More about the tree

[yurig]

First, I would like to thank Christian and the team for many excellent features in 7.0.! Excellent job guys...

In addition to tree view impressions and suggestions that were already posted here:

(a) Hot Directories list in the tree
In my everyday work, I have to switch between the same directories repeatedly. For this purpose, the HD menu does not help a lot, as each time it requires 3-4 clicks or keystrokes. If the HD list is represented as a branch in the tree, it would require just one click (or double click).

This feature will, however, interfere with auto syncronization with file panels. A possible workaround would be splitting the tree window into 2 sections - one containing the tree with current behavior, and the other containing HD branch.

There are also many possibilities for HD editing, including drag'n'drop, browsing for target directory, assigning icons and tooltips, etc.

(b) Automatic synchronization with file panel
It would be nice if this would be optional. I can think of a few scenarios where it could help:

• (1) browsing slow file systems, like network. On my company's around-the-world network, it can take half a minute to sync the tree after changing to a directory deep in the network tree.

• (2) if a FS plugin contains symlinks to other file systems that are opened in the file panel by double click. BTW, a very simple FS plugin for HD list would ease the work with HD list and could serve as a minimalistic solution for (a), but only if sync could be turned off.

• (3) for hot directories branch that I mentioned above.

In case the sync is optional, some new commands like cm_SyncWithTreeOn, cm_SyncWithTreeOff, cm_SyncActivePanelWithTree would be helpful. Another helpful feature will be to keep list of file systems where the sync is not done automatically. However, this would help (1), but not (2) and (3).

(c) Split tree view window
As an extension, the second tree view section can be made configurable, i.e., can contain FS plugins per user choise, even shortcuts to TC commands or executable files. This would, of course, partially duplicate the toolbar and menu functionality, but would definitely add some flexibility.

(d) Showing archives as directories in the tree view
In some cases but not in others (for one, in My Network Places branch but nowhere else on my system), archives are shown as directories. Could this be made optional (or just disabled at all)? From my viewpoint, showing archives as directories makes sense only if the corresponding branches can be expanded. At the moment, they cannot (the '+' icon does not work). Not sure what was intended here.

Yuri