6 wishes: multi-lists, filter band, firefox search, supertab

[gy]

Hi,

I'm trying out XYplorer. It's looking good. But I want perfect so here are some suggestions (did only a brief search before writing so some might be dupes).


#1. Add option "View x tabs at one" and show x number of columns, each containing the file list for a tabbed folder.

Even better, add option to select what number of rows and columns of tabs to show. For instance (x1, x2 etc = tabs):

---- adress ---------------------------------------
---- toolbar ----- ---- tab bar ---------------

. . . . . x1 . . . . . . x2 . . . . . . x3 . . . . . . x4


. . . . . x5 . . . . . . x6 . . . . . . x7 . . . . . . x8

-------------------------------------------------------

That would be useful when a user needs to move around a lot of files between folders


#2. Add "quick filter band" for each tab.

Let a hotkey etc add a row at the top of the current tab window (just below the column header). Entering a filter phrase there immediately filters the tabs contents accordingly. Add a close button (red X) at the left end of the filter band. Make the bands "stackable" - pressing the hotkey again adds a new filter which further narrows the shown contents.
(Alternatively, let the filter band have several text fields horizontally, each on allowing a separate filter phrase)

#3. Add "quick firefox like search band"
Somewhat like above but a search that (i) only searches the currently tabbed folder (no subfolders) and (ii) does not filter out any contents, only color marks all matches (and a button that jumps focus to each match from top to bottom)

#4. add option to view "config tabs field".

A row of tabs listing all config files in one/several user set folders. Clicking a tab loads that config. So the configs acts like "super tabs". Place the config tabs row on the same row as the file, edit etc menu or to the right of the adress bar.

#5. Add button named undo/back etc next to "Find Now".
Clicking the button brings back the folder in view before the search action was triggered (the goto back/forward does not seem to do this)

#6. When dragging a file, let ctrl+tab / ctrl+shift+tab be used to switch tab with current dragged items intact. Also, when dragging and pointing at another tab, XYplorer switches to that tab after about one second. Can that time be decreased to a user set time (or just 0 seconds)?

[admin]

I'm trying out XYplorer. It's looking good. But I want perfect

Well, you already found a perfect plan to keep my busy. Here are some suggestions:
1) step back, relax, and ask: which of my personal wishes could also benefit many other users, and would not at the same time scare many other users (who already start thinking that XY might be a bit overloaded)
2) why not learn programming yourself? then you could do even more exotic things

But who knows, maybe others will support some of your wishes -- I usually bow under street pressure

[gy]

Hi,

step back, relax, and ask: which of my personal wishes could also benefit many other users

All of them, obviously!

#1 would be liked by many I think. At least some other Explorer replacements seem to make a big point of being "dual view". I think they're on to something.

#2, #3, #4 & #6 are mostly enhancement of stuff XYplorer already has (filters, search, cross tab file transfers, configs...) so they ARE pretty relaxed I would say. But most of'em would probably take A LOT of work to implement so like you say, wait and see if some others like the suggestions too.

And no I don't know how to program nor have time to learn - I guess I'm too busy coming up with requests... ;-)

Cheers

[KyferEz]

Personally, I really like #1.

Just the other day I was trying to figure out if XY could do something similar.

I work a LOT with avi files, and have a LOT of hard drives and folders to organize them. #1 would be awesome to have, provided it was easy to setup.

KyferEz

[admin]

Ok, before another dual/multi-panel discussion arises: simply go get yourself a dual/multi-panel file manager. XY is single-panel country.

[j_c_hallgren]

But as Admin knows, there are certain features that XY has that NO other product has (AFAIK) and which would make using other dual-pane products impractical/impossible in certain situations....

That's why I have had to use X2plorer and XY together to get what I needed...but switching between them becomes a PITA.

I believe that I'd be quite happy with a subset of what other dual-panes do in regards to cross pane operations just to avoid the dual task issue.

[KyferEz]

Donald,

I know your prolly sick of this discussion, but for me it's all new, and I have some points I would like to discuss. I have read many of the past posts from you and others about this topic, so I know you are empahtically unwilling to implement multi panes, but I just can't understand your reasoning. Please don't take any of this the wrong way - I don't want an arguement, but would simply like to fully understand your reasoning in this matter, as I'm sure many others on the forums would.

I see where you are coming from with the single panel thing and as you say "Dual pane is for control freaks. Cool users do drag'n'drop'n'trust. Try it!". Believe me, I drag and drop A LOT. And, I don't really _need_ multi panes, but I would like it and I don't get why you are unwilling to add it. Adding a few panels shouldn't be hard to code. You basically already have the panels in the tabs. If you could just make the tabs able to detach and be movable, sizeable panels, that would work. Depending upon how the tabs are coded, it could be really really easy.

However, what I don't think you understand is (I don't intend to anger or fustrate you - I liked XY as is enough that I bought it):

1) We all like XY better than the other file managers. Many of us like it better Not because it's single pane only, but because it is the most feature rich... I believe you are, unfortunately, driving off many who would be willing to purchase your software by not supporting multi panels.

2) Going and getting myself a dual/multi panel file manager defeats the point - I want it all in 1 app. That's why I bought XY - it had the _most_ of what I want in one app, and an admin who cares about what others want.

3) I don't want dual-pane because of being a control freak. I want it because, as I mentioned, I move lots of files around through lots of hard drives and lots of directories. Being able to have a directory panel (I don't really care about the file lists - but I'm sure others do) open for the drives I'm working with would greatly help moving the files around. I download lots and lots to a single folder, then must move them to their correct subdirectory on another hard drive. Sure I can have all the subdirectories open on one folder list, but it makes me have to scroll pages and pages of directories to get where I need, and becomes very confusing and time consuming, and makes drag-n-drop inefficient.

4) Will the drag-n-drop to another tab work? Sure, but it's a slower process to do (grab files, move to tab, wait for it to select the tab and redraw, move to folder), I just found out about it, and I would still appreciate the multi pane feature. If you want your product to be the best, it's a must, IMHO.

5) There are scenerios where multi-pane is just better, such as in manual file comparison, or moving files back and forth between the same folders, as two examples. Not something I need, but others prolly do.

6)Whatever happened to your "2 crazy people" rule??? You have many more than 2 crazy people here

I get that I prolly won't change your mind. But what do you have to say about my points 1 through 6, and is there some real reason beyond 'I'm a single pane kind of guy" that prevents you from considering multi panes?

KyferEz

PS If I've offended, I apologize - I didn't mean to.

[admin]

I think I said I don't want a dual-panel discussion!

It always boils down to the same: I say I don't want it (because I don't need it or don't like it, whatever; in the case of dual-panel: both! -- to answer your question), then you (users) say: no problem, make it optional. Result: featuritis.

"Things are so needlessly complex because featuritis sells products," Dr. Tenner said. "People buy them for a feeling of control, then complain that they are so hard to manage. But show them something simple and rugged, and most of them will call it boring."

You can do some things in XY, that should please even the dual-paner to some degree:
- F7 previous location
- Ctrl+F7 previous tab
- tabs
- dragdrop on tab headers

And, not yet, but coming soon :
- dragdrop on favorites
- have tree + droppable favorites side-by-side (yes yes, = 2 folder panels, dual folder panels, man!)

And if that's not enough, ask the dual-panel-makers to add the missing XY-features!

[JustinF]

- have tree + droppable favorites side-by-side (yes yes, = 2 folder panels, dual folder panels, man!)

Woohoo!!

[j_c_hallgren]

"People buy them for a feeling of control, then complain that they are so hard to manage. But show them something simple and rugged, and most of them will call it boring."

For me, it's somewhat different...I get certain products for the features I think I'll need but then end up not using most of them...or in some cases, can't remember how to use them given the infrequency of use...

I'll admit some programs I have, I still am not comfortable using, such as Photoshop Elements, due to all the features...overkill for the casual user!

But I'm sure I'd DEFINITELY use any form of a dual folder option!