Folder specific settings?

Please check the FAQ (https://www.xyplorer.com/faq.php) before posting a question...
beethoven
Posts: 69
Joined: 09 Sep 2006 09:03

Folder specific settings?

Post by beethoven »

Just wondering if it is possible to define a folder specific view,
ie for some folders I would prefer to have the files shown/sorted by age, for others alphabetically? :?

RalphM
Posts: 2049
Joined: 27 Jan 2005 23:38
Location: Cairns, Australia

Post by RalphM »

Not folder wise as far as I know, but if you display the different folders in a tab each, you can have them sorted any way you want in each tab.
Ralph :)
(OS: W11 24H2 Home x64 - XY: Current x32 beta - Office 2024 32-bit - Display: 1920x1080 @ 125%)

itsme28m
Posts: 124
Joined: 03 Sep 2006 16:49
Location: Belgium

I like that idea...

Post by itsme28m »

Maybe that's a good suggestion for a future version.

List Management, directory views?
So you could open a directory always in thesame view, like a graphic files directory always view as thumbnails. A directory filled with textfiles on a daily basis always show as details view, sorted by date with the latest date first. I normally work in details view, but i always have to change the view if i view a directory with many graphics. But also link it to sort options would be great.

Greetings,

Steve

Tamil
Posts: 129
Joined: 10 Sep 2006 14:30
Location: .in
Contact:

Post by Tamil »

I miss this feature in XYplorer.

j_c_hallgren
XY Blog Master
Posts: 5826
Joined: 02 Jan 2006 19:34
Location: So. Chatham MA/Clearwater FL
Contact:

Post by j_c_hallgren »

I'll agree this would be a nice feature to have! :)

However, just how/where would this info be stored? Storing a list of folder names and views in the INI becomes a problem in keeping it current, as when a folder is deleted or renamed, (especially outside of XY), the entry would be left as it was...and may quickly become obsolete :(

Thus, as much as I am not the greatest fan of this scheme, in order to accomplish this, which would need to be an optional feature, I would allow a tiny control file to be stored (via user request) in each folder that needs this option...such as Picasa does with its INI files...and other products do similar...this would allow a number of customized folder possibilities in XY...so giving up one cluster in those folders that I would select a custom view for is ok with me!

Any folder that doesn't contain one of these files, (named maybe XYcontrol.INI?) would get the default/standard options...so only if one wanted the override would this be needed...
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.

jacky
XYwiki Master
Posts: 3106
Joined: 23 Aug 2005 22:25
Location: France
Contact:

Post by jacky »

I really doubt such a thing (INI file in folders) will happen, as XY is proud to be a portable application that do not affect your system/registry in any ways and stores everything in its own folder (with maybe the exception of thumb cache, since you can define where to store it ;))

I personnally don't think having a sort order associated to a folder is that "important" (that is to me obviously), and can be change as easy as click on the column header. Plus it could be confusing at times, if you set a sort order, then go to such a folder and forgot that you had associate it with a sort order...

It's a bit different when it comes to views, but I beleive that's why we have a pretty usefull TB icon to switch between Thumb1/Details ;)
Proud XYplorer Fanatic

itsme28m
Posts: 124
Joined: 03 Sep 2006 16:49
Location: Belgium

Post by itsme28m »

Yep, ini files within folders created by xyplorer is not a good idea... i'm still more for putting those directory's in the list management and put the settings within Xyplorer. The problem when you have a folder deleted you have also with the other options. And for this kind of problem, i would love to see a button "delete unknown folders" or something like that, i think unknown is another name for this, but my mother language is dutch :p :oops: . Yes, there is a delete button, but it would be nice to have a button that automatically can see if a folder doesn't exist and delete does in the list.

It won't be confusing if you use it the right way, at default there should be no directory's set, only the user should add directory's to his/her own likings. The user knows best what he saves most in a directory, so making it possible of a folder specific view would mean less clicks... for me it would mean all other folders in list view, and a few with pictures in thumb view, and a few others sorted the other way.

Someone from my family visited us and she didn't know how to change the view, i setted in explorer as a image folder, after that i did that she never had to ask it again...

Greetings,

Steve

j_c_hallgren
XY Blog Master
Posts: 5826
Joined: 02 Jan 2006 19:34
Location: So. Chatham MA/Clearwater FL
Contact:

Post by j_c_hallgren »

I didn't say that using INI type files was the preferable scheme... :roll:
Just that it would have some benefits over the alternative...ok?
As the INI would be typically deleted when the folder is, and stay with it after a rename or a copy/move...
Having a function that would verify existence of, and offer to remove, folders that may be obsolete in LM entries would help in this case..
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.

allen
Posts: 89
Joined: 10 Sep 2006 19:25
Location: Northern Maine

Post by allen »

Both methods would have their merits -- storing the information in a hidden file within the directory itself (in the same way graphic viewers leave thumbs files, windows leaves desktop.ini, etc.) would make for automatic self maintenance. If the folder is deleted, so is the configuration. Simple enough. The obvious drawback to such a method, is additional files, additional clutter, and there are few people who such a prospect doesn't make them cringe. This also would mandate the feature be optional.

On the other hand, maintaining the settings in a file in XY's space would be less system wide clutter but would not be as self-maintaining -- it could easily become cluttered with obsolete file configurations if folders are moved or deleted by other means--other explorers, by the programs that own them, by uninstallers. I do not believe this would be as much a problem as it initially sounds, however. Consider this:
It is highly unlikely a user will wish to save unique settings for every folder. Rather, one is likely to configure specific settings only for a relative handful of folders that are (a) frequently used and (b) have unique presentational needs. Furthermore, such folders are unlikely to be frequently moved/deleted (though, naturally, there are/will be exceptions). Assume it was implemented in such a way as to require manual saving of the unique settings associated with that folder, rather than automatically saving each folder's view, I doubt the configuration would become terribly cluttered. A simple cleanup option/tool could be implemented to purge settings whose folders are gone.

The ability to save named views may be more valuable in the long run--a specific setup for image galleries, for example, that you could easily select from a list to display the current folder in your gallery settings. Another setting for viewing files with size data, another setting for simply viewing lots of files by names, et cetera. These could then be used very intuitively if used in conjunction with the Catalog feature. Much like it is possible to apply colors to catalog items, have a dropdown of saved views so a specific view could be associated with the folder in the catalog.
Last edited by allen on 14 Sep 2006 14:48, edited 1 time in total.

j_c_hallgren
XY Blog Master
Posts: 5826
Joined: 02 Jan 2006 19:34
Location: So. Chatham MA/Clearwater FL
Contact:

Post by j_c_hallgren »

Allen: Welcome to the XY club! :D
And your post said some of what I meant but in a more complete and well written manner, so THANKS! 8)
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.

allen
Posts: 89
Joined: 10 Sep 2006 19:25
Location: Northern Maine

Post by allen »

Thanks for the welcome j_c_hallgren :)

admin
Site Admin
Posts: 65185
Joined: 22 May 2004 16:48
Location: Win8.1, Win10, Win11, all @100%
Contact:

Post by admin »

RalphM wrote:Not folder wise as far as I know, but if you display the different folders in a tab each, you can have them sorted any way you want in each tab.
Correct. And on some beautiful future day, you will be able to pack away tabs into the catalog and restore them by a single click.
Note, however, size and date format settings (like Age) are not controlled tab-wise but list-mode-wise (there are 4 list modes: browse, find, drives, network).

Another future day (or rather a series of days) will bring something maybe even more interesting: scriptability! Then you can program a catalog item to open a folder with such and such settings...

RalphM
Posts: 2049
Joined: 27 Jan 2005 23:38
Location: Cairns, Australia

Post by RalphM »

admin wrote:Correct. And on some beautiful future day, you will be able to pack away tabs into the catalog and restore them by a single click.
Note, however, size and date format settings (like Age) are not controlled tab-wise but list-mode-wise (there are 4 list modes: browse, find, drives, network).

Another future day (or rather a series of days) will bring something maybe even more interesting: scriptability! Then you can program a catalog item to open a folder with such and such settings...
I'm definitely looking forward to the time after that series of days - sounds like more than a week to me, though... :wink:
Ralph :)
(OS: W11 24H2 Home x64 - XY: Current x32 beta - Office 2024 32-bit - Display: 1920x1080 @ 125%)

itsme28m
Posts: 124
Joined: 03 Sep 2006 16:49
Location: Belgium

Scriptability...

Post by itsme28m »

Scriptability sounds like music in my ears... that's the best way to go, not messing around with aditional files in the directory, no more settings in the ini file for everything that you want to display different... this would be the best way to handle this for sure.

Greetings,

Steve

surrender
Posts: 623
Joined: 23 Oct 2005 08:53
Location: Berlin, Germany

Post by surrender »

I dont know how many of you still would find this useful, but i really really miss folder specific settings. But i know if one would set different view styles, sort styles etc for 100s of folders everything would slow down. But to start with can you limit this to atleast the favorite folders or cataloged folders??

Alternatively, the idea of hiding tabs (not closing).

Post Reply