automatic columns view when entering folder?

[Postkutscher]

Hello, does version 7 (or 6) provide a way to automatically switch to a custom column view based on the folder that's being browsed? How? Thanks in advance.

Direct? No. But two plugins can do switching of custom columns with respect to directory. These are twinkey and superwdx. Details may be read from readmes.

[Balderstrom]

Twinkey (Jun.26) appears to have unresolved issues (Jul.05) that cause TC to crash.

SuperWDX also appears to have an issue, that is resolved with Fenix's Dummy, though haven't seen how they are configured together yet.

Dummy 080219
Plugin always returns predefined characters (%$\ ) for pass the problems with SuperWDX, which does not allow to have some chars defined for any extension (i.e. space).

[Postkutscher]

Twinkey (Jun.26) appears to have unresolved issues (Jul.05) that cause TC to crash.

I`m not sure if this issue remains unresolved, the plugin is in active development to my knowledge.


Could you provide some more information about SuperWDX issue? What a chars need to be defined for any extention? Space? Whatfor? I have not understood.

[DrShark]

I`m not sure if this issue remains unresolved, the plugin is in active development to my knowledge.

Twinkey crash issue is fixed but the public version of the plugin is planned to be available after release of TC 7.5 final.

[dep]

I like the idea of having custom column headers depending on directories. that's very nice. in the same interface, it would be nice to auto-adjust the width of the left/right pane depending on what directory you're in.

For instance, if I enter my MP3 directories and have a custom column set to show the ID3 tag information, I would like for total commander to automatically go from 50/50 to 80/20, respectively (to allow for tag info).

Or, perhaps an option "Auto-stretch to accommodate full column data" would be good, too. this way, the columns will grow to automatically accommodate the largest string size for each column.

Just thinking aloud.

dep

[Balderstrom]

I couldn't get twinkey to work, in respect to coloring the TAB at least. And the only support for it is on the totalcmd.ru (in russian).

[Stance]

I support this request. My favorite is the idea to put a "customfolders.ini" in every directory that used to be customised. (Similar to the desktop.ini for Explorer)

I can even think of a complete TC-Configuration per directory but not only custom column view.

I couldn't get twinkey to work, in respect to coloring the TAB at least. And the only support for it is on the totalcmd.ru (in russian).

Balderstrom
I am goint to reply in the TWinKey Topic.

[Balderstrom]

@Stance, Thanks

I dunno that it even needs a customfolders.ini, I would think a customfolders.txt file ala ignorelist.txt would be better? Just have the first string be the name of the customcolumn and perhaps have the first line be your default -- what to switch back to when a Tab leaves a known path pattern...:

Details
MP3s, *\MP3s\*, *\Music\*
Downloads, L:\APPS\*

This way its editable within TC, and you don't have to go digging about for each .ini file you may (or may not) of created.

I like the auto_adjusting field too, would be nice to be able to indicate any field should auto_adjust, i.e. a Comments customcolumn that could autoAdjust the comment field. Obviously, only one field would be able to auto adjust -- unless one wanted to complicate the whole thing with min/max widths et al... which I believe is not necessary.

[Stance]

You can specify them by tab, not by directory. So as a quick solution, open a new tab (Ctrl+T) and choose a custom view for it, then use that tab to browse the directory.

Ghisler (Author) did just mentioned that the settings for Custom Fields can be specified per Tab, but not per directory.

I assume one could load automatically a saved Tab configuration by hitting one of the "Special folders" like "My Pictures" or "Download".
The user could create Tab-Configurations like "My Pictures.TAB" or "Download.TAB". Not only for indication but for interaction.
We could also store the settings for Custom Views in (example) MP3Info.TAB, Path.TAB or Size.TAB and later collect more directories into these Tab-presets.

It is very comfortable to use the Tab-Contextmenu to save these settings and add folders to existing sets.

When a directoy-tab (with a custom view) is already opened, it must get the focus automatically.

But all this is still only for users with at least one directory-tab...

[Balderstrom]

Having to load a named TAB is more hassle than just manually selecting your "named" custom column from the tabstop context menu.

[JohnFredC]

My favorite is the idea to put a "customfolders.ini" in every directory that used to be customised. (Similar to the desktop.ini for Explorer)

I can even think of a complete TC-Configuration per directory but not only custom column view.

Thanks for saying this, Stance. This approach would be my very great preference (and not just for TC, either). I don't care about the proliferation of a small file in each of thousands of folders... I treat my folders as monadic entities anyway and welcome anything in them that assists their use and deployment.

Please please please implement folder customizations in this manner!

[Balderstrom]

@JohnFredC
Automatic Columns view when entering folder is one of the things TwinKey does, as well as Tab coloring and optional skinning the background Panel with an image (among other things). It does have a small quirk, that I've mentioned in the TwinKey thread.

Twinkey does many things that people have asked for an internal implementation of in TC that have been ignored or denied. Anyone that wishes for Automatic Columns View should take a look at TwinKey -- waiting for an internal implementation could be futile.

TwinKey's implementation of its various features is also very slick; created by VadiMGP, previous author of TCMenu.

[fenix_productions]

Could you provide some more information about SuperWDX issue? What a chars need to be defined for any extention? Space? Whatfor? I have not understood.

I am little late to answer but:
http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?p=144228#144228

[JohnFredC]

Configuring TwinKey takes some trial and error... very confusing how to set up the folder filters.

However, once successfully configured, it does indeed work.

Woops! TC just crashed.

Well, anyway, quite an ambitious plugin with behaviors that should be inside TC, not shoe-horned into the cracks.

[Hacker]

Well, it is also doable in AHK as a workaround, as one can find in the wiki. Just a thought.

Roman