Resizable Selectable Areas

[warrenrh]

I'm a new user XYplorer. Perhaps these wishes will be considered for your future "GUI polishing". I've been looking at the "Window" menu system options.

I do like the ability, as is currently done to be able to show or not show the various window components. But I would like the various major Window components to be re sizable and independently selectable without some of the current dependencies. For instance:

Currently, it seems to me that the "Navigation Panel" is comprised of two major components. The Tree View, and the Catalog. If you unselect the "Navigation Panel" the Catalog will disappear from view, as well. It makes more sense to me to remove the idea of a Navigation Panel, and just have an Independent "Tree View" area, and an independent "Catalog".

I think it would be really neat to have the Catalog being displayed in a List type of view, like Files can optionally be displayed -- Wrapping, Multiple Columns. Especially if I could myself, make the Catalog area wider by resizing it.

You seem to have lots of options related to the Info Panel. It would seem simpler to me, if I could just resize this area myself, instead of having to have a menu option to choose the area. I envision resizing the Catalog area into where the Files and Info Panel are shown.

Having an option to turn off the display of the File area might also be useful. For instance I might just run an instance of XYplorer with Only the Catalog shown (perhaps just to launch programs).

[j_c_hallgren]

If you unselect the "Navigation Panel" the Catalog will disappear from view, as well. It makes more sense to me to remove the idea of a Navigation Panel, and just have an Independent "Tree View" area, and an independent "Catalog".

Hi and welcome to the world of XY and the forums!

This topic was discussed at least once before some time ago...I did a search and managed to find this thread:
http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?t=1493
I had posted to that thead so that's part of reason I was able to find it.

Now that the Catalog has SO many possible options and uses, I think having this ability as well should be considered, given that once a person has fully configured their Catalog, their need to see the Tree constantly may be quite reduced, and the screen space would better be served by not showing it, if that was users desire...

And as far as width of Nav Panel, you can at least resize it somewhat by dragging divider left/right...the split point between Tree and Catalog can likewise be moved up/down...I presume you were aware of this?
This should/might somewhat solve the problem for now as one could reduce the tree portion to a very minimal size, and use most of the space for Catalog.

For me, I use the toolbar icons to toggle wide IP and/or hide Nav Panel for those rare times when I need to.

[warrenrh]

Nice discussion. Thanks.

[lukescammell]

I'd like to have the catalogue separated from the tree as well. It's one of XYplorer's "notable" features, yet from the GUI point of view it's lumped in with the ages old tree.

If you really want to go to town you could make the catalogue possible to completely separate from XY (as in a separate window) and make it so it could be docked to the edges of the screen. That would give you a nice way to launch programs.....

[warrenrh]

lukescammell -- I certainly agree with you.

One of the chief problems I see with the Catalog, is the ability to size it, and place it where I would like it to be. it is constrained being somewhat attached to the Treeview.

[JustinF]

I'd like to have the catalogue separated from the tree as well. It's one of XYplorer's "notable" features, yet from the GUI point of view it's lumped in with the ages old tree.

If you really want to go to town you could make the catalogue possible to completely separate from XY (as in a separate window) and make it so it could be docked to the edges of the screen. That would give you a nice way to launch programs.....

I've always thought that it would be VERY handy to (at a minimum) have the ability to pin/unpin the tree and catalog to the edge of the window as separate entities. Doing this gives you two nice benefits:

• -You'd be able to have the file listing take up the whole window, yet still have easy access to the tree and catalog

• -The tree and catalog would be able to be focused independently. I'd like to have my catalog take up more vertical screen space, but because doing that eats into the tree's vertical space I cannot. Using some sort of docking mechanism could eliminate that deficiency.

My .02

[j_c_hallgren]

I've always thought that it would be VERY handy to (at a minimum) have the ability to pin/unpin the tree and catalog to the edge of the window as separate entities.

I believe I follow what you mean but could you be a bit more descriptive to make sure? Is there another commonly known product of any type that has similar features, which we could use as a discussion reference?

[JustinF]

I've always thought that it would be VERY handy to (at a minimum) have the ability to pin/unpin the tree and catalog to the edge of the window as separate entities.

I believe I follow what you mean but could you be a bit more descriptive to make sure? Is there another commonly known product of any type that has similar features, which we could use as a discussion reference?

Ahhh, I should have pointed you to some screenshots in the first place. I knew what I was talking about...everyone else should, too! In the .NET world, a commonly used docking control is the DockPanel Suite (http://www.codeproject.com/KB/miscctrl/DockManager.aspx). What I was trying to explain is similar to how the various tool windows pin in MS's Visual Studio.NET IDE, or in the case of the CodeProject article I linked to, how he has the Solution Explorer and Properties "windows" set up.

To me that would be very nice. Click the thumbtack button and the tree and catalog in XY would be locked in place. Unpin them and they hide away as just "tabs" along the side of the screen....when you hover your mouse over one of the tabs they show themselves. Move your mouse back away and they slide back into the "tabbed" state.

[j_c_hallgren]

Ahhh, I should have pointed you to some screenshots in the first place. I knew what I was talking about...everyone else should, too!

Thanks! That actually was what I was thinking you meant, but just wanted to make 100% sure.

To me that would be very nice. Click the thumbtack button and the tree and catalog in XY would be locked in place. Unpin them and they hide away as just "tabs" along the side of the screen....when you hover your mouse over one of the tabs they show themselves. Move your mouse back away and they slide back into the "tabbed" state.

That could reduce the number of times one would have to use TB icons, for example, to Show/Hide Nav Panel and/or Wide IP...I could see that as a nice option, but I'm not sure how often I'd personally use it as I tend to have tree/catalog showing 99% of time.

[admin]

I'm no friend of docking.

But in future you will get the option to show the catalog alone (without the tree).