Folders on desktop

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Stretto
Posts: 108
Joined: 30 Jan 2012 06:43

Folders on desktop

Post by Stretto »

I have several folders on my desktop that contain shortcuts. I use the folders to contain common applications as to reduce clutter on the desktop. So instead of having 10 shortcuts on the desktop I rarely use I have 1 folder with all the shortcuts.

Since using XYplorer these folders are opened with XYplorer. This poses a problem because it causes the folders to expand in the drive cluttering up the tree list(a big problem I'm having with XYplorersince I have it remember the expansions and I'm always using it).

It would be nice if I could keep windows explorer to open the shortcuts folder. This is doubtful. A thought that just came to mind is maybe we could add "exceptions" to XYplorer where it would just proxy to windows explorer. So, I could add an exception for this folder in question to XYplorer and when XYplorer opens it will check the exceptions list and if the path is found in the list it will just open it with windows explorer instead.

Another solution would be to have a way to "unexpand" certain folders on close or minimize. Essentially if you add a folder to a list XYplorer will "unexpand". For example. I rarely want to see the windows "Users" folder or the "My documents" folder expanded all the time. It's just something I don't use much and it tends to have a lot of subfolders which clutter the tree view.

Another possibility is to have "preset" views. Maybe have some icons above the tree view. When shift or ctrl clicked they save the current tree view. When clicked they recall that view. That way I can quickly go to a parred down view.

The point of all this is for some way to deal with "treeview hell"(analogous to dll hell which I'm sure Dan is familiar with). Maybe I'm going about it wrong but my tree view eventually gets out of control and I have to go around minimizing a lot of folders. I like the fact it remembers but it remembers too much(while explorer.exe doesn't remember enough).

nas8e9
Posts: 2232
Joined: 21 Jun 2008 14:50

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by nas8e9 »

To avoid a rambling answer, could you list your Windows version and whether you use the full or the mini tree?

Marco
Posts: 2354
Joined: 27 Jun 2011 15:20

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by Marco »

First idea that comes to my mind.
If you save a folder in the Catalog, and then edit its properties so that Action on click is Open Item, then that folder will open via WE.
Maybe this can help.
Tag Backup - SimpleUpdater - XYplorer Messenger - The Unofficial XYplorer Archive - Everything in XYplorer
Don sees all [cit. from viewtopic.php?p=124094#p124094]

Stretto
Posts: 108
Joined: 30 Jan 2012 06:43

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by Stretto »

nas: win7 full tree
Marco: Catalog?

Marco
Posts: 2354
Joined: 27 Jun 2011 15:20

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by Marco »

Tag Backup - SimpleUpdater - XYplorer Messenger - The Unofficial XYplorer Archive - Everything in XYplorer
Don sees all [cit. from viewtopic.php?p=124094#p124094]

serendipity
Posts: 3360
Joined: 07 May 2007 18:14
Location: NJ/NY

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by serendipity »

Stretto wrote:The point of all this is for some way to deal with "treeview hell"(analogous to dll hell which I'm sure Dan is familiar with). Maybe I'm going about it wrong but my tree view eventually gets out of control and I have to go around minimizing a lot of folders.
Did you try the anti-treeview hell? or minitree.
Its one of the best features XY has invented.
Check out this video too: http://www.xyplorer.com/videos/vid005.htm

Stretto
Posts: 108
Joined: 30 Jan 2012 06:43

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by Stretto »

I did try it for a second but didn't like it much because I couldn't browse folders that I haven't used. I need to move around quickly. I sort of need a hybrid tree. A mini tree but one that shows the drives.

Basically there are common folders I work in a lot. These are not recent but "most recently used". But sometimes I need to jump around to find a file or two and when looking for the file I may have to open up many directories which then are hard to close.

What would be awesome if XYplorer could have a "history" of the tree view but group them by time. This way there are far less useless entries in the history and each one is more relevant. Essentially when you make a bunch of directory changes close in time it will treat all that as one tree view.

FeatureCreep
Posts: 162
Joined: 02 Dec 2011 21:18

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by FeatureCreep »

I need to move around quickly.
The Mini Tree command is a toggle.

XYplorer.chm
Mini Tree From History. Loads a Mini Tree made from the recent history. The history is scanned backwards until the 4 deepest paths are collected that are not in a mutual parent-child relation.

XYplorer.ini
; Tweak: size of Mini Tree from Recent
MiniTreeHistoryDepth=4

Tools > List Management > Mini Tree
i.e Edit the Mini Tree
add any additional items here e.g. drives

You could probably generate mini trees using any number of criteria through scripting.
Basically there are common folders I work in a lot. These are not recent but "most recently used".
Just another thought:
Tools > List Management > Recently Opened Files > Editor Mode
Select all and copy
Tools > List Management > Mini Tree > Editor Mode
Select all and paste
View > Mini Tree

Is that closer to what you want?

serendipity
Posts: 3360
Joined: 07 May 2007 18:14
Location: NJ/NY

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by serendipity »

Stretto wrote:I did try it for a second but didn't like it much because I couldn't browse folders that I haven't used. I need to move around quickly. I sort of need a hybrid tree. A mini tree but one that shows the drives.

Basically there are common folders I work in a lot. These are not recent but "most recently used". But sometimes I need to jump around to find a file or two and when looking for the file I may have to open up many directories which then are hard to close.

What would be awesome if XYplorer could have a "history" of the tree view but group them by time. This way there are far less useless entries in the history and each one is more relevant. Essentially when you make a bunch of directory changes close in time it will treat all that as one tree view.
Its possible to make custom trees, but based on time is not possible currently. I see your point but seems too specific.
Anyway, I just made a script which will minimize your tree to recent locations, your favorites and current tabs.
http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic. ... 740#p68740

Stretto
Posts: 108
Joined: 30 Jan 2012 06:43

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by Stretto »

Cool. It's not exactly what I want but it does come in handy when the tree becomes a huge mess. The problem is sometimes the recent folders are not the ones I want. I guess it wouldn't be to hard to modify the script to add "exclusions" to the recent folders... so they will be hidden always.

For example, I rarely want the users folder to be shown all the time. From time to time I might have to dig in it a bit and it starts to clutter up the tree. Your script will keep it instead of ignoring it... but simply ignoring any folders in the users directory when it is in the recents list should fix it.

serendipity
Posts: 3360
Joined: 07 May 2007 18:14
Location: NJ/NY

Re: Folders on desktop

Post by serendipity »

Stretto wrote:Cool. It's not exactly what I want but it does come in handy when the tree becomes a huge mess. The problem is sometimes the recent folders are not the ones I want. I guess it wouldn't be to hard to modify the script to add "exclusions" to the recent folders... so they will be hidden always.

For example, I rarely want the users folder to be shown all the time. From time to time I might have to dig in it a bit and it starts to clutter up the tree. Your script will keep it instead of ignoring it... but simply ignoring any folders in the users directory when it is in the recents list should fix it.
You can ignore recent locations by replacing this part:

Code: Select all

//Minimize tree to recent
  #513;  
//Add favorites to minitree
  loadtree "$favpath", 1;
with this:

Code: Select all

//Add favorites to minitree
  loadtree "$favpath", 0;

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