Custom Status Bar

[TheQwerty]

It would be really awesome if we were able to fully customize what information the status bar shows, and I think that should be added to the roadmap. However, that's a big change so put it at or near the end and let us consider something a bit less involved for the nearer future.


My drive for suggesting this is I'd prefer to use the status bar to show the modification date of the selected file rather than its name.

The focused item name is the default I'm sure people are use to it, and it can be useful, so I suggest the right most section should be capable of displaying a user selected field but continue to default to the focused item name.


How should this be achieved? I think an easy way would be either adding the orange and white arrow icon in the corner or a mouse click (middle, left or right + modifier) event that displays a menu containing the options of what can be displayed in the right most section of the status bar.

For the time being it could be tied to the same properties as the columns in the detailed view, so the user could select any of those and that is what would be displayed in that section when a single file is selected.

When the number of selected files is not 1 it could display what it does now (the focused item, drive space, location of search result...).


One concern is how you access the menu to change the display, especially with Left and Right click already in use. While I'd be happy with just a setting in the Configuration dialog to change this, I really think it best if it could be changed on the fly. Anyone have any better ideas than my above suggestion?

Another concern is what options should be available, and I think the detailed view columns or the information from the properties tab is plenty. If implemented the data from tooltips will probably be requested as well, and if it is available easily I don't see a problem in having those options.


How about it?

[j_c_hallgren]

My drive for suggesting this is I'd prefer to use the status bar to show the modification date of the selected file rather than its name.

The focused item name is the default I'm sure people are use to it, and it can be useful, so I suggest the right most section should be capable of displaying a user selected field but continue to default to the focused item name.

I like this idea! Because as it's now, the name is just a redundant item of displayed information often...the time it becomes non-redundant is when you've scrolled list so selected item is not in view...

However, given that many (if not most) filenames tend to be fairly short, I'd like to have name plus one user selected field from column values, such as Length, be in that position on status bar...since there is often one column that is just outside view and has to be scrolled horiz to be seen...

Then if the divider between those two fields could be moved as one adjusts column widths, user could decide if name would be truncated or not...

Actually, if that part of status bar could have users choice of two fields from available columns, that'd be even better..

Some sort of a drop-down (as presently one selects List col) to select fields would be ideal, but not 100% sure of best way/place to do so..

[jacky]

I'm not sure I would use it, but I'm not against it. The best way IMHO would be to have the info for that 3rd pane area based on a "template", which could include variables such as {FILENAME}, {FILESIZE}, etc so one could choose to have more than one info, in the order one feels the more natural...

When the number of selected files is not 1 it could display what it does now (the focused item, drive space, location of search result...).

I just don't get that part : to me, it should relate to the FOCUSED item here, as it kinda does now (focused item IF it's selected as well). It makes no sense to be based on selected item, as there can be none, one, or more.

[TheQwerty]

I'm not sure I would use it, but I'm not against it. The best way IMHO would be to have the info for that 3rd pane area based on a "template", which could include variables such as {FILENAME}, {FILESIZE}, etc so one could choose to have more than one info, in the order one feels the more natural...

This can be the complicated version, but for now it should be something simple. I'd rather see it implemented than have Don afraid of how complicated it is.

I just don't get that part : to me, it should relate to the FOCUSED item here, as it kinda does now (focused item IF it's selected as well). It makes no sense to be based on selected item, as there can be none, one, or more.

To me it makes more sense for it to be based on the selected item than the focused item.

You can have a selection that does not include the focused item, showing data for an item that is not selected is very confusing.

Furthermore, in the non-detail views it's very difficult to even determine which item has focus, so it won't be easy to realize which item the data is for in the first place.

Yes, you can have 0, 1, or >1 items selected, which is why I said only show the custom information for the selected item when it is the only one selected. In those other cases the information wouldn't make sense.

To be fair this current implementation is not consistent. Sometimes it shows the focused item, sometimes it shows a selected items (select an item then hit Ctrl+Up or Down), sometimes it shows an item that was previously focused (select an item now use the drag and drop selection rectangle to select a different set of items).

[admin]

Not bad in principle.

I like jacky's template solution. It's easy to implement and easy to use.

Later...

[jacky]

To me it makes more sense for it to be based on the selected item than the focused item.

Well, I find that odd, especially since there can be no selected file, or more than one in which case you'll have to go back to some other info (or focused item) which only sounds confusing to me!

Sure, you can have focused item not part of the selection, but you can also move it to another unselected item, or some selected item too. So you could at any time, regardless of the current selection state, get info about anyfile you want! Doesn't that sound better & more logical ?

And the current implementation is consistent : it always shows info about the focused item, according that it is selected as well. But yes, it might look weird that when focusing another one that isn't selected, the info stays the same instead of going back to "blank" state

sometimes it shows a selected items (select an item then hit Ctrl+Up or Down)

Nope, then it shows focused item if selected. If you move focus to another selected item it updates, otherwise no (that last part may appear odd I agree)

sometimes it shows an item that was previously focused (select an item now use the drag and drop selection rectangle to select a different set of items).

Nope, same issue : it showed item focused & selected. Now you selected a few other items, but they're not focused. Focused item hasn't changed, so info didn't either...

[TheQwerty]

Sure, you can have focused item not part of the selection, but you can also move it to another unselected item, or some selected item too. So you could at any time, regardless of the current selection state, get info about anyfile you want! Doesn't that sound better & more logical ?

No, it doesn't. It's all fine and good if you are using the detailed view, but, as far as I can tell, in all other views Don hasn't (or can't) implemented any way of knowing which item has focus. So I can select a file, change focus (perhaps accidentally), and now the data will apply to the focused item, but I won't be able to tell which item has focus. How is that logical? Is it really better for it to give me data without any idea of which item that data corresponds with?

What you're suggesting also goes against the implementation of the preview pane which only shows info for the focused item if it is selected. This is very confusing in non-detail views if there's 1 file selected and it's not focused (and more so if the file is focused and then selected via drag and drop rectangle) as no information is shown and you can't tell which item has focus.

And the current implementation is consistent

Okay, maybe I'm wrong and it is consistent, but it isn't logical.

It seems to be the last focused and selected item which triggered a status bar update.

Since you can (de)select multiple files using Ctrl+Up/Down but it only updates the bar if Ctrl is released on a file that is both focused and selected (or when selection count == 0) it will show you files that are neither focused nor selected.

Also, note that Windows Explorer bases it on the selected item regardless of the focus:
If you select no files it tells you the number of objects in the folder.
If you select 1 file it tells you the additional information (or "1 object selected" if it can't get that info)
If you select >1 file it tells you "x objects selected"

I like jacky's template solution. It's easy to implement and easy to use.

It is part of what I had in mind when it came to the more customizable status bar, but I wanted to see something sooner rather than later, so I made it much more simple.

What I imagined from the beginning is a status bar like that which is in Foobar2000 (and think you'll agree that's not something that is easy to implement).

The perfect status bar would update on focus or selection changes and would be scriptable so it would include scripting functions and variables not just for the item properties, but also the parent folder, the drive, XYplorer (version), and states (itemIsSelected, itemIsFocused, currentView, currentViewMode (drive, search, normal, network), sortedBy... etc.).

This would allow it to be completely configurable and allow me to have the information be only applicable to the selected item, jacky have it only for the focused item, and others have it show info for both or whatever else they want.

And that's why I didn't suggest it, because in my opinion to do it right is to do all this and that's just a lot of overwhelming complexity. Since it's unlikely I'd get that, I'd rather have it be as simple to use as possible and not tempt me with being able to make some changes but not the ones I'll truly want.

[j_c_hallgren]

but, as far as I can tell, in all other views Don hasn't (or can't) implemented any way of knowing which item has focus. So I can select a file, change focus (perhaps accidentally), and now the data will apply to the focused item, but I won't be able to tell which item has focus. How is that logical? Is it really better for it to give me data without any idea of which item that data corresponds with?

A lot of this discussion would take more time to respond than I have now, so will only refer to above point:
Unless I'm totally wrong here, the focused item on non-Details list view still has the dotted lines around it, right? Yes, this can be a bit harder to spot, but it still can be used to know where focus is.

[TheQwerty]

Unless I'm totally wrong here, the focused item on non-list view still has the dotted lines around it, right? Yes, this can be a bit harder to spot, but it still can be used to know where focus is.

I don't see any dotted box. I checked with a fresh copy of the latest nightly too to ensure I hadn't messed up the INI file.

[serendipity]

Not sure if you got what JC said, below is a screenshot of focused (not selected) item in list.



BTW, you can set color to the focused item, if its hard to locate.

[j_c_hallgren]

BTW, you can set color to the focused item, if its hard to locate.

But the colors only works on "Details" view...not on thumbs, small icons, etc. so on those, one has to use rely on the 'dots'.

Addendum:IF there was just a slight tint within the dotted box using the focus color as base, it would help...or if the bottom of the box could have the color line as it does when select & focus are same in Details, that would definitely help spotting it.

[serendipity]

i am so used to details view i always forget the others. Thanks for reminding.

[TheQwerty]

Not sure if you got what JC said, below is a screenshot of focused (not selected) item in list.



BTW, you can set color to the focused item, if its hard to locate.

I know what it should look like it just simply isn't there. Not in any of the lists views.

And as JC pointed out the color only works on the detailed views.


To be honest even if I can identify what is focused I'd prefer the behavior was based on selection. So since no one else wants to back that POV, consider it a request that if this is implemented it can be changed to follow the selection instead of the focus.

[j_c_hallgren]

I know what it should look like it just simply isn't there. Not in any of the lists views.

So what's wrong with your version/system that you don't see it? I've always seen it here...

[TheQwerty]

I know what it should look like it just simply isn't there. Not in any of the lists views.

So what's wrong with your version/system that you don't see it? I've always seen it here...

As they show up just fine in standard controls, I'd guess there's a bug in the custom control.

Moved focus box discussion to: http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?t=1777