Enhancement Request: Floating Info Panel

[VLM]

I'd like to submit this as an official enhancement request, for the following reasons:

1. As currently implemented, when the Info Panel is open AND the leftmost column of the main
display is widened, part of the Info Panel may disappear off the right-hand side of the screen.Of course, this varies depending on the resolution used. For those with nifty, new, wide-screen monitors, this may not be a problem, I cannot test this. But for those of us who spend our money
on your software (among others :) and not on a new monitor, in a 1024x768 environment, the
effect is quite pronounced. I find that I always need to manually adjust the width of the leftmost display column, then adjust it back.

2. More and more people are using multiple monitors. Allowing this panel to float enables a user to put it onto an "administrative" monitor, the information always visible.

[j_c_hallgren]

1. As currently implemented, when the Info Panel is open AND the leftmost column of the main display is widened, part of the Info Panel may disappear off the right-hand side of the screen.
in a 1024x768 environment, the effect is quite pronounced. I find that I always need to manually adjust the width of the leftmost display column, then adjust it back.

Hi and welcome to the XY forums!

I'm running the same resolution and have never seen this occur...what vers are you using?
And how exactly do you get this to occur?
Because that puts it into the possible bug category, not a wish...you do NOT need to create a new thread for it...this one will do fine.

BTW, changes to how/where the IP is placed has been a common topic here in past threads so searching for those first would be appreciated.

[admin]

Menu Window / Wide Info Panel is the built-in solution for small screens.

[j_c_hallgren]

Menu Window / Wide Info Panel is the built-in solution for small screens.

Now I get what he was saying...the way it was written made me think he was referring to leftmost column of the list, but he's actually referring to the tree and/or Catalog but didn't use those terms.

I use detail view with name/size/modif/type/attr/create/access/len/label showing so my tree/catalog is approx 2" wide which i've found is sufficient for almost all cases and the IP thus has enough noom to not overflow.

[VLM]

Yes, that's it, the tree view, thank you for supplying the correct term.

I have a rather deeply nested directory tree, and because the tabbed display (what I formerly called the "right side" does not appear to offer any sort of tree view, I find it useful to be able to drill down somewhat on the left at times. But when I do, of course, it's not long before things start disappearing. Hence my preference for a widened tree view. But if I do that, then if I open the Info Panel, part of is it truncated to the right.

So perhaps that's a more accurate description of my experience.

I have ticked the "Wide Info Panel" option, and that certainly does preserve the Info Panel! But of course, it truncates the tree.

I really would prefer a floating Info Panel, particularly in a situation where multiple monitors are available. If I'm a very small chorus in this regard, then so be it. :)

Many thanks to those who have helped!

[j_c_hallgren]

Yes, that's it, the tree view, thank you for supplying the correct term.

No problem! Glad it helped! Would also suggest you look in Help file for the "Acronyms" page which may help decode some of the terms we throw around here.

I really would prefer a floating Info Panel, particularly in a situation where multiple monitors are available. If I'm a very small chorus in this regard, then so be it. :)

Well...have you seen the Roadmap at http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=830?

Note the following in the "to do" list:

- Preview Pane: New XL preview on the right window side and detachable (in a separate window)

Does that look like something you're wanting?
Now there's no fixed schedule or sequence or guarantee to this plan but it's worth watching.

[VLM]

I was not familiar with the road map, thank you. In any event, it's unlikely that I'd have equated "preview pane" with Info Panel, at least not now, starting out.

Regarding the acronym list, my experience is that people and groups that create their own little private languages always ... and I really do mean always ... experience all sorts of communication breakdowns. So I'll know where to look to interpret an acronym into words, but I'll not likely use them myself.

And in fairness, I'll offer an alternative: invest in speech-to-text software (such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking on Windows or whatever the Dragon product is on the Mac). Then you'll be able to say the whole phrase in English just as quickly as you can type one of those acronyms, and then no one will ever again have to learn special codes. And you'll be able to do this in EVERYTHING you do ... not just discussions about XYplorer. It's really the greatest productivity enhancer I've ever experienced, far and away, each and every day. Well, except for days when I don't go to the computer at all, of course.

I buy software tools such as XYplorer to make my life easier, not to burden myself with learning a private language. It's enough, just learning all the different products using one language ... English, in my case.

That's my opinion, FWIW.

Regardless of all that, I deeply appreciate the kindness I've been shown during this conversation. I look forward to the day when the Info Panel, by whatever name, becomes detachable, or floating, or DE, or FL, or whatever term and/or acronym shall be used.

Best wishes to all, and to all a good night! (depending on your time zone, of course!

[j_c_hallgren]

Regarding the acronym list, my experience is that people and groups that create their own little private languages always ... and I really do mean always ... experience all sorts of communication breakdowns. So I'll know where to look to interpret an acronym into words, but I'll not likely use them myself.

And if you wish to not use these acronyms, that's fine but be aware that replies you get here from others (or find via search) may include them as well as some parts of the XY site...You don't really have to know them to use XY but it helps so there's no confusion over what item is being discussed...I've sometimes make a totally incorrect reply (more than just with you above!) because of wrong terms being used.

I buy software tools such as XYplorer to make my life easier, not to burden myself with learning a private language. It's enough, just learning all the different products using one language ... English, in my case.

Understood fully! I suspect Don began using these: simply to have less typing to do; to be consistent in what terms were used; take less space in change logs and such.

And...THANK you for appreciating our attempts to help you out! We try to be as helpful as we can here and believe that's a good part of why XY is successful!