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Well Mr FileVoyager, here are my FR’s for your perusal, I do hope you feel they are useful and implement them, then I can free myself from CubicExplorer (CE)! Though I’ll be sad to see this brilliant app go, it has too many issues in need of resolution.
Many are for streamlining the workflow or space savers, giving those with low res screens the ability to see more of the file view area without the rest of the interface getting in the way. After all, that’s the main area and the point of a file manager.
Onward…
1. Default File Manager:
CE allows you to replace the default WindowsExplorer (WE) when folders are opened in other apps or from shortcuts. A necessity for any file manager for sure.2. Internal File Associations:
Ability to add file associations internally to FV so anything clicked on is opened using apps specified in FV options. Thereby overruling the hosts default associations.3. Optimise Switching Single/Dual Pane:
Have menu/submenu items to set the SplitterPercent in the INI file. Have a list of percentages in a submenu to allow quick changes to the size of the right pane. It’s currently not possible to set SplitterPercent to 100 unless you edit the INI file.4. Turn off Full Row Selection:
As it says, turn off full row select. But also, please add left click to select an item and left click and loop several items to select multiple items, without use of the keyboard, just as WE does. Easier and more natural way of selecting items.5. Customise Toolbars:
Allow to remove unused buttons from Toolbars and even allow the use of a single Toolbar and add any Button to be added to it. Reduces wasted screen space.6. Toolbar Locations:
Allow Toolbars to be moved to any location within the main window. Align them with other Toolbars and make the Main Menu a Toolbar that can align with others.7. Main Menu as a Button Menu:
I prefer to have the Main Menu as a Button added to a Toolbar so that it’s out of the way, takes up less screen space and is accessible when required, which isn’t very often!8. Drives Toolbar:
Add a new Toolbar type that displays the connected drives dynamically. This only requires an icon and it’s letter per drive. Less screen space required for low res screens than the sidebar, even in it’s hidden state.I have more… But time is short, so I’ll add them to this original post, when I get time.
Hope this isn’t too much to take in and fingers crossed you like the ideas.
Thank you for your input!
CE is a wonderful app. I’m sorry to see it falling slowly in the dark abandonware area. But I know myself how hard it is to keep a freeware alive.
Anyway! Back to your feature requests. I think each one of your item deserves a dedicated topic…
1. Default File Manager:
It’s tempting. To do things properly, I would have to support the cmd line parameters “explorer.exe” does support. But that’s not a big deal.
What’s annoys me is changing an important Registry value. If the user is not aware enough of the impact and uninstalls FV without restoring the Registry key, he’ll stay with a broken Windows.
Well, with a pretty clear disclaimer, I should be able to raise user’s awareness. Replacing explorer.exe would be done only on user’s voluntary choice, after all.
Ok, Suggestion accepted!2. Internal File Associations:
I love the idea. Suggestion accepted!3. Optimize Switching Single/Dual Pane:
Yes, I could improve the Single/Dual mode. I don’t know if you noticed it, but there’s a context menu, with quick choices, if you right click on the splitter.4. Turn off Full Row Selection:
Turning off full row selection: What for? It’s unclear for me what you want to gain or avoid by turning it off?
About the selection, have you tried the Right-Click and slide over items (Ã la Norton Commander)? Isn’t it enough?5. Customize Toolbars:
For the Ribbon menu mode, I reject your request.
For the Classic UI mode, suggestion accepted! The components that I use for the toolbars comes with a Customizer. I haven’t implemented it so far because I haven’t found a way to make it multi-lingual aware.6. Toolbar Locations:
I thought it was already drag-droppable… I’ll check as soon as I can.7. Main Menu as a Button Menu:
I’ll see what I can do. Suggestion accepted!8. Drives Toolbar:
Ok, not a big deal. Suggestion accepted! But what about a simple ComboBox instead, in the existing pane’s toolbars? If we talk about screen space optimization, we can’t do better than a ComboBox.Again, thank you for this interesting input.
WOW!!! Thanks for accepting my suggestions. As I said I do have several more, so I hope it’s not too much to ask of you, but they’d help FV become much more usable and improve it’s workflow.
For now though I’ll just elaborate on some of the aforementioned…
3. Optimize Switching Single/Dual Pane:
Aha! I thought I saw that menu somewhere. But a menu option or button to switch directly between the two states would be more effective. It would be much quicker and easier to select. Perhaps a single Toolbar Button that switches between Single Pane and the last Dual Pane State?4. Turn off Full Row Selection:
Turning off full row selection: What for? It’s unclear for me what you want to gain or avoid by turning it off?
Ok, my reason for this is that, in a traditional File Manager, when the Pane is filled, using the L-Click and slide doesn’t work to select items. The reason is that if the pane is filled, a click will drag that single item. Hence you need a void space that does not react to clicks. That way you hover in this void, click, drag over the items to be selected and presto, they are highlighted ready for your operation, move delete, etc.
I have also tried this R-Click and slide you mention, it didn’t work. I couldn’t actually figure out how to select several items without using the Ctrl key and L-Clicking. Hence my request for a more traditional method for non-commander users, who would prefer simplicity over the current method. There are more people using this traditional method for selection in WE and the many other file managers.
- This is really two requests:
a. Allow traditional selection as in WE.
b. Turn off full row selection.
5. Customize Toolbars:
My apologies, I should have mentioned this request was only for the traditional Toolbars. I realise that the Ribbon is a different beast. I would be perfectly happy with the option you validated.6. Toolbar Locations:
I thought it was already drag-droppable… I’ll check as soon as I can.
Well, yes, they are indeed draggable, but are limited in their locations.
Try and drag the Favourites Bar and locate it above the file view area and inline with the App Bar, you can’t. In fact, the only location for the Fav Bar is where it resides, at the bottom of the window.But this wouldn’t be such an issue if ALL Buttons and Toolbars were customisable so you could place Buttons on any Toolbar.
8. Drives Toolbar:
But what about a simple ComboBox instead, in the existing pane’s toolbars?
The only issue with a combo box is that you can’t see at a glance what drives are connected and accessing them requires extra clicks. Agreed, it is minimal, but reduces workflow, imho.
A specific Toolbar for Drives would allow all drives to be seen and accessed directly. You are familiar with CE, so maybe look at that to see how it’s done?
Just a thought, I believe CE is open source, so, is it not possible to use code snippets from this? Marko, CE’s dev, has taken down the website due to massive amounts of spam, but I have his email and may be able to get the source code if you wish. I do believe it was also written in Delphi, could be wrong though.
Thank you again for being so receptive, I do hope FV can replace CE, at least for me. But my most problematic issue is not knowing how to use it! Specifically, I’m talking of the seection problem stated above in fr #4.
Don’t claim victory yet 😉
I accepted the suggestions but they are just some among many suggestions I have to prioritize…
But I must admit that some of yours are high-rated.I also understand better those that you clarified, thank you for taking the time to explain.
To keep it short, your 8 suggestions are accepted.About CE and what I could reuse from it: You have to know that the source code of CE is already on my machine since a long time. I’ve already referred to it many time to see how it addresses some tricky Windows Shell’s parts I had problem with.
CE and FV are both written in Delphi, indeed. They both use many common third parties libraries and components to support their development.
But their core codebases have taken two very different paths. They’ve been built on slightly different foundations.You’re right about the non-friendliness of the selection means in FV. For somebody used to Norton or Total Commander, it’s obvious. But for people used to WE, it’s hard to figure out, and I lack help documentation because of lack of time. Maybe offering two alternative ways of selecting files should be my main focus for the next release.
Thank you for accepting the suggestions. I do realise it may be quite some time before you get a chance to implement any particular item, but the fact you have accepted them is the major part of the problem solved. 🙂
I agree that perhaps the next release should focus on how to use FV for WE users. You may find more takers that way? Is this what your aim is?
Hi,
As you can see, version 16.11.26 includes some “simplification” in the selection process.
I haven’t included the possibility to toggle the full row selection yet. But it’s in my todo’s for a next release.Thanks again!
Thank you for adding these fr’s. I do hope I don’t appear overbearing with my fr’s, as I do have many more to add. I appreciate your position and understand if you choose not to add some/all of them. I’m currently accessing web via 2G mobile! Wednesday I get upgraded, so soon as I have time I will submit a long list of fr’s for your perusal, personally I hope you include them all 😉 Realistically though, I know your time is limited and many may not be your idea of necessary/productive.
Thanks again for your update
Don’t hesitate to share your ideas/wishes here. May I just ask you to create a new topic for your new fr’s?
TIA
Ok no problem. I’ll do as above and create a list, is that ok?
Thanks for being so receptive 😉
With reference to an above fr:
When multi selecting in the new version, it needs the ability to cancel that selection by a single click anywhere in the fileview area.
Thanks
That’s because FV uses the “sticky selection” paradigm
I plan to give thee ability to switch between sticky or not sticky (that’s the question :p)
I hate sticky things! 😀
- This is really two requests:
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