Virtual Folder / Container / Pike

[Stef123]

Whatever you wanna call it, I really miss this feature.

SelectionStore comes pretty close, but just like Item Store it doesn't provide a live view of what I am collecting. And like all other workarounds (labels, tags) it involves several steps, first select, then call Add- or Tag- functions from TB dropdowns, and yet another go-around to actually see your collection.

What I have in mind is the simple handling of other file managers, where you just drag and drop stuff into the other pane (or tab) - and that's about it. Optionally save the collection.

No mental overhead you have to carry in your mind. What you see is what you have. In full view while you're collecting (in dual pane). Sort your collection as it grows - in real time - very easy to keep track of what you're doing. No climbing in and out of dropdown trees.

[binocular222]

Virtual Folder is in road map http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=830
Currently ther're several ways to collect items:
- Catalog
- Tag items with a specific Label then do a tag-database search for that Label

Code: Select all

Computer?:lbl:MyCollection

IMO, Labelling is as efficient as Virtual Folder because with Virtual Folder, you still need 2 steps: add items to VFolder then open that VFolder. A VFolder tab is not much different than a QNS tab (or you have more ideas?)

[Stef123]

with Virtual Folder, you still need 2 steps: add items to VFolder then open that VFolder. A VFolder tab is not much different than a QNS tab (or you have more ideas?)

Very different from what I have in mind. How do other managers handle it?
1. You drag files/folders into the other pane. Nothing more to it. Not tags, no searches for tags, no commands, no dropdowns
2.You get a complete list view of your collection, able to drill down into subfolders, save this collection
3 You select all or part of it and process these files further.

I wouldn't know how to do this with Catalog?

[admin]

Whatever you wanna call it, I really miss this feature.

SelectionStore comes pretty close, but just like Item Store it doesn't provide a live view of what I am collecting. And like all other workarounds (labels, tags) it involves several steps, first select, then call Add- or Tag- functions from TB dropdowns, and yet another go-around to actually see your collection.

What I have in mind is the simple handling of other file managers, where you just drag and drop stuff into the other pane (or tab) - and that's about it. Optionally save the collection.

No mental overhead you have to carry in your mind. What you see is what you have. In full view while you're collecting (in dual pane). Sort your collection as it grows - in real time - very easy to keep track of what you're doing. No climbing in and out of dropdown trees.

Fully agreed. It's near the top of my list.

[Stef123]

Top notch.

[admin]

Almost finished!
http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic. ... 55#p107355

[Stef123]

You sure walk your talk, don't you?

It's near the top of my list.

A man of his word.

Everyone will find use for this workhorse. A beast of burden that takes the load off your shoulders - frees your mind to focus on the task, not the procedure.

[zer0]

While I am looking forward to trying out Virtual Folders, the only way I can see them helping me (at this stage) is a single place where contents of my external drives are pooled together. However, the management capabilities are limited in that scenario, because files are dispersed across multiple drives. As such, I cannot copy things into this virtual folder from elsewhere, because how will it decide on which drive to store that data? Also, will it be possible to merge list items in a VF logically even if they reside on separate physical devices?

Anyway, I do not wish to rain on the whole parade, so let's see what Don has cooked...

[Stef123]

@ zer0,
maybe I can learn something here. How do you handle it now? Any tools or file managers I may not know of? Why is your current method better than the expected behavior of VF?

[admin]

I don't see any such problems. You can have folders in the PF and they are store with their full path. No problem with multiple drives in one PF.

[admin]

There are some problems, cannot upload today.

[admin]

OK, I got it working.

Sorry for the longish change log.

And now: !!!

[SkyFrontier]

Sweet, Don.
It also reads lists I created for launching progs&docs with zero to none adjustments.
Thanks.

[zer0]

@ zer0,
maybe I can learn something here. How do you handle it now? Any tools or file managers I may not know of? Why is your current method better than the expected behavior of VF?

At the moment, I use Libraries in Explorer and have a tab per drive in a separate pane in XY. Where did I say that my current method is better than PF?

I don't see any such problems. You can have folders in the PF and they are store with their full path. No problem with multiple drives in one PF.

I understand that and, in just being a logical place where all files from multiple drives are listed, it is like Libraries in Windows 7. I am looking for XY to take things to the next level. Such as blurring the line between the list of files and folders and the underlying storage where that data is physically located, similar to a NAS RAID solution. I would like to see XY treat that collection of external drives as a single pool and, when I copy files into PF or into folders within a PF, that data is physically copied to a drive that has space or to drive(s) where those folders actually reside. I am expecting PF to have a degree of intelligence whereby, optionally, if I have combined a few folders within a PF into a nested PF, XY reshuffles data on external drives so that this data is present on the same drive for better speed of access. I could go on, but it's good enough for a start. Sorry, but that's what happens when you set expectations with "You know, it's so good, so seamless, so fast, so small, so robust, so portable, so easy to use, so damn integrated -- this just MUST be the best virtual folder implementation ever" .

[bdeshi]

I want scripting commands.
I want to thank you. A truckload.
I humbly want full access to paper folders from elsewhere other than the file list. (May I suggest a catalog category? possibly with the regular context menus for all category items)
Can the delete button in paper folders list remove the item from the list, instead of trying to delete the actual file?
You'll probably keep using that paper airplane icon, so I won't mention I want to change it.