Previewing Text Files

[John Bee]

When viewing a text file in the preview window, I was noticing some erratic scrolling (I have word wrap one).

I finally figured out that even scrolling one line at a time, when you come to a sentence that is multiple lines long, you don't scroll to the next line in the sentence but it scrolls right down to the first blank line after the sentence.

So if the sentence was 10 lines long, you would (with one scroll line down) go from the start of the sentence to the end.

Even worse, if you paged down to see the next screen worth, if it happens that the top of the next screen was in the middle of a sentence it would bounce down to the next one, and on (missing stuff). (hence the erratic movements).

Would like to view text files like any other text viewer/editor, if I scroll down one line I want it to move down one line and not ie. 10 lines. It makes for very hard reading.

John

Win2K
0000
2,094ms

[John Bee]

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Umm, ah, -------------


John
Win2K
0023

[j_c_hallgren]

Here's another weird behavior:
1) select a txt file from list
2) select 'preview' on info panel and then click on scroll bar, so up/down arrows move it one line at a time...all ok so far...
3) select 'raw view'
4) focus for arrows is now on the catalog! Why? How'd it end up over there? On some rare occasions, it moves to the address bar...just as bad...

Also, sometimes I have to click on a line of text to get focus into or back to Info Panel....why?

The same loss of IP focus may occur when going from raw to preview.

When switching to/from preview and raw view, I'd hope that focus for arrow control would stay within the Info Panel, assuming it was there before switch.

Does that seem reasonable?

[admin]

Here's another weird behavior:
1) select a txt file from list
2) select 'preview' on info panel and then click on scroll bar, so up/down arrows move it one line at a time...all ok so far...
3) select 'raw view'
4) focus for arrows is now on the catalog! Why? How'd it end up over there? On some rare occasions, it moves to the address bar...just as bad...

Also, sometimes I have to click on a line of text to get focus into or back to Info Panel....why?

The same loss of IP focus may occur when going from raw to preview.

When switching to/from preview and raw view, I'd hope that focus for arrow control would stay within the Info Panel, assuming it was there before switch.

Does that seem reasonable?

Yes.

PS: or not 100% Yes. The focus has to stay on (or go back to) the list! To allow quickly looking at different files using the arrow keys.

[j_c_hallgren]

Now IF the focus moved from IP to the active list entry, I could see that...but not going to the catalog (when it wasn't involved ever) or address bar....as being on list, it would be easier (IMHO) to spot, especially as that should (?) then make the filename 'highlited' in blue, right?

[John Bee]

Hi Don;

Ahhh!, I see, you fixed the problem by turning wordwrap off.


Hmmmm....


John
Win2K
0025

[admin]

Now IF the focus moved from IP to the active list entry, I could see that...but not going to the catalog (when it wasn't involved ever) or address bar....as being on list, it would be easier (IMHO) to spot, especially as that should (?) then make the filename 'highlited' in blue, right?

That's what I did in v5.20.0025.

[j_c_hallgren]

Been thinking about this some more...I'm still convinced that it would be preferable to:

1) Keep focus within the IP strictly when switching to/from preview and raw view, assuming focus was there (allowing text scrolling) before...because, if you're looking at a text type file that is more than one screen, and you're scrolling thru it, you may wish to see it in the other layout/format to make reading easier, and having to "find the cursor" seems to be unneeded extra effort.

2) If one were to switch to any other tab on IP, then focus would revert back to list....as those tabs don't need arrows to navigate them.

3) Also, force F6 to go to list from IP when on either preview/raw...presently it goes to address bar and then list and then tree and then loops around, so this would simply start that loop in the 'middle'.
This would allow a single keystroke to "exit" the IP and resume using arrows to move within list.

Update: I see you posted a reply while I was typing this long entry...

[admin]

Hi Don;

Ahhh!, I see, you fixed the problem by turning wordwrap off.


Hmmmm....

No. Wordwrap is in RawView. Since some versions text files are previewed through IE. There you have no wordwrap, but you can select text character-wise.

[admin]

Been thinking about this some more...I'm still convinced that it would be preferable to:

1) Keep focus within the IP strictly when switching to/from preview and raw view, assuming focus was there (allowing text scrolling) before...because, if you're looking at a text type file that is more than one screen, and you're scrolling thru it, you may wish to see it in the other layout/format to make reading easier, and having to "find the cursor" seems to be unneeded extra effort.

2) If one were to switch to any other tab on IP, then focus would revert back to list....as those tabs don't need arrows to navigate them.

I know what you mean. I'll think about a way to implement that...

3) Also, force F6 to go to list from IP when on either preview/raw...presently it goes to address bar and then list and then tree and then loops around, so this would simply start that loop in the 'middle'.
This would allow a single keystroke to "exit" the IP and resume using arrows to move within list.

Too smart. I don't like to adjust basic functionality to context in that way. Having to ask "What does this button in this situation?" reduces usability.

[j_c_hallgren]

3) Also, force F6 to go to list from IP when on either preview/raw...presently it goes to address bar and then list and then tree and then loops around, so this would simply start that loop in the 'middle'.
This would allow a single keystroke to "exit" the IP and resume using arrows to move within list.

Too smart. I don't like to adjust basic functionality to context in that way. Having to ask "What does this button in this situation?" reduces usability.

Ok... ...but...F6 is defined as "Move focus among Tree, Address Bar, and List" and if one is NOT on one of those three, where is it specifically defined as which one would be next? I don't know of any place... Given that, and we wouldn't want to have a new key for this function, so restarting the 'loop' at List shouldn't be that much of an issue, as it presently goes to Addr Bar and List is the next in loop.