Dual Pane - Formal Proposal Thread

[ale]

First reaction to the new build... I felt "strange" the new button. I mean, I know the pressed state is to aim visibility but I felt it strange. Strange that the same element (a pane) may have two different button states only for being pane number 1 or 2. And strange the action associated to the button, I mean if we push a button with scissors, we expect a cut operation, if we are going to push a button called "1" we expect something associated to "1" but it actually do something (activate) with "2". IMHO you might evaluate the feeling of the button without any pressed state. Or you might evaluate to have two buttons, button "1" and "2": press "1" to activate pane "1" and put pressed state on, press "2" to activate "2", put the pressed state of "2" on and take away the pressed state from "1".

Another thing I would change is to activate in default configuration "Yellow highlight marks selected tab in classic style" in options.

[Mesh]

Not sure what you mean. Nothing was changed here. You can set this behavior in Info Panel/ Find Files / Options.

Ah! I never knew that was there (or had forgotten), since I never needed to use that tab before. Well, that lets me fix it.

But, something did change - the default for new installs is now the seperate search tab, whereas it used to be the same tab. That's what confused me.


Thanks!

[admin]

But, something did change - the default for new installs is now the seperate search tab, whereas it used to be the same tab. That's what confused me.

True, I changed the factory default.

[admin]

First reaction to the new build... I felt "strange" the new button...

Another thing I would change is to activate in default configuration "Yellow highlight marks selected tab in classic style" in options.

Button: I know what you mean but it works for me. I think the message is clearer like that. The normal way would be to have just the "2" icon, and have it in pushed state when the 2nd pane is active.

Yellow: yes.

[TheQwerty]

[General]
ShadeInactivePane=1
ClrInactivePane=15266548 (decimal of 0xE8F2F4; 0xBBGGRR)

Not liking this background changing (I certainley wouldn't use it). Now I know this is an alternative to the other ways, but still.. It could be much better.

1) Isn't that the decimal of 0xEEEEEE, not either of those other values?
2) As I said previously, we already can use background colors to signify two other entirely different things (list mode and boxed branches), so it's clumsy to try to add active panes to that as well.

Is there anyway you can display this information without drastically changing the existing background color?
For instance, could you perhaps just change the brightness or hue based on the active pane instead of the entire background color?
Or maybe paint a mostly transparent frame over the pane that would still be able to ignore or pass actions to the inactive pane?

[j_c_hallgren]

Or you might evaluate to have two buttons, button "1" and "2": press "1" to activate pane "1" and put pressed state on, press "2" to activate "2", put the pressed state of "2" on and take away the pressed state from "1".

I barely have room for one more button on my TB so needing two buttons for a switch that can only have 2 values is overkill...

I would definitely agree that button should only change value (1/2) and not press/unpress, however.

For instance, could you perhaps just change the brightness or hue based on the active pane instead of the entire background color?

Could the color value be used also as an adjustment, like by optionally putting a "-" (negative) value, this would then be combined with other background color?

[TheQwerty]

I barely have room for one more button on my TB so needing two buttons for a switch that can only have 2 values is overkill...

<offtopic> I suffer from this as well, but today I decided to finally try out [Toolbar][Address Bar]. Fortunately I have the monitor real estate for adding an extra row and making XY a little bigger.

I don't think I like it, but that's probably because everytime I try to organize my TB, I notice all the great things Don has tucked away in their menus and I think of how easy it makes keyboard-less work, so I end up with more icons than I ever actually use. I think this is a disease, wanting everything to be just a click/shortcut away but there's way more commands than viable shortcuts/screen space.</offtopic>

Could the color value be used also as an adjustment, like by optionally putting a "-" (negative) value, this would then be combined with other background color?

I was thinking about that, and I'm not sure how well it would work. Like what would happen in the edge cases of going less than 0x000000 or over 0xFFFFFF?

I think ultimately, the current way may be the only good way and the user will have to make the sacrifice of not knowing mode/box of the inactive pane, but I'm hoping Don can impress with a better way.

[admin]

Ok, I removed the pushed state -- yep it's better. thanks.

[j_c_hallgren]

Could the color value be used also as an adjustment, like by optionally putting a "-" (negative) value, this would then be combined with other background color?

I was thinking about that, and I'm not sure how well it would work. Like what would happen in the edge cases of going less than 0x000000 or over 0xFFFFFF?

I wasn't saying that it was ideal but it was just a thought...in hindsight, it doesn't really make that much sense...

Re TB usage: I tend to put things there to make my access via mouse quicker and also so this ole' brain doesn't have to think as much on which menu the command is in...

[admin]

Could the color value be used also as an adjustment, like by optionally putting a "-" (negative) value, this would then be combined with other background color?

I was thinking about that, and I'm not sure how well it would work. Like what would happen in the edge cases of going less than 0x000000 or over 0xFFFFFF?

I wasn't saying that it was ideal but it was just a thought...in hindsight, it doesn't really make that much sense...

Re TB usage: I tend to put things there to make my access via mouse quicker and also so this ole' brain doesn't have to think as much on which menu the command is in...

State of brain science: Only the tasks you must force your brain to do will keep it strong. Per aspera ad astra...

[TheQwerty]

State of brain science: Only the tasks you must force your brain to do will keep it strong. Per aspera ad astra...

Indeed, and that's why I said that ultimately the way it is now will probably be the best way to do it. But as I said, I was hoping you'd pull off some amazing feat, or convert the whole thing to use the methods I mocked up previously.

After using it for a while it's not so bad, but it is kind of sad to see my box colors gone. (Might be an idea to have a small section of the info bar use those box colors. )

[ale]

I tried the new button to toggle the active pane in build 404 and I personally find it much better now, I hope it's the same also for other users. I think yellow marks are still not enabled in new build (they are useful for people with classic tabs or with Windows classic theme).

I think the ability for people who prefer a single pane to switch between two set of tabs is nice. There are whole applications developed for doing just this with virtual desktops, it could be very well a feature presented with screenshots and a description on the web site when the new version (XY v8?) will come out.

[TheQwerty]

I think the ability for people who prefer a single pane to switch between two set of tabs is nice. There are whole applications developed for doing just this with virtual desktops, it could be very well a feature presented with screenshots and a description on the web site when the new version (XY v8?) will come out.

Indeed, this is great! Especially since it doesn't force a refresh of a search.

[admin]

I think the ability for people who prefer a single pane to switch between two set of tabs is nice. There are whole applications developed for doing just this with virtual desktops, it could be very well a feature presented with screenshots and a description on the web site when the new version (XY v8?) will come out.

Indeed, this is great! Especially since it doesn't force a refresh of a search.

Oh yeah, now that you say it!

[admin]

I tried the new button to toggle the active pane in build 404 and I personally find it much better now, I hope it's the same also for other users. I think yellow marks are still not enabled in new build (they are useful for people with classic tabs or with Windows classic theme).

Yes, I like it better, too. You were right.

Yellow: I did not do it because it also affects the Info Panel tabs (which are always in Classic style). I don't like the yellow on the Info Pane too much personally. Maybe I'm an aesthetic outsider here?