
"Portable Open With menu" was misleading. I meant portable Open With menu. The "portable" was not part of the label.

What's MYFA ??

graham
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Post by graham »

admin wrote:
What's MYFA ??
OK, My twisted thinking. I presumed portable was a new term you coined to describe file associations (PFA) that were user specified in XY and thus portable unlike registry based file associations.

I also assumed you might have in the drop down menu terms Open With and Open Portable or some such. So I suggested Open My as a replacement which also means rename PFA to MY file associations (MYFA).

It was intended to get a terse reaction as I personally hate the MS use of the word MY as in documents etc. and thought you would explode! The next logical follow on being XY to replace MY.

Obviously, no need, you can just append the XY derived file associations, should have thought of that.

Perhaps it was a terse reply 'What's MYFA ??' but not as expected :cry:

I'll just wait for scripting and shut up having nuked my system!

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Post by admin »

graham wrote:admin wrote:
What's MYFA ??
OK, My twisted thinking. I presumed portable was a new term you coined to describe file associations (PFA) that were user specified in XY and thus portable unlike registry based file associations.

I also assumed you might have in the drop down menu terms Open With and Open Portable or some such. So I suggested Open My as a replacement which also means rename PFA to MY file associations (MYFA).

It was intended to get a terse reaction as I personally hate the MS use of the word MY as in documents etc. and thought you would explode! The next logical follow on being XY to replace MY.

Obviously, no need, you can just append the XY derived file associations, should have thought of that.

Perhaps it was a terse reply 'What's MYFA ??' but not as expected :cry:

I'll just wait for scripting and shut up having nuked my system!
Ah, okay. I finally understand the meaning of the word "twisted". :lol:

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