History retains selections

[admin]

Did anybody actually try this new feature:

Code: Select all

v9.30.0005 - 2010-07-21 17:22
    + Configuration | Advanced: Added "History retains selections". If 
      checked the selected items are stored with the History. If you 
      return-by-history to a location you have visited during the 
      current session, the location's previous selections are restored. 
      The selections are NOT remembered between sessions.
      Factory default is OFF because it can take quite some memory.

It's quite radical and I don't know how many other file managers can do this...

[SkyFrontier]

Overlooked this, Don, and it seems a NICE change to me. Having it as a toggle is important, since I can't see such thing as a default feature... nor something to be banished!
Will surely test it after the upgrade (from 9.20.0200).
Hope this doesn't have any memory leaks nor is a memory hog, though. My system's overwhelmed by Firefox, already (constant edits are due to this, majorly... several "misepplings" due to small freezes all over the way... argh!)

[zer0]

I also like this change. Fiddling with a file, navigating away and then suddenly remembering to do something else is a scenario that's prone to occur and the larger a file list the more time is saved through retention of selection.

Out of interest, would it be possible to retain selection on forward browsing? For example, I select a few files and DnD them onto a folder in the list. What I would like is if my immediate subsequent action is to navigate into that folder then those just-moved files are still selected. If it is indeed possible, I'll happily justify it. Since XYplorer can keep a log of files that have been copied/moved and there's a scripting command to select, I'm sure it can be scripted. And if it can be scripted, it can be implemented...

[admin]

I also like this change. Fiddling with a file, navigating away and then suddenly remembering to do something else is a scenario that's prone to occur and the larger a file list the more time is saved through retention of selection.

Out of interest, would it be possible to retain selection on forward browsing? For example, I select a few files and DnD them onto a folder in the list. What I would like is if my immediate subsequent action is to navigate into that folder then those just-moved files are still selected. If it is indeed possible, I'll happily justify it. Since XYplorer can keep a log of files that have been copied/moved and there's a scripting command to select, I'm sure it can be scripted. And if it can be scripted, it can be implemented...

Too specific, and not always desirable. KISS.

[zer0]

Too specific, and not always desirable. KISS.

Respectfully, I disagree. If anything, it's just as radical as retention of selection in history. Also, DnDing items into folders in the list is easier/better than tree as dragging path is often shorter and it does not cause the tree to expand. And, just because an item is dragged into a particular folder, it does not signify that a user has finished working with it. By no means am I suggesting this as a GUI option, a tweak would be nice to gather feedback to begin with

[SkyFrontier]

...definitely like it! =B
Works fine with folders and files. A bit weird being forced to go upwards via backspace, though...
BUT:
-I strangely expect it to work even if I click on empty space to go anywhere else. Maybe I'm just hallucinating, since this produces 1) deselection of all items THEN 2) up one level. Who knows...?
-Just like zer0, I also expect it to work with FORWARD history. It's convenient and provides a sense of stability of the thing.
-I'd like it more if it could be remembered across sessions... SESSION is all I do all of the time, and this unique feature could make me feel comfortable enough to re-enable "saving on exit", disabled since aeons due to irritating power failures I was prone to fight.

[SkyFrontier]

...that, Portable Tabs and Stefan's nifty Save/Restore Tabs script, which I am enjoying much with its ability to... save and restore SESSIONS!
Now I can have a more flexible usage for XYplorer, discarding the need to have several installments across computers...

EDIT: User reported a small bug in script, so I updated it - and its link on this thread, too.

[admin]

1) Going up is not going back.
2) It does work with forward history.

[zer0]

To clarify, I did not mean retention of selection on forward history. I knew that it works. What I'm asking for is retention of selection when browsing to a folder to which previously-selected files were copied/moved. I select a few files, DnD them to a folder in the list, go into that folder and those files are still selected. I can batch rename them, I can DnD them to wherever I want, I can open them in respective applications, etc. Just as retention of selection saves time on back/forward browsing, lack of selection on forward browsing uses it by having to select files again.

[admin]

To clarify, I did not mean retention of selection on forward history. I knew that it works. What I'm asking for is retention of selection when browsing to a folder to which previously-selected files were copied/moved. I select a few files, DnD them to a folder in the list, go into that folder and those files are still selected. I can batch rename them, I can DnD them to wherever I want, I can open them in respective applications, etc. Just as retention of selection saves time on back/forward browsing, lack of selection on forward browsing uses it by having to select files again.

Yes, I understood that. Now I saw that it could be a nice extension of the "Go to last target" command so I added it. It needs the "History retains selections" enabled.

[admin]

I also like this change. Fiddling with a file, navigating away and then suddenly remembering to do something else is a scenario that's prone to occur and the larger a file list the more time is saved through retention of selection.

Out of interest, would it be possible to retain selection on forward browsing? For example, I select a few files and DnD them onto a folder in the list. What I would like is if my immediate subsequent action is to navigate into that folder then those just-moved files are still selected. If it is indeed possible, I'll happily justify it. Since XYplorer can keep a log of files that have been copied/moved and there's a scripting command to select, I'm sure it can be scripted. And if it can be scripted, it can be implemented...

Too specific, and not always desirable. KISS.

PS: I have to revise my first opinion. This feature is cool!

[zer0]

Yes, I understood that. Now I saw that it could be a nice extension of the "Go to last target" command so I added it. It needs the "History retains selections" enabled.

I was clarifying it for SkyFrontier

That said, I did not envisage it to be an extension of "Go to last target". Benefiting from the functionality that you have added requires explicit invocation of that command. I simply would like to double-click the last target and have the selection retained. It is still going to the last target, but my way is easier than your way

[SkyFrontier]

Admin:

1) Going up is not going back.

I was not saying that, anyway...
I was just trying to express that I felt uncomfortable the way it was.
Recent

Code: Select all

v9.30.0021 - 2010-07-28 11:44
    + Menu Go | Go to Last Target:

changes may improve the thing a bit.

Admin:

2) It does work with forward history.

It haven't. XP SP3, fresh install.
Maybe related to those system's inhability to properly log some actions under "Undo" feature... (which works fine under Win7, by the way)

[j_c_hallgren]

That said, I did not envisage it to be an extension of "Go to last target". Benefiting from the functionality that you have added requires explicit invocation of that command. I simply would like to double-click the last target and have the selection retained. It is still going to the last target, but my way is easier than your way

Just wondering...how would you then distinguish between having the selection retained and not having it? Cause there are times when one could want it either way...maybe I'm missing something obvious...because Don's method allows user the choice via different command, right?

[zer0]

Just wondering...how would you then distinguish between having the selection retained and not having it? Cause there are times when one could want it either way...maybe I'm missing something obvious...because Don's method allows user the choice via different command, right?

Well, what's the worst potential side effect? It is probably that one would navigate to a folder and certain selections that a user may not want retained are retained. That's the same effect with retention of selection through history that we have at the moment. Sometimes I may click back and have selections retained. Other times I may want to go back so I can work on other files, not necessarily those that were previously selected. It's easier to -- if applicable -- ignore selection and loose it via a single click than go into settings and toggle an option before navigating back/forth in history. It takes at least 3 clicks (assuming F9 isn't used) to toggle that setting as opposed to just one click to loose selection -- 66% less effort

EDIT: OK, one can script it to toggle it with one click of a CTB, but that makes a GUI setting redundant