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Idea: Fixed folders on top of list view
Posted: 14 Jan 2026 17:52
by autocart
Hi Don,
Just an idea for brainstorming:
What if the user could fix folders to the top of the list view?
Meaning, if the user was to set a folder to "fixed to top of view" then it would be taken out of the normal sorting sequence and always be display at the top of the list view while its list is being browsed (not the top of the list but the top of the view - independent of the scrolling position of the list itself). Of course, if so, then this should be possible for multiple folders in that list.
Not sure if this is clear enough, but like I said, just for brainstorming.
regards, auto
Re: Idea: Fixed folders on top of list view
Posted: 15 Jan 2026 03:28
by eil
IMHO that can't be done via mere "pinning folder to always stay in view" = it would require some floating menu or "manual sorting" involved.
Plus there are already few ways to achieve quite similar behaviour, either by adding folders to catalogue, or to RAF.(
I'd propose RAF could get an option to always stay in view/visible, no matter the tree scrolled position = that would allow same "pinned state".
Re: Idea: Fixed folders on top of list view
Posted: 15 Jan 2026 09:46
by admin
RAF can get long (high), so pinning it to the top would make the tree unusable.
I think there are enough ways in XY to quickly open a specific folder. Folder View Settings even remember a Permanent Custom Sort Order.
Re: Idea: Fixed folders on top of list view
Posted: 15 Jan 2026 10:35
by jaywalker32
I've had this need in the past and what I did was something like this:
Code: Select all
$files = readfile("c:\downloads\links.txt");
selectitems; //clear selection
foreach ($f, $files, <crlf>) {
if (gpc($f) == <curpath> && exists($f)) {
selectitems "$f", 2, 0, "a";
}
}
#318; //move to top
selectitems;
It doesn't keep the pinned items 'floating', but it selects and moves them to the top of the list.
I used color tags to indicate which files/folders to 'pin', but you can read from a file too
You can set this script to run for the Custom Event Action - After Painting the file list, and it will trigger every time you browse to a folder.
With the color label, it can just be a two liner tbh:
Code: Select all
selectitems quicksearch("lbl:red");
#318;
Re: Idea: Fixed folders on top of list view
Posted: 15 Jan 2026 15:16
by admin
Nice!
Re: Idea: Fixed folders on top of list view
Posted: 15 Jan 2026 15:36
by autocart
Thank you jaywalker32 for proving that there can be a need for such a thing.
My issues with the "solutions" that were mentioned before:
Anything that has to do with the tree is useless for me, because I don't use the tree most of the time.
Anything that has to do with the catalogue, tree, favorites, hot list, recent locations, etc. is not what this idea is about because all these solutions are global solutions and have nothing to do with the context of the list. My idea is that these floating folders would only be present in the context of the list that they belong to because there ARE part of that list. And I would also want them view-wise and cognitive-wise located in the list area.
So, jaywalker understood. Everyone else not so much. That said, this idea is - repeating myself - anyway just that - only an idea. If it was really implemented I am not even sure how much I would use it IRL, it would probably cause a lot of confusion with other users, and, thus, it might not be worth the complexitiy in the code.
Re: Idea: Fixed folders on top of list view
Posted: 16 Jan 2026 15:26
by eil
@autocard it could be better if you actually described the scenarios why you want those folders pinned, cause everyone interprets the idea by own workflow habits. Say, i use a tree as a "map" (where am i) and for fast "zoom out" = so i interpreted the idea as a desire to have pinned folders always visible for droping the items. Though indeed, i somewhat missed the point that they ought to be totally different depending on the location.(yet again, that is smth scripting can help with)