Finder style column view in TC?

[x0054]

I was playing with mac and find that the column view tree navigation is pretty cool, and very easy to understand for beginning computer users. An I loved using it too. I doubt it would be too hard to integrate such a view into TC. What do you guys think?

[icfu]

The feature is cool – also implemented in UltraExplorer – unfortunately way too cool for TC which is a strict two-panel file manager:
Source -> Target -> End of story

Icfu

[x0054]

I think it would work really cool in the horizontal split mode. Don't see why not. Also, UltraExplorer is really nice overall, but the column view is pretty buggy. I think after 2 or 3 more releases it will be good though. I am just a hard core TC user, and would like to see a feature like this in TC as well.

For me it's more of a gimmick, but I think it works perfect for browsing unknown and unfamiliar file trees. I think this can even be done as a really intense lister plugin. Any one interested in writing one?

- Bogdan

[totalmedo]

i'm looking at ultraexplorer.mustangpeak. net/ultraexplorer.gif but i don't understand what are you talking about

[fredscal]

Support.

Indeed a MacOsX-style column tree view would be great!

And it doesn't conflict with TC being a two-panel application, since, as X0054 pointed out, there could be such a column tree in each panel, which would look coolest in horizontal split mode.

(Is there really an horizontal split mode ? Is it in the config ? Where ?)

2X0054:
For it to have more impact, you should post your suggestion in the suggestion forum !

To that end, I've taken the liberty of summarizing your two posts (copy-paste) for better clarity:
I was playing with MacOsX and find that the column view tree navigation is pretty cool, and very easy to understand for beginning computer users. An I loved using it too. I doubt it would be too hard to integrate such a view into TC. I think it would work really cool in the horizontal split mode. I think this can even be done as a really intense lister plugin.

[petermad]

(Is there really Wink an horizontal split mode ? Is it in the config ? Where ?)

In the menu: "Show" -> "Vertical Arrangement" - or use the command cm_VerticalPanels.

[ghisler(Author)]

Unfortunately I have never worked on a Mac, and I don't see what feature you mean with the link you posted:
http://ultraexplorer.mustangpeak.net/ultraexplorer.gif
It's a file manager cluttered with many small windows.

What exactly is it all about?

[StickyNomad]

2ghisler(Author)

A while ago, I tried around a little bit with UltraExplorer. The column mode looks like This.

When you enter this view mode in UltraExplorer, only the desktop is shown in the first column. If you now click on a drive or folder, a new column is added showing the drive's/folder's content. If you click on a folder in the second column, a third one is opened and so on. Columns are closed again when you navigate 'upwards the tree'. The 'open file'-dialog of GIMP also works this way.

Although I didn't use this kind of navigation intensively so far, I can imagine I would surely use it when it was available in TC. I see the main advantage of this mode in the fact that you can see multiple directory levels at one glance, and it's fast and intuitive to navigate through the hierarchy.

So from me:
Support++

[SQUIRE]

2ghisler:

If you select View/Column Mode, then the column select method becomes clear. Clicking the right-arrows progressively displays the next tree level in a column, just like Windows/Start/All Programs menu style.

At the lowest file level, if you then press F3, our very own Alex Torgashin's ATViewer pops up to show content.

I have to say that column view is very intuitive indeed but having to constantly click becomes rather irritating pretty quickly.

Other than that, UltraExplorer is still buggy (random crashes, thank you) but strikingly fast in response. It looks very sharp, is skinnable, and has useful panes like its DropStack and multiple tear-off windows. TC please copy?

I'm not quite sure which audience it would appeal to. It's too complex for casual Explorer users and not nerdy enough for TC-type people.

And btw, it's documentation is appalling, infinitely worse than TC's !

[Rob Weinstein]

2ghisler:

As a Windows/TC user, I didn't know what they were talking about, but then I found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_Columns

-Rob

[fredscal]

2RobWeinstein: That's it.
2Petermad: Thanks.

2Squire:
I think that it could in fact bridge the gap between Explorer users and TC users. And entice non-technical users to TC.

It would be clearer as well as more intuitive than both Explorer and present-state TC.

Many casual users have a hard time organizing their files because they can't visualize the filesystem structure and thus never get to think in terms of it. Such a view would be a great help to them while bringing some comfort to us. It could educate a lot of not-so-technically versed users and free them from My Documents ! (As well as from the multiple-Explorer-windows annoyance)

[JohnFredC]

The Miller Columns paradigm for browsing hierarchical data has been around for years (decades). I even built an MS Access database query tool for a client back in the 90s based on it.

The Miller schema works best for levels nested approx. = the number of panels displayed. If you only have room for, say, 5 panels, nests > than 5 levels deep become problematic for interpretation, navigation, and especially for drag-and-drop. Very important for the entire hierarchy to be displayed (without ellipses) somewhere adjacent to the panels.

Somewhat strange that avid file manager users/developers would still be unfamiliar with this venerable design.

[fredscal]

Of course the whole thing must be scrollable horizontally. And, a JohnFredC points out, a tree view should be kept in the left column, and unmoved by the horizontal scrollbar. In fact this part is already done, with TC's separate trees.

As for drag'n'drop, TC's 2 panels interface makes that easier (that's TC's whole point).

So let's make things clear here: the Miller Columns wouldn't replace TC's panels ! (2JohnFredC: so let's keep calling a column a column, and a panel a panel). There should be two sets of Miller Columns, one in each panel. Then the user would choose which vertical arrangement (vert. or horiz. split) he finds more convenient, and whether he needs 0, 1 or 2 separate trees in addition. The copying/moving of files many levels apart would be done across panels just as it's always been done in TC's other view modes.

(2moderators: Shouldn't this thread be moved to suggestions ?)

[ghisler(Author)]

Ah, I see- thanks for the screenshot and links! I have seen this on Linux once. Indeed it's nice only as long as all parents can be seen, which is a bit of a problem in a 2 panel file manager...

[JoSch]

Since Totalcommander is written using Delphi, and the mustangpeak net components on which UltraExplorer are for delphi, is there a chance it would be integrated in TC anytime?