Provide a way to setup content plugins on the fly

[Lefteous]

Plugins of all types have a built-in way to configure them. But there is an exception: Content plugins. Many Content plugins can be configured. Currently there is no built-in way to setup Content plugins. It would be nice if there would be a way to display a configuration dialog.

When the content plugin configuration has been finished TC should ask the plugin for the usual configuration functions.

Here are two ideas how it could be done. Both are right in the context of selecting a field.

1) My favorite approach no longer displays a menu but a dialog or flyover panel for selecting fields. This would be very handy when there are many fields. Another advantage is that the default unit is automatically preselected.
In this mockup there is just a simple dialog. It could be also a flyover panel where multiple fields can be added one after another without closing the dialog.
The button to display the configuration dialog (only enabled when available) offers the chance to send the currently selected field and unit to the plugin. So the plugin can start just there.

2) Uses the existing menu approach for field selection. There is a new item which only appears when the plugin has a configuration dialog. This would be less effort. It's an okay solution.

The mockup should be quite interative where it matters.
http://lefteous.totalcmd.net/tc/ideas/plugin_field_selection/index.html

[MVV]

2) Looks less overloaded. The only note: 'Configure' item must be the last one, not first one, and maybe after a separator.

It seems that TC should re-enumerate plugin fields after successful configuring.

[Lefteous]

2MVV

The only note: 'Configure' item must be the last one, not first one and maybe after a separator

As this list can be quite long - try with shelldetails* for example - I would actually prefer to have the 'Configure' menu item on top.
A separator is of course necessary. It's just not in the mockup.

It seems that TC should re-enumerate plugin fields after successful configuring.

As I wrote...

* Yes I know that ShellDetails currently has no configuration. One of the reasons is that creating a standalone exe just sucks.

[MVV]

As this list can be quite long - try with shelldetails* for example - I would actually prefer to have the 'Configure' menu item on top.

It is not an important item so it shouldn't be top one.
BTW I checked with EXIF plufgin: it has more fields that fits on my screen so scroll up and down arrows appear in menu, and I can press Up keyboard button to jump to last item.

[solid]

I vote for no.1 solution.
That's the way to pick the fields from content plugins, especially if the dialog window is resizable and remembers its size next time.

Of course, add button and multiple selections are mandatory. Also bold or some other mark for already added items while editing the view. I'm referring here to custom content views.

[MVV]

It is too overloaded and requires additional button click (also changing units requires switching to separate control). And, I don't think you will need to insert multiple fields of same plugin sequentially too often.
However filtering plugin fields would be useful so perhaps such dialog may be displayed via special plugins menu item so you could type a word and see matched fields of all plugins in a single list.

[milo1012]

It is not an important item so it shouldn't be top one.

Who says that?
It depends on the plug-in if configuration is important or not, that's the whole point of the suggestion.
But even if: just add an additional TC Ini option to either show it on top or at the bottom of the list.
Or let the plug-in report where the dialog should be, since you'd need to update the WDX interface anyway.

The 2nd solution was also in my mind.
It shouldn't be too hard to set up.
The 1st one looks nice of course, but produces too much "mouse time" or complicates keyboard navigation IMO.

[MVV]

Who says that?
It depends on the plug-in if configuration is important or not, that's the whole point of the suggestion.

I mean that most often you open plugin submenu in order to select some data field but not to configure it.

[Lefteous]

The 1st one looks nice of course, but produces too much "mouse time" or complicates keyboard navigation IMO.

My prototype is definitely not on the same level with a program. It's just for illustration.

So the default focus would be the first plugin. Then you would navigate to the desired field just like in the menu and press Enter when you have find what you were looking for. I don't think that's a big change or even too complicated. The interaction is actually quite similar.
Expanded/collapsed state would be collapsed by default and then remembered when closed/reopened.
Having an extra field for unit selection is definitely an advantage. In the menu solution when there is actually more than one unit you have to explicitely select the <default> unit. The dialog/flyover solution requires no interaction in order to select the default unit.

I think the advantages of having a scrollable list are outweighing the cons.

[MVV]

Here my test mockup

Animated Screenshot

Configuring is done via #2 way, i.e. using additional menu item. Another menu change is new 'Selector...' item. No more menu changes (mockup doesn't show unit submenus but they should be there).

Selector window is resizeable with filtering (maybe even sorting), multiple fields may be inserted using 'Insert' button, Enter or doubleclick on field. Units are moved to separate submenu that is opened via 'Insert Unit' button or Shift+Enter (mockup only shows sample size units). Dialog is not modal so can stay near MRT dialog and may be reused if user changes template text or cursor position.

[Lefteous]

2MVV
Thanks for taking the time to produce an alternative idea.

Integration of a filter is definitely very handy. Using a flyover is really welcome as I wrote earlier. If the flyover is opened directly the ? button could work as a show/hide toggle for the flyover window.
I'm not sure though if it actually requires two ways of adding a content field.

Another idea would be use something similar to the command selection dialog. Something like that:
http://lefteous.totalcmd.net/tc/ideas/configure_content_plugins_v3.png