Date fields in Total Commander

[strider]

I really like how many applications in recent years display a mini-calendar as a means of selecting a date in a "date field" rather than requiring the date to be typed out longhand.

Microsoft Outlook and many others offer this feature.

The specific place in Total Commander that I use this for alot would be in the "Find files -> Advanced -> Date between" fields. Another would be in the "Change attributes..." -> "Change date/time" -> "Date:" field.

I often find myself opening the Windows "Date and Time Properties" (by double-clicking the clock in the tray) to bring up a calendar to allow me to select a specific date.

Displaying the calendar allows the user to quickly identify the day of the week (which can often be important) as well as see date relationships like dates separated by certain numbers of weeks, months, etc...

Could this be done?

P l e e e e a s e e e e...

strider

[HolgerK]

Another would be in the "Change attributes..." -> "Change date/time" -> "Date:" field.

There is already a Date-Picker available:
Click the [>>] button under the [Current] Button.
This opens the "Change date/time:" dialog.
A click on the drop down button from the date field will open this mini calendar.

The specific place in Total Commander that I use this for alot would be in the "Find files -> Advanced -> Date between" fields. ...

I second that. Support++.

Additional place:
The 3rd tab "plugins" from the "Search dialog".
The edit field "Value" should have the same user interface as in "Change attributes->Change plugin attributes->"Value".
At least for date/time properties from plugins.

Kind regards
Holger

[strider]

There is already a Date-Picker available...

Thanks for pointing out the "Date-Picker" in the "Change Date/Time:" dialog. Frankly, I never would've expected to find it there. It's not very close to the date field and the behavior of the [>>] button is unexpected IMO (it just presents redundant date and time fields that are already present on the parent dialog).

So what's the point of having the additional, "Change Date/Time:" dialog open at all? Why not simply have those controls on the Date field (date picker) and the Time field (spinners) be part of the main "Change Attributes" page?

Half, maybe three-quarters, of the battle is confirming this capability is available in the first place. I've asked for this on other shareware packages and was denied simply because it wasn't supported in the software development environment the author was using.

Thanks... strider

[HolgerK]

It's not very close to the date field and the behavior of the [>>] button is unexpected IMO (it just presents redundant date and time fields that are already present on the parent dialog).

The same is valid for the [Current] button.

So what's the point of having the additional, "Change Date/Time:" dialog open at all? Why not simply have those controls on the Date field (date picker) and the Time field (spinners) be part of the main "Change Attributes" page?

I think it's a compatibility issue concerning the following points:

1. The first date in "Search->Date between" can be left empty. This is IMHO not possible with the date control.
2. Cut and Paste is not available for date controls?
3. The date control acts like 3 separate Edit fields (D.M.Y). So it's not possible to type something like "1.1.1980" instead of this you must type "1RIGHT1RIGHT80"
4. Also you can type the month by number(5) it's alway shown as word(may). (may be depending on your regional settings from Control Panel) This is different to the date shown in the file list.
5. Most users don't know how to use this control without mouse.

I become crazy (no offense), while watching an unexperienced user changing the time property by LMB mouse selecting hs field and than clicking those tiny spin buttons.

BTW it quite simple to use the keyboard instead:
- Left/right navigate between d.m.y (hs)
- Up/down increase/decrease
- direct enter the number (0..9)
- ALT+Down opens the Date-Picker
__ Left/Right changes the day
__ Up/Down changes the week
__ PgUp/PgDwn changes the month
__ CTRL+PgUp/PgDwn changes the year
__ Enter to select the Date
__ ESC to cancel the Date-Picker

So I think there are several Pro and Cons for the suggestion to completely replace the old edit field.

Kind regards
Holger

[ghisler(Author)]

That's exactly why I have banned it into an external dialog...

[white]

It's not very close to the date field and the behavior of the [>>] button is unexpected IMO (it just presents redundant date and time fields that are already present on the parent dialog).

Personally I think it is wrong to use a [>>] button for this. A [>>] button is used everywhere in TC to browse for a file. This is different. Isn't there a nice calendar button which can be used here? I also suggest using a hint "Enter a valid date/time" when the mouse is hovering the button.

[Flint]

A [>>] button is used everywhere in TC to browse for a file

Not everywhere. When you add plugin fields in the same Set Attributes dialog, the [>>] button works as the plugin defines. It can open date/time control, standard Browse for File/Directory/Icon/Font/etc dialog, or even any internal plugin's dialog.

[white]

A [>>] button is used everywhere in TC to browse for a file

Not everywhere. When you add plugin fields in the same Set Attributes dialog, the [>>] button works as the plugin defines. It can open date/time control, standard Browse for File/Directory/Icon/Font/etc dialog, or even any internal plugin's dialog.

OK not everywhere. Almost everywhere. Using this button for the internal plugin's dialog is wrong too (just my opinion). And what about adding a hint like "Edit value"?

BTW. The + button is explained in the Help, the >> button is not.