XYplorer Beta Club

Some filemanagers (e.g. Total Commander and some others) allow to handle extended information (comments) for files in subsidiary files of type descript.ion, creating them in the same folder as is the objected file. But TrackerV does not work with these subsidiary files.

Naturally the result is always and totally lost information if using TrackerV for copyiing/moving/renaming of files.

If in Total Commander I rename a file C:\Documents\AAA.doc to [/b]C:\Documents\BBB.doc[/b], the proper changes are automatically made in files C:\Documents\descript.ion in this folder, so all the commets to the former file C:\Documents\AAA.doc belong now to the new file [/b]C:\Documents\BBB.doc[/b]; and this works the same way if move the file file C:\Documents\AAA.doc to C:\News\AAA.doc, etc.

But when I rename or move in TrackerV the file file C:\Documents\AAA.doc to C:\News\AAA.doc, the comment to this file still remains in the file C:\Documents\descript.ion, so it is not more associated with the faile and is practically lost.

Thanks, but I don't use descript.ion files myself. Does anybody else here?

admin wrote: ... I don't use descript.ion files myself. Does anybody else...

No, I just use very long file names that give me all the information I need about the file.

No, I just use very long file names that give me all the information I need about the file.

How it is possible?? Path + file name < 255 symbols!
And if your file name is too long, you can not see it at screen without additional steps. Files descript.ion enabl you to have some short comments for a file, e.g. such remark: "This file does not content any useful information. Must be deleted as soon as possible"
Total Commander uses them as well - and it not for the reason, that the author has no time enough to delete unneeded feature, but this is a NEW feature, which was introduced since vers 5.0, this is the mark that users need this feature.
As for me, I need this very much. Those comments are the reason, why I can not do any file operation inside TrackerV, but have to limit my use of this excellent application by files finding only.

Nobody has written here to support my request. OK. But does it mean that no one of TrackerV users does not really need files comments handling support? I don't think so. Please consider that not every of TrackerV users visits this forum regularly...
I have no any imagination, is this feature I've requested very difficult to implement? If it so, I have to agree that may be it is not SO useful for the most of TrackerV users

I'm not convinced of the concept of descript.ion files. It looks like a bureaucratic overhead to me, which leads to more problems than solutions.
And, the sheer fact that not every program supports it reduces its usefulness considerably, doesn't it?
Just like Gandolf I think 255 chars are more than enough to attach all important information to a file in a solid and universal way. Be creative and invent abbreviations and you can store a lot of info in a filename.

I'm not convinced of the concept of descript.ion files. It looks like a bureaucratic overhead to me, which leads to more problems than solutions.

I can not imagine any poblem caused by descript.ini files.

fact that not every program supports it reduces its usefulness considerably, doesn't it?

Yes, it does. But this is not very correct reason. The same logic: not every program can handle HTML and TIFF etc. formats, but TrackerV does. Why? Why not to restrict the app's functionality by those perfect and full-proove formats of TXT and BMP? It is a fact, that some programs are better and much more functional (and handle some additional files type or system options) then others.

Just like Gandolf I think 255 chars are more than enough to attach all important information to a file in a solid and universal way.

Once more, all depends of real need. Path + file name < 255 symbols!
And if your file name is too long, you can not see it at screen without additional steps. Files descript.ion enable you to have some short comments for a file, e.g. such remark: "This file does not content any useful information. Must be deleted as soon as possible"

And once more, Total Commander had no had the option to handle descript.ion before, but it have been impemented since version 5.5 (2002 year). Do you think Ghisler is stupid enough not to understand what is file managers general developing trend?

Thanks, nice speech! I can see your points, but that does not change my overall opinion. I have a lot of experience with work organisation, and I found more often than not that adding another level of description leads to more problems, more work, more waste of time. Complexity is a thing that should be reduced wherever possible. It's one of TrackerV3's main goals to make things easier.

Leopoldus wrote:"This file does not content any useful information. Must be deleted as soon as possible"

You really type that into a decript.ion file?? In order to say that, I just put "xx" to the beginning of the filename, and that's it.

Now you will probably answer: "Just give us the option, let the user choose what he wants to do!" I would counter this philosophically in a very general way: freedom is not good per se, because freedom means responsibility, and that again needs building and investing knowledge, courage, and strength. And there's still always the risk of making the wrong choice.
As author I see it as my responsibility to make some decisions for the user. This may seem arrogant, but this arrogance is inherent in any authorship, isn't it?

And there's still always the risk of making the wrong choice.

Indeed this is the philosophy of Microsoft Corp., isn't it? MS likes to make decisions for their users - and that's why there are so many add-ons and tweakers for MS products at the market in order to give an advanced user decisions making right back.

This may seem arrogant, but this arrogance is inherent in any authorship, isn't it?

You are the author - and this is a good reason to be correct... A sergeant is always right!

you really type that into a decript.ion file??

Certainly not! It was a joke only; you see, if I do know I have to erase some file as soon as possible, so I do erasing, not commenting Howeve there are some cases when I can not manage without a comment indeed. For example, "This letter was sent to John at 10.11.2004. John's promised to discuss it with Mary till 20.11.2004. NB! All my statements in the 1st and 3rd paragraphs are absolute lie, and Mary knows it, but John does not. " Are you or Gandolf creative enough to code this information in file name?

And there's still always the risk of making the wrong choice.

Indeed this is the philosophy of Microsoft Corp., isn't it? MS likes to make decisions for their users - and that's why there are so many add-ons and tweakers for MS products at the market in order to give an advanced user decisions making right back.

This may seem arrogant, but this arrogance is inherent in any authorship, isn't it?

You are the author - and this is a good reason to be correct... A sergeant is always right!

you really type that into a decript.ion file??

Certainly not! It was a joke only; you see, if I do know I have to erase some file as soon as possible, so I do erasing, not commenting However there are some cases when I can not manage without a comment indeed. For example, "This letter was sent to John at 10.11.2004. John's promised to discuss it with Mary till 20.11.2004. NB! All my statements in the 1st and 3rd paragraphs are absolute lie, and Mary knows it, but John does not. " Are you or Gandolf creative enough to code this information in file name?

Leopoldus wrote:However there are some cases when I can not manage without a comment indeed. For example, "This letter was sent to John at 10.11.2004. John's promised to discuss it with Mary till 20.11.2004. NB! All my statements in the 1st and 3rd paragraphs are absolute lie, and Mary knows it, but John does not. " Are you or Gandolf creative enough to code this information in file name?

I never lie, so I don't need this kind of safety belt

The Sergeant

admin wrote:Thanks, but I don't use descript.ion files myself. Does anybody else here?

I am late to this thread but I can say that I am a dedicated DESCRIPT.ION user. I use an old (but fast) version of Acdsee. I like fast applications and that is why TrackerV3 is so attractive.

I use Ghisler's Total Commander and also Enriva's Magellan for their DESCRIPT.ION support. The Usenet downloader Newsbin Pro and also Gravity will create DESCRIPT.ION files and I like those too!

I think it would slow TrackerV3 down to be interrogating an extra file but the option to do this would be mighty useful and my impression is that DESCRIPT.ION files have a very simple file structure (text based) to interpret.

Best wishes.

spinner wrote:I think it would slow TrackerV3 down to be interrogating an extra file but the option to do this would be mighty useful...

Even the option would slow TrackerV3 down!
Sorry, but this topic is through. TrackerV3 is for people who know the art of naming files.

admin wrote:

spinner wrote:I think it would slow TrackerV3 down to be interrogating an extra file but the option to do this would be mighty useful...

Even the option would slow TrackerV3 down!
Sorry, but this topic is through. TrackerV3 is for people who know the art of naming files.

Heh heh! I wish all newsreaders also knew that art of naming downloaded binary files. They just put a basic name on and the Usent subject line gets lost.

Oh well.

Don't let me start on a rant! ;-)

Sorry, once more about it.

At the first,

I never lie, so I don't need this kind of safety belt

I think, sofware is to serve a man, not to teach him a life philosophy Indeed there are very many occasions, when it is not possible to code some very short, but very important information into a filename. So, Mr. Sergeant, your statement, that

TrackerV3 is for people who know the art of naming files.

is not quite appropriate, is it? I dare to think, that I really do know this art, but in some situations it is not simply enough.
Once more, many modern file managers (Total Commander etc) and download managers (ReGet etc.) work with descript.ion subsidiary files. BTW, either TC or ReGet are programms for advanced users, who know how to use their system options optimally, e.g. filenames.

Now if I need to copy, to move or to rename some file, I have to manage as this:
1) find a needed file in TrackerV, thats why TrackerV is the best for this task;
2) copy found file's full path into a clipboard;
3) open Total Commander;
4) insert the file's path from a clipboard into Total Commander pane path;
5) now finally rename, or copy, or move the file.

The only reason is that TC can work with descript.ion files, but TrackerV can not. If however we have in mind, that TrackerV is a good and universale filemanager, not the file searhing utilite only, the situation descripted above (when I have to use the fird-side application to rename etc. a file founded in TrackerV), seems to be funny, doesn't it?