Wish report. Improved copy/move dialog

[Ergo]

I don't like current Total Commander copy/move dialog. It is not user-friendly IMHO. It is:
1. For Explorer-like users who like clicking mouses.
2. It hides some very useful features of Total Commander like auto-rename (for example I got known about them only recently).

On this new i-would-like-to-be screenshot I present new layout of Total Commander's copy/move dialog.

Image: http://wincmd.ru/images/new_copy_dialog.gif

User sees all options that he/she use. Nothing is hidden! User will be aware of all options that he she may use. And it would be more convenient to check options by alt+letter shortcuts!

All known two-panels FM use this layout (DN, FAR, NC)

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 01-04-2004 15:21:42 +0000 Ergo wrote:

E> I don't like current Total Commander copy/move dialog.
[^Y]
E> On this new i-would-like-to-be screenshot I present new
E> layout of Total Commander's copy/move dialog.

Completely agree with you, this dialog designed terribly - moreover, it even doesn't have accelerator for that "View" button (sic!). The way how it should look like you suggested is much better.
As for me the things I do need in copy/move dialog are:

1. History;
2. Directory Hotlist (where I'll made an entry for "\\.\nul\" - I'm a bit tired to type it by hands each time %))).[/face]

[djk]

It's really high time to think about rebuilding it I hope Christian will share this idea, too.

[DarkKnight]

An Auto-Rename feature in the Copy/Move dialog whould be great! At least some quick renames like hanging a number on the end of the file which already exists in the destination folder. Like file.txt --> file_1.txt

The Look I don't care, I got used to it. But change it if you think it's better

[Ergo]

2DarkKnight

An Auto-Rename feature in the Copy/Move dialog whould be great! At least some quick renames like hanging a number on the end of the file which already exists in the destination folder. Like file.txt --> file_1.txt

That's the point ))
Autorename feature is already present!!! But it is hidden from your eyes Click on Options button in copy/move dialog.

Nothing is hidden! User will be aware of all options that he she may use.

That is what I am talking about

[IGL]

I also think that this is a great idea.
Dialog should have
- Alt+letters shortcuts
- dir hotlist - frequently used folders
- dir history - history for target (espacially for target typed in manually)
- All the options to be changed BEFORE copying,

so that I can quickly check "overwrite all older" or "overwrite/delete all readonly files" and then TC wil perform all the operations without asking me. This would be useful if you have a large amount of files to be copied/deleted etc. and you want to start it and let it go while you have some cofee (or tee).

If there is a good reason to hide it then let there be at least an option to eneble showing this permanently (with key shortcuts).

What else should ther be?
Let's make a specific reasonable wish list for this dialog and let Christian have a good view on what we expect and what we propose.

EDIT - I am editing this post basing on future posts to make it a list in one place. This is the creation of all the users in this thread (not only mine)!

[pdavit]

Incorporating buttons (or something else for all I know) for Directory History and Directory Hotlist would be great! A very good idea IMHO.

After all we usually need to copy/move files between frequently used folders (dir hotlist) and between recently used folders (dir history).

Of course we have the Tree button available but the speed, flexibility and ability to user-define Dir Hotlist and History (latter case excludes the user-define bit) cannot even compare to the Tree button.

On the other hand I have a feeling that Christian does not want to overcrowd the copy dialog as there were some old suggestions before and from what I can remember this was his argument for overruling them (or at least one of his arguments).

[Ergo]

2pdavit
The problem with the current dialog is that when I tried to make a macro to start moving all files with auto-renaming files and I failed with this instandard Options button

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 02-04-2004 08:38:58 +0000 IGL wrote:

I> - dir hotlist - frequently used folders

Well, I guess it can be the same good old ^D list.

I> - dir history - history for target (espacially for target
I> typed in manually)

Just a history, not some special "dir history" - like in any other dialog that has it, the one you can drop-down by "Alt"+Down. Once Christian told me he wanted to add it several times to all dialogs that doesn't have it but he always have to add some feature with higher priority instead...[/face]

[JohnFredC]

I agree with most of the copy/move dialog issues stated above, though I am nearly 100% mouse centric instead of keyboard centric.

Nevertheless here is a copy dialog I proposed last year sometime:

http://www.jfcinc.net/Interfaces/copydialog.jpg

I see now that the Path History tab and the Path History combo shown in my proposed dialog are redundant, though that is not necessarily a bad thing. Is it?

The feature that would help me the most is if the filename control was separated from the path control so that I could type over the filename without accidentally damaging the path.

[ThurahT]

I like Ergos solution better... : )

[jb]

I agree with most of the copy/move dialog issues stated above, though I am nearly 100% mouse centric instead of keyboard centric.

Nevertheless here is a copy dialog I proposed last year sometime:

http://www.jfcinc.net/Interfaces/copydialog.jpg

I see now that the Path History tab and the Path History combo shown in my proposed dialog are redundant, though that is not necessarily a bad thing. Is it?

I think the redundance in this case is a bad thing. Furthermore the "History" tab in your copy dialog seems also redundant. The history in the "Destination" field (ComboBox) is enough. Isn't it?

The feature that would help me the most is if the filename control was separated from the path control so that I could type over the filename without accidentally damaging the path.

The danger of accidentally damaging the path arises mainly because of the inconvenient word selection behaviour of TC 6.02. When you doubleclick on the path then the word beneath the mouse pointer is selected. Unfortunately TC considers only spaces as word separator. This behavior occurs in the "to" text box of the copy dialog and probably everywhere in TC, particulary in the cm_editpath field of the titlebars above the left and right file list.
Other applications more cleverly consider also backslashes ("") as word separator. So when you want to replace the file name you can easily select it just by a doubleclick. In case that the file name has spaces you can move the mouse pointer towards the directory before releasing the mouse button during the second click or you can shift-click the non-selected part after the doubleclick.

[jb]

I agree with Ergo's solution, but I suggest the following additional options:

1. Append error or warning messages with timestamp to file [...] (default file: %COMMANDER_PATH%\tclog.txt).
   Otherwise each message is issued in a message box.
2. Continue on error.
3. Truncate destination file name if it is longer than 259 characters.
   Alternative: Issue an error message if destination file name is longer than 259 characters.
   See also "BUG: Copy truncates file names >259 chars!"
4. Issue a warning message if 3. is enabled.

These options are especially useful for unassisted copying of large directories (overnight or over lunch).

Default values to be compatible with TC 6.02:

1. No
2. No
3. Yes
4. No

[pdavit]

These options are especially useful for unassisted copying of large directories (overnight or over lunch).

Yes! That brings in mind this: http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=1044

[JohnFredC]

2JB

I disagree the redundancy is bad in graphic interfaces. Redundancy may not be philosophically elegant, but it allows for different user interaction behaviors based on the varying contexts we encounter. In many cases, it is dis-empowering to only have one way to accomplish a task or access information.