Good ideas in competitor to TC

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JohnFredC
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Good ideas in competitor to TC

Post by *JohnFredC »

I am a VERY loyal fan of TC and am not suggesting that anyone switch to another file utility. I certainly won't. TotalCommander is the fastest and most functional, like a part of my body.

That said, there are many good ideas in DOpus, a file commander clone from Australia. It's on the web.

Most specifically, it allows multi-step scripts on buttons and menus, plus toolbars in between the file panels (a longtime wish for TC).

DOpus is frequently very awkward to use and sometimes very slow, implementing some features essentially "backwards" from the way TotalCommander does (and the way I think), but man is it loaded with useful features!

Too many perhaps!

Still...
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Valentino
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Post by *Valentino »

JohnFredC wrote:Most specifically, it allows multi-step scripts on buttons and menus
It has already been asked so many times that I'm sure it will appear in TC eventually but don't know when (there seems to be quite a lot of work for this)... :(
So keep on asking!.. :) (to move this wish higher in Christian's wish list)
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Maxwish
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Post by *Maxwish »

I just gave 'Directory Opus" a try (after a 10 meg download and having to register to use the trial version).

Review after 5 minutes of use:
- Surprised to see it start in single pane mode, so changed it to dual-pane immediately (I don't want another explorer!)
- Major draw-backs: Seems to lack all other archive intergration other than ZIP. Not many plugins.
- Good features: Good Lister view pane (able to show lister as a 3rd pane). Nice mp3 lister plugin.
Last edited by Maxwish on 2003-03-16, 12:52 UTC, edited 1 time in total.
...BRB...
Innuendo
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Post by *Innuendo »

Max,

DOpus starting in single-pane mode is intentional. The author made a conscious decision to make the default setup as much like Windows Explorer as possible to ease migration to using DOpus. Then after users get used to the DOpus way of doing things they can tweak out the expert features.

Only having Zip archive integration is also, unfortunately, a conscious decision by the author. He says he wanted to leave any other archive integration to plugin authors. Unfortunately, he wants a ton of money for DOpus so the user base isn't growing quickly & therefore not much of a base for plugin authors to come from.

I tried to convince him to offer more archive integration for things such as RAR and ARJ, but I was unable to do so.

He is a very nice guy and has years and years and years of file manager experience going back to work on the Amiga. His work even pre-dates Christian's, but he's got very odd ideas about where his file manager should be going and how much it should sell for. I think that's going to ultimately hurt the success of DOpus.
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MacQ
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Post by *MacQ »

I find two features of Directory Opus very useful and would like to see them in TC.

1. First is the code page change function for text files. This function is very useful to Eastern Europe users, like myself.

2. The second is partialy implemented in TC with the option "Move icon to system tray when minimized". Directory Opus has this nice function, that it opens up when you double-click on the desktop. It's a very useful function, because you don't have to move your mouse all the way down and right to the edge of the screen, but only double-click anywhere on the desktop.

Please consider these two suggestions.
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Post by *Innuendo »

MacQ,

What DOpus does regarding #2 is totally different than TC as DOpus will not minimize to the tray at all.

Open up a DOpus lister & hit minimize as many times as you want. It will not minimize to the tray.

The double-click on the Desktop, while a unique feature, was very annoying to me in the end & I turned it off when I evaluated it.
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MacQ
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Post by *MacQ »

No, it doesn't minimize to the tray. But when you click the X icon, to shut it down, it stays in the tray. To fully shut it down, you have to chose exit on the tray icon.
TC could minimize to the tray like it does now, but it could have an option for this double-click on the desktop. Then everybody would be happy. :D
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Hacker
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Post by *Hacker »

1. First is the code page change function for text files. This function is very useful to Eastern Europe users, like myself.
Try View64 http://www.caravan.ru/~alexch/download/View64.zip .

HTH
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MacQ
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Post by *MacQ »

Thanks.
But consider the suggestion, please.
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JohnFredC
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Post by *JohnFredC »

DOPUS has been upgraded to Version 8.

The enhancements make for VERY interesting reading:

http://www.gpsoft.com.au/Intro/WebHelp/Opus8UpdateNotes.htm

If you like options in your file manager, this baby has got some options!

I haven't tried it yet. The previous Version 6 was too slow/ quirky.
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MacQ
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Post by *MacQ »

I don't think this View64 is meant for converting files, only for viewing them in other codepages.
I can't seem to convert nothing with it.
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