Synchronized dir browsing?

[tungwaiyip]

There is an action I do very often (manually). Now I come to understand what it is and want to see if it can be make easy with TC.

I want to synchronize many nested directories. This happens a lot when I simply copied a base directory for backup or in Java program development and then I want to compares the one copy with another.

The basic action I do a lot is to traverse the directories. On the left panel it looks at one directory structure and on the right panel it looks at another. Every time I cd in one panel the other panel should cd synhronizely up. Kind of like a diff program.

It is hard to do it fast and correct going between two panels. But what happend is actually very simple, for example if the left and right directories are
d:\bin\current\src\org\xyz\a
d:\bin\backup\src\org\xyz\a

We simply need to replace "current" with "backup" in the path name.

What is the best way to accomplish this? I tried the Start Menu but it lacks string manipulation methods. Is it some thing that can be done by plug-in? Do I need Delphi to develop plugin? (I used to be good at that).

Note that this is not the same "synchronize dir" command, which compares ONE directory with another. I just want to make left and right panel move together.

[j.x]

I just want to make left and right panel move together.

Create a button on the button bar with the command cm_SyncChangeDir (Synchronous directory changing in both windows), and optionally a hot key to quickly activate it. - Done!

The operation will deactivate when you jump to a directory not matching on both sides, or when you click the button on the button bar again.

[tungwaiyip]

Yes, this is what I'm looking for. Thanks j.x.

There are so many hidden features in TC I wish it has a better documentation.

[Jonas]

The KDE-browser/filemanager Konqueror has a nice way to provide easy an access to this feature. You've a little checkbox in the statusbar of every frame to performe every change-dir-command in both frames. I'd like to see this is TC too.
I made a litte fake. TC could show this checkbox in the bar with the currend path: http://www.jonas-baehr.de/forum/tabt-TC-2.png (please ignore the bar with the location-buttons. I made this fake for the tab-discussion)

[oblomov]

Gets my vote. Since TC only has two panels, what about putting the checkbox vercially centered above the splitter?

[ghisler(Author)]

This option is so extremely special that I don't want to clutter the user interface with it. Who needs it can use the above method via an extra button.

[oblomov]

I wouldn't call a small checkbox between the panes "interface clutter"

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 18-11-2003 16:25:08 +0000 oblomov wrote:

o> I wouldn't call a small checkbox between the panes
o> "interface clutter"

But I would %\.[/face]

[bago]

And I would, too, sorry.

[jb]

And I would, too, because probably it's very rarely used.
On the other hand there is a little problem with the button approach: TC buttons are stateless, so you cannot see whether cm_SyncChangeDir is enabled or not. I hope this will change one day.

[j.x]

And I would, too, because probably it's very rarely used.

I use it now and then (ie one to five times a month), and then it's like a blessing from god (that is Christian Ghisler! ), but I'd rather have a button, or even a Start Menu option to activate it than another object always "sitting there" for these "few" occations.

[Boofo]

I just want to make left and right panel move together.

Create a button on the button bar with the command cm_SyncChangeDir (Synchronous directory changing in both windows), and optionally a hot key to quickly activate it. - Done!

The operation will deactivate when you jump to a directory not matching on both sides, or when you click the button on the button bar again.

What parameters would you use with it?

[j.x]

2Boofo

What parameters would you use with it?

Why would I use parameters with it? - Sorry, didn't I understand the question?

[Boofo]

2Boofo

What parameters would you use with it?

Why would I use parameters with it? - Sorry, didn't I understand the question?

I guess I'm not understanding exactly what this does then. My apologies. There is a lot about TC that I don't understand, but that is mainly because I don't use everything. I am trying to use more and learn more.

[j.x]

2Boofo Please see the two first posts in this thread, and you should get a quite good understanding in this command. It is a little special, but sometimes very useful (as tungwaiyip describes). It is exactly what I also do, now and then...