XYplorer Beta Club

Maybe this is obvious, but I don't see it...
I have my IE/FF set to open new windows to "About:Blank" so I don't start anywhere specific and can easily spot the new window/tab...

Is there any similar ability in XY? So that, for example, instead of opening a new tab as a clone of current loc, I could force it to "My Computer"?
As more than once, I've opened a new tab via toolbar and then wondered where it was...
Now making a clone of current makes sense in a lot of cases, but for my wacky way of usage, it doesn't...and repositioning the tree to new desired loc would affect the current tab (right?) , plus using catalog to open new tab requires keyboard interaction whereas TB uses only mouse (true?)...

So how would y'all experts at other parts of XY handle this? Thanks!

It's possible to set a home location for a tab and access via alt+home . . . my left most tab never gets closed, so I have a permanent home directory, more or less. That's easy enough to maintain. From there, it seems solving this for you would be as simple as the implementation of 2 things -- 1. new tabs inheret parent tab's home directory and 2. a toggle in the options to open new tabs in tab home directory. I, personally, would find this handy.

j_c_hallgren wrote:Now making a clone of current makes sense in a lot of cases, but for my wacky way of usage, it doesn't...and repositioning the tree to new desired loc would affect the current tab (right?) , plus using catalog to open new tab requires keyboard interaction whereas TB uses only mouse (true?)...

hmm.. first: "the tree to new desired loc would affect the current tab (right?)" I don't think so, you got it backwards. The tree is synch with the current tab, not the other way around

Anyways, new tabs are always where they should be, ie. top right for crazy people ;P or next to current one otherwise. Either way, new tab is always activated, so you should see which one it is quick, no?

I dont really have such a problem because I pretty much never uses the "New Tab" feature (it was on my TB for a little while, but it's long gone now).
When I open new tabs I simply middle-click on Tree/Catalog and that's it, pretty quick/easy, no keyboard needed, and I now where I am/can change location obviously.
So, you could have a Catalog item "My Computer" and middle-click it when you want to open a new tab? Unless you don't have a middle-click.. and then yes holding Shift will be needed...

Ok...what I meant by "the tree to new desired loc would affect the current tab" is that when I left-click (my default via touchpad) on the new location folder, it changes the current tab to that location...(remember, I'm used to having separate windows for each IE/Explr session so one doesn't ever affect another, as compared to tabs which may)...

So if I'm within a My Documents\Letters folder, and I want to have a new tab for, let's say, Program Files\Adobe, and that is not one of my favorites or in catalog, I'd like to just get a 2nd tab opened and then switch to it, then navigate to PF\Adobe and do my thing there...

I realize that I could navigate to PF\Adobe while on tab 1 and then Shift-Click to get tab 2 open, but I'm more used to opening a new "window" and then using Alt+Tab (or Cntl+Tab in this case) to get over there, then going to desired loc...so I'm odd

Anyway, by discussing this, I found that changing color from the default background for open tab to a slightly different color helps locate it! Had not done that before.

And no, I don't have a middle-click! And I try to avoid using even a right-click whenever possible as I use the touchpad for mouse & left-click 99.99% of the time.

j_c_hallgren wrote:Anyway, by discussing this, I found that changing color from the default background for open tab to a slightly different color helps locate it! Had not done that before.

Oh yeah using a different background helps a lot Isn't that set by default?
Checked: seems not! weird, I was sure my settings here (ClrTabCurrentBack=13421772 ; ClrTabOtherBack=14215660 ; yes my settings are the best! ) were the default ones, must have changed them day 1 and forgot about it... I'd even suggest to change that actually....

And well, I see what you want, and it all comes to how one is used to do his things I guess.

For your example, I'd most likely do as you describe, ie open a new tab first then go to wherever, but I have my middle click to open a new tab
If I'd press the New Tab button on the TB though, location wouldn't be changed yes, but the tab would be open next to the current one (and with its darker bg & all I see it pretty quick). Besides, if it's just to do a quick task and then I don't need that tab anymore, when I done I just close it: back to the previous tab I was in

What could be a nice thing is way to have a destination always open in a new tab, like a prefix "+" for example. So one could set a Catalog item to always open a new tab, even on the usual left-click; but you could also use the Go to (Ctrl+G) to open a new tab where you want.
I know this wouldn't really help you (besides maybe a "+My Computer" Catalog item) but I just thought of it so...

jacky wrote:What could be a nice thing is way to have a destination always open in a new tab, like a prefix "+" for example. So one could set a Catalog item to always open a new tab, even on the usual left-click

True, but doing a Shift (left hand) while click (right hand) to get cat item open in new tab is NOT that much of a bother, even on my laptop! As that will do it right now, and also gives easy flexibility of deciding to use new tab or existing...so I'd actually not suggest this change...

BTW, I never was a touch-typist so my handling of keyboard is quite unusual...

j_c_hallgren wrote:True, but doing a Shift (left hand) while click (right hand) to get cat item open in new tab is NOT that much of a bother, even on my laptop! As that will do it right now, and also gives easy flexibility of deciding to use new tab or existing...so I'd actually not suggest this change...

Wasn't a change per-se, but an addition Besides, you could say that if the item has the prefix, then Shift would do the opposite and open the location in the current tab.. so user would still have full choice

And the idea here was to have an item always open a new tab, without having to middle click or hold shift, plus be able to have a new tab open from Go to/Address bar too.

jacky wrote:if the item has the prefix, then Shift would do the opposite and open the location in the current ----- plus be able to have a new tab open from Go to/Address bar too.

I can understand having Shift be a toggle in a way, but how that would be defined for help/documentation might be an issue...and I'm sorry, but I overlooked that blurb about via the address bar as I use that SO rarely...and there isn't a way to open from there presently, true?

Off-Topic to jacky: Just curious...what country are you in? Might you add that to profile?

j_c_hallgren wrote:So if I'm within a My Documents\Letters folder, and I want to have a new tab for, let's say, Program Files\Adobe, and that is not one of my favorites or in catalog, I'd like to just get a 2nd tab opened and then switch to it, then navigate to PF\Adobe and do my thing there...

I don't know how opposed you are to the address bar . . . but what if you did this--
You're looking at My Documets\Letters. Hit F6, type in Program Files\Adope, press shift+enter. A new tab opens, with focus, to program files\adobe. Alternatively, you could just shift+enter without entering the location -- the current tab will be cloned in a new tab with focus, and you can navigate to your desired directory.

This is essentially what you're looking for right, or am I missing something?

allen wrote:I don't know how opposed you are to the address bar . . . but what if you did this--
You're looking at My Documets\Letters. Hit F6, type in Program Files\Adope, press shift+enter. A new tab opens, with focus, to program files\adobe. Alternatively, you could just shift+enter without entering the location -- the current tab will be cloned in a new tab with focus, and you can navigate to your desired directory.

This is essentially what you're looking for right, or am I missing something?

Opposed? My attitude to address bar = or
I use it in XY maybe once a month and only if I have to!
As it implies TYPING! And why type when I can simply move my index finger around the touchpad a bit? Plus I'd have to do F6 and S+E! More keyboard! Some people like typing...not me...as I'm a hunt-&-peck guy...

And part of how this thread got started was the fact that cloning a tab means for a brief time, you have two identical tabs, which (before I changed background colors) could more easily be mixed up.

Okay, I see you folks start feeling cozy and chatty in the Beta Club, very well!

My top interest, OTOH, is coding XY -- so while I encourage you to keep on chatting, it might be a good idea to mark any statements that I should actually read (optimally a brief abstract of your discussions, hehe ) with some shock color!

This might sound ironic but it is not: since the forum got so lively recently I simply don't have the time anymore to read everything here and fix bugs and code new stuff and reply to all the XY related emails I get in my home mailbox... I mean, I also need some time to count my money.

j_c_hallgren wrote:I'm sorry, but I overlooked that blurb about via the address bar as I use that SO rarely...and there isn't a way to open from there presently, true?

I don't use the AB either, but I'm a big fan of the Go to feature. Not sure if you'd like it as it's a keyboard/must-type thing but just hit Ctrl+G and then you can type a new location, name search, VF, etc

allen wrote:I don't know how opposed you are to the address bar . . . but what if you did this--(...)
type in Program Files\Adope, press shift+enter. A new tab opens, with focus, to program files\adobe.

And speaking of Go to & Address bar, It'd be cool if Shift+Enter would work on Go to too, to open in a new tab too!

j_c_hallgren wrote:Off-Topic to jacky: Just curious...what country are you in? Might you add that to profile?

Added to profile, and I'm from France


And just in case Don missed it I'll repeat myself
What could be a nice thing is way to have a destination (Catalog, Goto, AD...) always open in a new tab, like a prefix "+" for example. So one could set a Catalog item to always open a new tab, even on the usual left-click; but you could also use the Go to (Ctrl+G) to open a new tab where you want.

jacky wrote:And speaking of Go to & Address bar, It'd be cool if Shift+Enter would work on Go to too, to open in a new tab too!

Difficult. That Shift works on the AB is rather a side effect than a feature. I have to do some cleaning in that area... Holding Shift when Okaying a dialog seems strange to me. Too strange.

jacky wrote:And just in case Don missed it I'll repeat myself
What could be a nice thing is way to have a destination (Catalog, Goto, AD...) always open in a new tab, like a prefix "+" for example. So one could set a Catalog item to always open a new tab, even on the usual left-click; but you could also use the Go to (Ctrl+G) to open a new tab where you want.

Prefix "+" ... I like the idea but the "+" is maybe too valuable for it. I have many other plans involving prefixes so I have to be careful where to spent them. OTOH there is scripting coming...

admin wrote:Prefix "+" ... I like the idea but the "+" is maybe too valuable for it. I have many other plans involving prefixes so I have to be careful where to spent them. OTOH there is scripting coming...

hmm.. carefull what you're saying here: "scripting coming" will make me start to "really" wait for it!

jacky wrote:

admin wrote:Prefix "+" ... I like the idea but the "+" is maybe too valuable for it. I have many other plans involving prefixes so I have to be careful where to spent them. OTOH there is scripting coming...

hmm.. carefull what you're saying here: "scripting coming" will make me start to "really" wait for it!

Yes yes, it won't be tomorrow morning -- the brain-to-code interface is just too slow (especially the hand-to-keyboard-part is a bottleneck). Or the days are too short. I need "+"-days ... days that open in a new tab... my golly, I'm going mad...