Paper Folders support *hidden* XY comments.

[eil]

Since some time i found much use for PFs not only as a mere tabs, but somewhat like a databases = i fill them via manual adding in tabs or scripts ops, and use for say popupmenu, inputselect, other funky stuff. That's probably not exactly what they were expected to be used as, but they work real good in this case. The only flaw is that PF requires only one path per line and nothing extra can be added. So it would add extra functionality to PFs, if user could actually add comments inside.(the usual // way)
Basically i ask for XY to handle PF with comments, but ignore everything under comments when opening PF as a tab.
Yeah i remember PFs were always meant to be basic and simple, but this little addition is not a big deal yet would add new edge of functionality.

[admin]

I'm not against it, but it needs some care. In a line like this the comment would be ambiguous (PF comment or script comment?):

Code: Select all

echo "hi!"; //comment

Granted, in this example it does not really matter. But you would see the script comment in the list, you would not see the PF comment.

[eil]

If you mean that when opening PF as a tab, one wouldn't see those comments in XY List - that's the part of concept.
Example of new PF:

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D:\Progs\XYplorer\XY64.exe //context menu exec
D:\Progs\XYplorer\XYplorer.chm//Help database =why no rocker-click topic?
D:\Progs\XYplorer\XYplorer.exe  //send scripts as parameters here

I specifically show it with different number of spaces between last sign of path and the actual comment sign(//), cause i'd hope those be ignored.
In short and simple: currently XY's PF require "only one path per line and nothing else" >> it would be still one path per line, but there may be a comment section on each line, and when opening such file as a PF-tab, XY should simply ignore anything between // and <crlf>.

This example above ought to open in List as usual, showing 3 EXEs, but the comments are still there = currently XY can't open this as a PF-tab.
What's the point? Anything "hidden" after comments may serve as "additional info", like say:
- parameters for EXEs to possibly be used for cmd scripts;
- notes to each document in PF collection(sorta like XY's Comments, but these are independent from database and contained only in this particular PF-collection);
- if PF is used as a list for popupmenu/inputselect, comments could contain additional paths for icons, for retrieving by script (yet file still can be opened as a usual PF-tab).

[admin]

Sure, I got that. What I meant is, you might want to see the script comment in echo "hi!"; //comment, but when all comments are hidden from the list, then this one would become invisible too.

[eil]

Probably i still misunderstand smth, but why scripts have anything to do with PF? I mean PFs are mere TXT files, and they can be not only TXT but any other extension(if i remember correctly). But what defines PF is that it can have Only list of paths = if anything else added, that wouldn't be recognized as a PF to be opened in a tab.
So you mean implementing this idea may make "comments invisible" even for xys files, if viewed by XY means?..
Maybe this casus is due to me using "comment" as a name, which indeed is closely connected with scripts? This addition actually has more common with "notes" and can be easily defined by other sign, to not overlap with scripting comments definition. I just called this "comments" cause resembles that.


BTW i forgot to mention(just to be sure) about usual PF re-arrange or clearing of non-existent items. I presume XY handles PF as a list with <crlf> separator and defines each path-line by that. So i hope comments will follow same: while deleting a non-existent path-line which has comment - the comment surely get erased too, and if re-arranging order of path-lines in PF(say via manual sorting in PF-tab) - comments same move along with whole line.

[admin]

Maybe have a look into the Help on Paper Folders...

[eil]

You probably mean this part of examples:

\\VEGA
\\VEGA\code
\\VEGA\code\Admin.ini
C:\Users\Donald\Pictures\Tower-The-Of-Babel-Brueghel-Elder.jpg
C:\Users\Donald\Desktop\
E:\Test\Charsets 日本人\北京体育大学
echo "hi!";
https://www.xyplorer.com/
https://www.xyplorer.com/images/whatsne ... ltip_t.png

Well i can say nothing in this case, since i never used scripts in PF, only opening PFs as tabs and filling them by drag'n'drop or via search results or script filtering.(so always only real items) Maybe others may have smth more to say.

[eil]

Tried to check out what this kind of PF will be opened as:

D:\Progs\XYplorer\XY64.exe
D:\Progs\XYplorer\XYplorer.chm
D:\Progs\XYplorer\XYplorer.exe //
echo "hi!";
https://www.xyplorer.com/
https://www.xyplorer.com/images/whatsne ... ltip_t.png

That's what i've got:

2025-02-24_192333.png (4.76 KiB) Viewed 1932 times

While i understand that path with // brakes the rule "only path", i see no effect from web link or scripting command -> no wonder i didn't use those since i don't understand How to.

[admin]

Oha, a bug! Those items apparently only work when Allow Zombies is enabled. I'll have to see if that's a bug in the Help or in the app...

[eil]

Ah, indeed with Zombies allowed they do appear!(invisible world being revealed )
Now i finally understand what you meant about "in-/visible comments". But still i'm not sure: theoretically it's good to see comments when it's about scripting, though since item's caption is anyways limited, it's not really a place to have comments important to be seen.

Soo.. since there is no way to differentiate if the line is a path or a script, i'll be good with either way you/others pick:
1- make // do hide comments(i drift to thought it's not a big loss here);
2- use some other signature(if possible) to depict that "invisible notes go next".

[Garonne]

Honestly, I'd go for hiding comments, only in those cases, where it makes sense.

That's paths and internet links based on what I can see as useful.

Don't hide comments in script snipets. They are mostly put there for a reason.
Keep them on anything similar, too.

Hide them, only for items mentioned above.

Though I'd actually go for showing them in a separate comment column, too...

But that's a different thing...

[eil]

Additional idea combining variants above:
3- let // stay as is and visible for scripts in PF, while anything between extended comments /* */ gets "non-existent for PF-tab rendering".(and by anything i mean it can be multi-lines, so <crlf> between those are ignored too)
Example:

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D:\Progs\XYplorer\XY64.exe
D:\Progs\XYplorer\XYplorer.chm /* this file will be rendered in PF-tab, but this comment ignored
D:\Progs\XYplorer\XYplorer.exe   this file won't be rendered cause part of extended comments started above*/
echo "hi!";
https://www.xyplorer.com/   /*this link will be rendered, but surely this comment ignored*/
https://www.xyplorer.com/images/whatsne ... ltip_t.png

Justification: scripts in PF can be only one-liners, same as // comments; yet caption of items in List is limited and real long code/comment would be deprecated = so /* */ being "hidden" fuses with PF demands nicely.

[admin]

Needs more thinking and more time. I'll look into it again after 64-bit.