Colored Tab names

[Platypus]

1) I would highly appreciate the possibility to color the tab names (or the tabs themselves) automatically according to their properties (destination drive, locked/unlocked). This would by more ergonomic and it would save the space in the tabs used for asterisks and drive letters.

2) I don't like two tabs with the same destination folder in one panel. Could this be optionally prevented?

Thanks for considering this.

[fenix_productions]

2Platypus
Ad.1.
http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=17458
http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=5265

Ad.2.
It's not possible now and will be in near future.

It sound nice but how do you see that functionality? Should it work for folder or whole it's path? How deep? Should TC close tab right away after going into "the same" directory or after couple of seconds?

For me it could be annoying because I see such example:

1. get d:\txt in one tab,
2. get e:\whatever in second,
3. use it for a while and change drive to d:\
4. if you don't have this drive opened in opposite panel TC will switch to root directory,
5. navigate to d:\txt\test1

What TC should do in this case?

If it closes tab while browsing through #1, users will report bug. If it will stop there for couple of seconds... it will close tab.

Bad solution for me because in more cases I am stopping to check files in current tab than browsing somewhere else deeper and switching to tab #1. And I think other users might do the same.


I don't really think that even if it was optional feature, using it would be better for someone who switched it on.

Better solution would be to give additional commands like:
cm_SrcTabUnique (and equivalents for left/right/ target).

[Platypus]

Ad.1.
Thanks. I should have done the research first. Unfortunately, it seems to me like a supported feature that we can not look forward to.

Ad.2.

It sound nice but how do you see that functionality? Should it work for folder or whole it's path? How deep? Should TC close tab right away after going into "the same" directory or after couple of seconds?

What is the difference between the folder and it's path? I just mean I don't need to have d:\text opened twice in one panel under no circumstances. So whenever I accidentally navigate in a concrete folder (path), that is already opened in some tab (that I even needn't be aware of necessarily), TC should close current tab and switch me into the opened one. This wouldn't be perceived as a bug, unless I'm missing something. The users wouldn't probably even notice what happens in the tab-section.

Maybe you mean that while navigating to d:\txt\test1 from the root, I lose the previously opened d:\text folder and haven't it opened even once anymore. Well, in most cases, I think, I wouldn't mind at all. If I want to prevent a tab from disappearing, I can lock it. If I want prevent it from being duplicated i can do nothing. Especially in case of a locked tab, the redundancy of it's unlocked duplicate seems obvious to me (And this is the case that bothers me the most). So I'd still like to have the option here.

[fenix_productions]

Ad.2.
I just mean I don't need to have d:\text opened twice in one panel under no circumstances. So whenever I accidentally navigate in a concrete folder (path), that is already opened in some tab (that I even needn't be aware of necessarily), TC should close current tab and switch me into the opened one. This wouldn't be perceived as a bug, unless I'm missing something. The users wouldn't probably even notice what happens in the tab-section.

You're missing the case when I want to have two tabs opened, both: d:\test and d:\test\test1. It would be impossible with your approach because each time I could use cm_OpenNewTab (or cm_OpenNewTabBg) TC would close it. Maybe this could be avoided internally but tab would be closed soon after any usage.

Maybe you mean that while navigating to d:\txt\test1 from the root, I lose the previously opened d:\text folder and haven't it opened even once anymore. Well, in most cases, I think, I wouldn't mind at all. If I want to prevent a tab from disappearing, I can lock it.

But that means locking down each tab with similar path. Users would notice that definitely. Time delay for that would be perceived as fight against it and bug ("TC closes my tabs if I am not quick enough").

If I want prevent it from being duplicated i can do nothing. Especially in case of a locked tab, the redundancy of it's unlocked duplicate seems obvious to me (And this is the case that bothers me the most). So I'd still like to have the option here.

I agree with that part and propose additional command for leaving just unique tabs. Other solutions would require too complicated logic or too many new commands for tabs operations, just to prevent them from closing (i.e. cm_OpenNewTabLock, cm_OpenNewTabBgLock).

IMHO it would be as annoying as Auto-Correct feature in MS Office is. Sure it's nice and might be usable but most of the users switch that off and rely on Spell-Check only.

So... my point of view is:

- cm_TabsLeaveUnique -> YES
- automatic -> NO

[Platypus]

Hopefully I finally understand what you mean.

It's the different way we use tabs. I have several locked tabs (with directory changes forbidden) in both panels. So whenever I open a subdirectory, new "temporary" tab is opened automatically. So I never open new tab "by myself" using cm_OpenNewTab (or cm_OpenNewTabBg) and haven't considered their usage therefore. In my point of view, it's better to navigate somewhere (from a locked tab) and let the TC to open the tab(s) automatically, than open the new tab (duplicate) and then navigate.
As for the similar paths, I realized that I never use them in two tabs, unless one of them is locked.
I admit that the feature I suggest would annoy/confuse those who use tabs in a different way. But that's why there are the options. Otherwise the TC, Office or Windows could be all preset .

[fenix_productions]

Hopefully I finally understand what you mean.

Nice to hear that

As you can see, your way of using tabs is different from mine. I can go further and say: it's unique somehow. From what I saw in the past, other users prone to have more messy way of working: dozen of tabs in their browsers, icons on desktops, etc. They've used to that and it's more efficient for them.

Otherwise the TC, Office or Windows could be all preset .

Yes, "optional" is nice word when it comes to new features but we should all think about logic behind and will it be worth an effort put into implementing it.

It up to Ghisler consider all pros and cons for each feature and decide, is it better to code that or focus on something else. Please, remember that his "legendary ToDo list" might contain thousands of fixes / addons and even if something sounds very good, it can't be done quick.

[Platypus]

Well, this becomes more philosophical, I thing. My experience is that what looks like a messy technique can turn out as effective (although it may remain unacceptable for me). It's inspiring when you watch how someone else uses his/her PC and tell to yourself: why do I have to watch these ineffective steps (most the time) or: wow, that was cool, how did you do that? (time to time).
I don't want to force anyone to implement the features that would help me in my unique ways of using tabs. It's just a suggestion and I'm still not persuaded that it would be a silly one. I have no clue how these suggestions do get or do not get on the "legendary ToDo list". Probably they need to find a wider support in the TC community and need to be implementable (color tabs...). So if this is not the case, I don't have problem here.
BTW, could you inspire me, what is (are) the standard way(s) of using tabs? Thanks.

[fenix_productions]

BTW, could you inspire me, what is (are) the standard way(s) of using tabs? Thanks.

There is no "standard" in the meaning of official guideline. Anyone can use them like he wants to.

In this particular case we might consider as standard only the behaviour of some users groups. I can only base my opinion according to my friends and co-workers and that is what I did. I wrote that your way is "unique" because I've never seen anyone using tabs like you. Instead: many users had dozen of tabs (often with same paths) opened and not even a single person complained about it. They liked it that way.

As you've said: this might look unacceptable but this is how they use their software and feel comfortable about it. We can, of course, discuss about "the best way" for using some feature but we can't change users behaviours easily. Some habits cannot be persuaded, logic does not always work.

As an example: TC has thumbnails feature but one of my friends is using explorer for this purpose. Trying to convince him only makes me feel stupid but it does not mean thumbs are not wanted.

[Platypus]

Of courses there are no "standards", I just wanted to know what is less unique than my approach, what is common.

Instead: many users had dozen of tabs (often with same paths)

No offense, this is what I call "messy" .
My locked tabs represent my actual projects that I need to be able to access quickly and switch between. My unlocked tabs are all temporary. That's why I close them often. The average count of my tabs is up to 10 in each panel. This is really exceptional? What else are the tabs actually used for?

[fenix_productions]

No offense, this is what I call "messy" .

It's relative. For me you can be messy because I have more than 5 tabs very rarely

This is really exceptional? What else are the tabs actually used for?

I am using them as temporary places. Sometimes I've even drag'n'drop files between.

You wrote that you are using locked tabs with new ones on Enter. I can say that I have very similar usecase BUT with with different steps taken:

- directory hotlist (Ctrl+D here) instead of locked tab (with no dir changes),
- Shift+Enter on its menu (instead of Yours Enter on folder);

[Platypus]

It's relative. For me you can be messy because I have more than 5 tabs very rarely

So I'm a nice average between you and these

many users had dozen of tabs (often with same paths)

"Up to" really means up to. Right now, it's 4(locked)+1 on the left and 5+2 on the right.
I find locked tabs more handy (accessible and manageable) than the directory hotlist (which I use for rarely used "technical" locations, not the projects).
So that's it, greetings to London.

[JohnFredC]

Just to show how different users use folder tabs in different ways...

In my TC config there are two "ad hoc" tabs in the 1st and 2nd positions on each side. All other tabs are locked to specific folders, but with navigation enabled. Tabs one and two are named Home1 and Home2 (each side) and are locked to the roots of two of my drives, also with navigation enabled.

The main thing I miss from TC are the following behaviors:

1. Ability to set a locked folder tab as a root, permitting navigation down the tree, but not up. Entering such a tab would not return to its root folder unless an option to do so was set. This is an option available in a competitor commander.

2. An attempt to navigate out of the permitted domain of any tab would redirect the navigation to a tab of the user's choice. Perhaps the option for which tab to go to could be specified either by name ("MyTab"), position (left-to-right, ie. 1|2|3...), or "new tab".

The purpose of option 2 is to encourage routine mouse and eye movement to a fixed position (ie. the first tab, for instance). Perhaps the panel background could blink once to signal that the active tab has changed in response to the attempt to navigate outside the permitted domain of the initial tab.

I have thought through my use of tabs quite carefully over the years. These two options just barely scratch the surface of the additional flexibility I would use many times an hour, if implemented.

And yes... color tabs in some form are part of my wish list too!

[Platypus]

1. Ability to set a locked folder tab as a root, permitting navigation down the tree, but not up.

This I use for my locked "Temp" tab. This folder I have mapped as a t: drive. I can't navigate up the tree an can access it using "Alt+F1(F2), t".
This also helps when I need to navigate Temp folder in other programs.

[HAL 9000]

I have 8 locked different tab in two panels and assign them colours definied by me would be useful, especially other tabs (temporarily opened tabs) comes besides them, this feature would help us for faster click on wanted tabs.

Cuteftp, firefox and hypersnap has colourful tabs and they're definitely useful for me.

[cheming]

Use hotkey instead.