[Wish]Drive combobox enhancement

[TLis]

Hi,

The drive combobox displays the drive letters in the first column, and the description in the second one. The drive can be selected by clicking in the first column only. It would be better, if we could click in the second column as well to select the drive.

Quite often we look up the drive by description, not remembering the drive letter, that has been assigned to it. Then, as soon, as we find the requested description (e.g. network share), we could click it directly, without moving to the first colum to click on its drive letter.

[ghisler(Author)]

It would be better, if we could click in the second column as well to select the drive.

Unfortunately this isn't possible. The problem is that when I click outside of the dropdown listbox (the box containing just the drive letters), then Windows closes this list (and with it the additional window!) before the click reaches that window...

[SanskritFritz]

2ghisler(Author)
But you could just extend the listbox entries with the description.

[ghisler(Author)]

Yes, but then I could no longer use a normal dropdown listbox, only an owner-drawn.

[SanskritFritz]

Yes, but then I could no longer use a normal dropdown listbox, only an owner-drawn.

For having longer texts in the entries??

[StickyNomad]

Hm, I have no technical background, so sorry if a dwarf raises his hand here , but I also would prefer a non-splitted select field that contains the drives letters and labels in one completely clickable row.

Of course this is no real urge, but this would make selecting a drive with this box by mouse a bit more comfortable, as you could click anywhere in the shown select field to choose the drive. The current behaviour is a bit like a 'Home'-button on a web page that reacts only when clicking on 'Ho'...

[szlori]

I completely agree.
This solution with an extra window is not fortunate at all.

It also has several other small bugs:
- the extra window is actually 1 pixel taller than the list box, so if you have a good eye, it's a bit disturbing
- in certain cases the list box will unfold upwards (if there's not enough room downwards) however the extra window still shows up downwards, completely separated now from the list box

So, changing this will be a welcome improvement.

[HolgerK]

2ghisler(Author)
I agree, the problem with standard combo boxes is, that the list box part of the combo box has always the same width as the combo box.

Actual we see two elements:
<[ComboBox]> and <"free space on drive">:

<[-X-][V]> <"[Drive label] n,nnn,nnn k of mm,mmm,mmm k free">

maybe another layout can solve this problem:

<[V][-X- [Drive label ]> <"n,nnn,nnn k of mm,mmm,mmm k free">

- Move the "Drive label" part from <"free space on drive"> into the combo box.
- Place the DropDownButton [V] at the left side and fill the list box with "drive letter" and "drive label"
- The width of the combo box should be set to the maximum length of "drive letter" and "drive name".
- If the combo box is hidden by configuration, the old layout for <"free space on drive"> can be kept.

Kind regards,
Holger

[petermad]

the list box part of the combo box has always the same width as the combo box

It seems that it doesn't have to be so - look at the 3 combo boxes in the "Find files" -> "Plugins" tab (Plugin, Property, OP) - they are all wider than the original unfolded combobox.

Same thing with the "Configuration" -> "Misc." -> "Command" combo box in TC 6.56

[HolgerK]

2petermad

You're right.
It seems that the list box width can be set indepentent from the combo box width.
The main point behind my suggestions is that the folded combo should show the drive label too.
It's not necessary to show this info again in the <"free space on drive"> section.
But maybe ghisler decided against this, because it looks ugly if the label names are not lined up:

[l] label of drive l
[m] label of drive m

So in the end it's true, only a owner drawn list box can beautify this

Kind regards,
Holger

[ghirai]

Subclassing or setting a hook might work, but i don't know if it's worth the effort.