Total Commander

It seems, that TC has no any proper way to show longer file comments from the descript.ion format. Well, there is the option to show comments in a separate column at the source pane (default comment view mode - Shift+Ctrl+F2)... in theory. But has anybody ever tried to use this mode in real world in order to view any comments longer, than, say, 10-15 words, even at a large 1920 px display? I don't even wish to imagine viewing multiple-line comments...

It means, that whileTC has many years ago (since the version 7.50 ??) got support for creating and editing file comments of unlimited length (more than 1024 b) and with line-breaks, there is a hard collision between TC different abilities. It is just as a person could write in certain exotic language, but can not read his own remarks

So it would be very nice to implement some solution to display longer file comments. Seems, that using QuickView mode or some other way to show comments in the passive panel would be OK.

Thanks!

Have you tried "Configuration" -> "Options..." -> "Display" -> "Help texts" -> "Show filename i file list if truncated" -> "Win32-style tips with file comments (if available)" and "Comments from descript.ion/files.bbs"

2petermad
Certainly I have. It would by hard not to try them, as these are TC default setting, if I do not mistake
However pop-up tooltips and full-pane view are the two very different things. If you use files comments intensively (as I do), you surely see the difference in usability.

Certainly I have. It would by hard not to try them, as these are TC default setting, if I do not mistake

Actually it is not default.

However pop-up tooltips and full-pane view are the two very different things.

I fully agree, but you didn't conclusively state that you wanted a file pane solution, just "any proper way to show longer file comments".

2petermad

but you didn't conclusively state that you wanted a file pane solution, just "any proper way to show longer file comments".

Well, you are right... partly. Because the keyword was "any PROPER way" there in my wish

Anyway thank you for your hint and let's see, what Christian will say (if he'll ever reach this topic).

Another approach could be to get the thing via plugin or script, but as much as I can guess, it would be very sophisticated if possible at all.

So about a year and a major version update later... Are there any ideas for my problem?

Dear Christian, would you please leave your comment in a pair of words, is this thing I asked for is possible now and if it is not, is there any hope to get it in the future?

Sorry, Quick View really isn't suited to show comments. It cannot scroll together with the other panel, which would be a requirement to show the right comments. Lister plugins do not get notified about scrolling, panel sort orders etc.

You can define a custom columns view which also shows the comments, and then use vertical arrangement to see the names, details and comments over the entire window width.

Quick View really isn't suited to show comments. It cannot scroll together with the other panel, which would be a requirement to show the right comments.

But couldn't Quick View be used to show the comment for just the highlighted file? - Like for example readme.txt is shown when a zip-file is highlighted.

2petermad

Quick View be used to show the comment for just the highlighted file

Actually it is just the thing, what I had in mind from the beginning.

I see - wouldn't this be a waste of the Ctrl+Q function? Just use Ctrl+Shift+F2 to see all files with a comment, and Ctrl+Z to see/edit the full comment.

I'd assume this would be a pretty basic functionality for a WLX plugin.

Roman

As I wrote, it would be a total waste, because it would limit both Ctrl+Q and F3 to only show file comments.

2ghisler(Author)

wouldn't this be a waste of the Ctrl+Q function? Just use Ctrl+Shift+F2 to see all files with a comment, and Ctrl+Z to see/edit the full comment

It's FAR not the same.

Supposedly it is quite obvious, why Ctrl + Shift + F2 (show comments in the proper column of the active files pane) is not a solution, when you need to view a pretty long comment, say, with a length over 200-400 symbols (depending of your screen resolution, TC window width and default fonts.)
(Yes, your idea to combine it with custom columns set and panes vertical arrangement is really fine, thanks for the hint. However it does not solve the headache with longer comments.)

The second solution you have suggested, that is Ctrl + Z (view the comment in the modal window) partly fits for long comments, but is not an universal solution, at least with the current customization limited capabilities. Ctrl + Z window is not re-sizable and its last position on the screen is not remembered. As the window is modal, it partly hides the filenames in the file pane, sometimes including the current file itself. So it's not a convenient too.

On the whole your position seems to be a bit not self-consistent. You have implemented the option to add very long comments (over 1024 symbols) to a file (many-many thanks once again for this superfeature!). But you have forgotten to give a user some proper tool to view such long comments in a convenient way.

it would be a total waste, because it would limit both Ctrl + Q and F3 to only show file comments.

I don't sure, whether I understand right your objection.

QuickView (Ctrl + Q) and Lister separate window (F3) the both have currently as many as 7 different view modes. Why there can not be added one more "View the file's comment" or something like this?

And why we can not have a WLX-plugin, which will send the comment's content to the passive pane?

It is possible to create WLX plugin, and it may be enabled by pressing 4 (maybe multiple times to switch between WLX plugins), so additional mode is not required. However I aftaid that such plugin will then open all files automatically so you will have to switch to another mode every time you view a file.

2MVV

It is possible to create WLX plugin, and it may be enabled by pressing 4 (maybe multiple times to switch between WLX plugins), so additional mode is not required. However I aftaid that such plugin will then open all files automatically so you will have to switch to another mode every time you view a file.

They are the two different approaches to show comments in QuickView pane:
1) with Lister native capability (to get this we need to argue Christian to add the proper native view mode);
2) with a WLX-plugin, created by some volunteer.

However I aftaid that such plugin will then open all files automatically

Sorry, I don't understand, what do you mean... What files and why automatically?