The new Open... command

[admin]

Currently it defaults to the last opened item (if there is any) (using this comman.
Should it instead better default to the currently focused list item (if any) (even if it is not selected)???

Advantages:
- Easy way to add items to the Open MRU (without typing or copy/paste).
- Way to open focused item without selecting it (whatever that's good for).

[Stefan]

You talk about

v9.00.0202 - 2010-04-23 12:05
+++ Menu File: Added command "Open...". Here you can enter, paste, or
select an item (file, folder, drive) to open, without the need to
go there first. Recently opened items are stored in a MRU list
that is saved between sessions.

Should it instead better default to the currently focused list item (if any) (even if it is not selected)???

I think no.
I still have not tried this new feature but i can imaging:

I think the workflow for this new "Open..." feature should be completely different from older open options.
I would see this new "Open..." feature as an replacement for the Windows taskbar run command.
And it should never work for unselected items

But as i have not really tried it... maybe i see this wrongly?

Mayby Ctrl+O should just open the dialog,
and smtg like Ctrl+Shift+O can open the dialog with current selected item as default ?????


EDIT: i forgot to say thank you for this feature, so i will take this
change to say: Thank you Don, this will surly come in handy (as i imagine)

[admin]

Trying it would have been much quicker than writing such a long post about not yet having tried it.

[admin]

Advantages:
- Easy way to add items to the Open MRU (without typing or copy/paste).
- Way to open focused item without selecting it (whatever that's good for).

Forget the 2nd point, this is already possible of course... (menu File / Open Focused Item)

[Stefan]

Trying it would have been much quicker than writing such a long post about not yet having tried it.

Since i have to log on to License Lounge to download... and being in an large customer network ... i have to wait till evening

[Stefan]

O.K., tried it

Now i think the selected item should be entered into the open dialog as default.

-

Change Log> "relative paths are supported."
How should this works?
Using "JustTest.cmd" was recently changed to mean "<xypath>\JustTest.cmd"
"\JustTest.cmd" search for ?:\test.txt (in the root, not in the current folder)
".\JustTest.cmd" tries to open "<xypath>\JustTest.cmd" too
So non of this three possibilities works for me.

EDIT:
no, i was wrong about behaviour of relative paths:

Code: Select all

v8.80.0067 - 2010-01-30 18:16
    * Resolving relative paths: Now a relative path beginning with a
      backslash is resolved as a direct subfolder of XY's app drive.
      For example:
        \folder\blah.txt = [XYdrive]:\folder\blah.txt

but i still don't know how to open JustTest.cmd from current active folder.

-

As i see, Apps from AppPath are not recognized (like cmd, calc, mspaint, photoshop)
O.K. so it's not an RUN replacement.

-

Change Log> "to open, without the need to go there first"
Maybe add an [Browse...] button too?

-

.

[admin]

Relative paths in XY are usually relative to app path.

BTW, before anybody asks for it, here are the changes for tomorrow:

Code: Select all

    * Menu File | Open...: Now the POM is opened "upon" the dialog. That 
      way you see what is about to be opened, and you can cancel the POM 
      while the Open dialog keeps open.
      To avoid a stupid beep the POM now opens on key UP (instead of 
      DOWN) when opened by Ctrl+Enter.
    * Menu File | Open...: Another little rule has been necessary:
      - The POM will not show any applications that are defined with XY 
        variables (<curitem> etc.) in the arguments. Such arguments are 
        resolved with reference to the current list state, and the Open 
        command should be independent of the list.

[admin]

Now i think the selected item should be entered into the open dialog as default.

I would have done it right away if it were not for one problem: If you just want to open the last opened file again, the above forces you to additional clicks, either to unselect the current file before opening "Open", or to use the dropdown in "Open" to select the last file.
And, since this necessity is context dependent (is a file selected or not), it's no good for muscle memory. Unless you always go the dropdown way which is 5 clicks:
- call Open
- open dropdown
- select file
- close dropdown
- OK Open
Not good for the muscles.

Conc. a "Browse..." button: I find using this button so clumsy that I rather do not want it here.

What about this instead: Additional button "Add Current Item" to the Open dialog.

OTOH, a Ctrl+P, Ctrl+O, Ctrl+V will do the same without the need of another button...

[admin]

Now i think the selected item should be entered into the open dialog as default.

OK, after playing around with the new Open dialog the whole morning, I came to the conclusion that this is the expected behavior.

[Stefan]

Now i think the selected item should be entered into the open dialog as default.

I would have done it right away if it were not for one problem: If you just want to open the last opened file again, the above forces you to additional clicks, either to unselect the current file before opening "Open", or to use the dropdown in "Open" to select the last file.
And, since this necessity is context dependent (is a file selected or not), it's no good for muscle memory. Unless you always go the dropdown way which is 5 clicks:
- call Open
- open dropdown
- select file
- close dropdown
- OK Open
Not good for the muscles.

No clicks. Just Ctrl+O, Arrow down, down, down, Enter, Enter

- - - -

Conc. a "Browse..." button: I find using this button so clumsy that I rather do not want it here.

O.K., but...

Code: Select all

+++ Menu File: Added command "Open...".
[...], without the need to go there first.

so i would find an browse button an useful way to select an item (script or app)
onetime and then execute it from history the next time(s).
Without an browse button... i have to "go there first" to copy and insert the item path\name in question.

Open_CTRL+O_001.PNG

- - - -

What about this instead: Additional button "Add Current Item" to the Open dialog.

Seams not to be an good workflow for me.

At least not for this purpose (as default for accessing curitem),
as addition, for browsing (sic), pasting an app first, and adding the <curitem> then, yes, that's fine.

OTOH, a Ctrl+P, Ctrl+O, Ctrl+V will do the same without the need of another button...

To much different keys to search and press... and an user have to know them/this.
Doable, yes (and please no script to execute this three shortcuts with one single press )
I just think: if there is such an option, it should be intuitive and provide as much functionality as possible.

[Stefan]

For "Open item" in UDC or Catalog i can just use "magic words" like 'calc' or 'mspaint' or 'regedit'
(that are apps from "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths" or from %path%)

For example if i use catalog entry 'msPaint' with "Open item" it works and Paint is launched.
But if i use "Go to location" the file "<xypath>\mspaint" is searched, not found, thus showing an error message.

It looks like the new CTRL+O Open command works like "Go to location" too?
Instead of "Open item".
Because i get this error if i try "CTRL+O, mspaint, Enter"

Could/should this "Open" command be altered to use "Open item"?

[admin]

Right, the Open dialog is only for files and folders.

I check if can extend it to "magic words"...

[admin]

Right, the Open dialog is only for files and folders.

I check if can extend it to "magic words"...

No, not possible. And not really the use of this interface. This is mainly for opening files (documents), resp. opening recently opened documents again, not launch apps. XY offers other and better interfaces to launch apps.

[Stefan]

[...] This is mainly for opening files (documents),
resp. opening recently opened documents again, not launch apps.

Ah, i see, thanks.
I just hoped i could use this command for some more issues.

[admin]

Now, that I auto-add opened files to the MRU, I wonder if it is still good/necessary to preset the Open dialog to the currently selected file... I rather think it's not.