Virtual folders...again (sorry!)

[Derek Cornish]

I've been looking at all the postings on virtual folder, temporary panels, file redirector, etc., etc.

It looks as though v7 of TotalCommander hasn't so far enabled any progress to be made on this issue...or have I missed something in the German-language panels?

I've tried out TempPanel and File Redirector, but neither work for me (XP, using v7RC4 of TC).

TempPanel:
TP will not allow me to access its files again (or copy altered ones back onto the source file in its original location) once I have edited them. What happens is:
1. I copy a text file from Drive G: into the TempPanel.
2. I edit and save the file in TP.
3. When asked whether I want to upload the changed file back to the TempPanel, I click YES, and it appears to do so (the file size changes).
4. BUT when I try to view (F3) or edit (F4) it again, I get an error message box telling me there is a error when downloading the edited file from its temp location.
5. When I look in the temp location's subdirectory (\local settings\temp\_tc\) no file is present there.

I get a similar problem with File Redirector - once I have edited the file I get an Access Violation (at 7C006198) if I try to view or edit it again using F3 or F4. After this, TC freezes and has to be ended via the task manager.

Has anyone else had this problem? If so, is there any other way of operating a "virtual folder" system so that I can gather files I am temporarily using on a project, in order to work with them - and save them back (even if only manually) to their original locations?

Thanks, Derek

[Derek Cornish]

Judging by the silence, it looks as though interest in virtual folders has evaporated. Does one have to move over to SpeedCommander or Dopus for this feature?

Derek

[icfu]

There has been a change in the FS plugin interface 1.5 years ago, it's up to the plugin developers to use them.

Code: Select all

06.11.05  Added: Two new FS-Plugin functions to support links to files (virtual file panel)

Until now there is no progress.

Does one have to move over to SpeedCommander or Dopus for this feature?

If you desperately need it and prefer a native implementation: Yep.

Icfu

[nsp]

If you are using windows XP or Windows Vista, you can use standard Shell command to make hardink (for files) or junction for folder.

Ex : Create a Real folder onto your hard-drive called "Linked files"

on XP use the command fsutil hardlink (Create/Delete) LinkedFile [SourceFile]

on vista use mklink (I do not use vista !)

With this, you can edit/view/copy the file as a regular file.
Delete the link only delete the link and not the source !
Renaming the source file does not affect the linked file (the link is always ative)

The limitation is that file and link must be on the same volume !

If you want a nice tool to manage all kind of link you can use
hardlink shellext

Hope this help !

[Lefteous]

The author of Temp Panel has worked on a new version. It has not been released officially yet.
Another plug-in author also tested the new functions for virtual panels but I don't know if he'll publish such a plug-in.

[Derek Cornish]

There has been a change in the FS plugin interface 1.5 years ago, it's up to the plugin developers to use them.

Until now there is no progress.

If you desperately need it and prefer a native implementation: Yep.

Icfu

Thank you for the update, Icfu. I should also have mentioned xplorer2, which you commented on favourably some time ago.

Derek

[Derek Cornish]

If you are using windows XP or Windows Vista, you can use standard Shell command to make hardink (for files) or junction for folder.
....
If you want a nice tool to manage all kind of link you can use
hardlink shellext

Hope this help !

Yes, this is very helpful. I didn't know about the hardlink feature. (I can add it to the long list of things I didn't know about XP.) It might be a good workaround for me. I'll download hardlink shellext.

Derek

[Derek Cornish]

The author of Temp Panel has worked on a new version. It has not been released officially yet.
Another plug-in author also tested the new functions for virtual panels but I don't know if he'll publish such a plug-in.

Loftus -

It's good to know that some people are working on plug-ins. Using TC would always be my first preference. In the course of looking around for alternatives I tried out many other file managers, but TC always comes out best, except for the "virtual folder" issue - and, of course, lack of gridlines, which I really miss.

Derek

[jdmarch]

I am still hoping for progress on virtual folders. The only reason I didn't weigh in earlier is that I've gotten discouraged by the lack of progress on this in TC over the years, so I don't check in about it very often ... this missing feature is far more important to me than any improvements made in TC in recent years except for tabbed panels.

I really don't understand the lack of progress on this. Seems to me that it would be a killer feature, to be able to assemble and persistently refer to an arbitrary grouping of already existing files. For example, to be able to persistently save the results of an Alt+F7 file search (and of course to remove extraneous results from this saved list).

As a workaround, yes, I have used hard links occasionally over the years (BTW they are also available in Win2K ) but because most utilities do not recognize them as such, you have to take special care to avoid making extra copies of the files when you back up (for example, putting hard linked files in a folder which is excluded from backup).

But still hoping....

[jjk]

I agree with jdmarch.

Hoping so long...

[Valery_Kondakoff]

If there is some update on this topic?

[Derek Cornish]

If there is some update on this topic?

Coincidentally, just what I was wondering this evening.

Derek

[JohnFredC]

SpeedCommander has a nice virtual folders functionality, though you cannot drill-down folders you have placed in a virtual folder. It's best used for file lists, not virtual hierarchies. The SC interface (a second level of tab groups) into the virtual folders is very good, though.

You might look at Dopus, also. Expensive, but supports virtual folders in the folder trees (SC doesn't).

Xplorer2 has a "container" functionality that is a lot like virtual folders.

I have specific uses for virtual folders and turn to one of these tools when I need the functionality, returning to TC for almost everything else. Too bad such a useful thing hasn't been addressed natively in TC.

Perhaps after the unicode hurdle has been cleared....

[Derek Cornish]

SpeedCommander has a nice virtual folders functionality, though you cannot drill-down folders you have placed in a virtual folder. It's best used for file lists, not virtual hierarchies. The SC interface (a second level of tab groups) into the virtual folders is very good, though.

You might look at Dopus, also. Expensive, but supports virtual folders in the folder trees (SC doesn't).

Xplorer2 has a "container" functionality that is a lot like virtual folders.

I have specific uses for virtual folders and turn to one of these tools when I need the functionality, returning to TC for almost everything else. Too bad such a useful thing hasn't been addressed natively in TC.

Perhaps after the unicode hurdle has been cleared....

Thanks, John. I've looked at all of these in the past, but have been reluctant to buy one for just this feature. I want my favourite file manager to have it :-).

However, virtual folders are VERY useful for managing projects without disrupting one's default filing arrangements. I might be able to make do with one of the various temp panel plugins TC has, but I have tried them with mixed results in the past. They all look rather elderly and I don't like the thought of entrusting my files to them (accidental deletions, crashes, etc.) especially given the fact that they seem somewhat unstable at the moment - temporary partial display blanking, etc., when viewing some files in TempPanel, for example. None of this gives me enough confidence.

I'm not criticizing the developers of these plugins, of course, who do much of their work in their spare time, and am always grateful to those with the skills to add to TC's features. But work in this area does seem to have stopped, so I may have to look elsewhere for this feature (and gridlines!).

Derek

[Lefteous]

I hope that the planned integration of a burn function will also introduce virtual folders. Both need to manage a hierarchically organized, virtual file system.