Show complete filenames with extensions?

[boxsoft]

I'm showing the "Full" listing of files, which shows the file's extension in a separate column from the root filename. I like this extra column, as I can quickly scan down to find a particular class of files, which I often order by extension. However, when sorting by name, all of the files with the same root name but different extension are difficult to distinguish, because the extension column is so far away. However, I don't want to bring the column closer, because then the filenames will start to be truncated.

The perfect solution would be to display the entire filename with extension in the Name column, in addition to showing the extension in its own column. Is this possible now? I've tried testing some of the various settings and display options, but none of them give me anything approaching this result. Thanks in advance for any help that you can provide.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

[Hacker]

display the entire filename with extension in the Name column, in addition to showing the extension in its own column. Is this possible now?

No, it is not. You can only choose to display the extension directly behind the filename or aligned in the other column. Not both. But I think SpeedCommander has such an option (at least from a screenshot posted around here somewhere recently).

HTH
Roman

[boxsoft]

You can only choose to display the extension directly behind the filename or aligned in the other column.

How do I do this?

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

[JohnFredC]

This is yet another example where an ability to rearrange columns in the file panels in TC would be helpful.

Specifically, I would place the extension column first on the left.

[Clo]

2boxsoft
Hi !

How do I do this?

• Menu Configuration >> Options >> Tabstops. Tick the appropriate radio-box at the top of the dialog-box
 Kind regards,
Claude
Clo

[boxsoft]

• Menu Configuration >> Options >> Tabstops. Tick the appropriate radio-box at the top of the dialog-box

That's great! I think I can live with this. It would be nice to see them in a separate column as well, but that's OK.

Here's another possible feature. What about a "greenbar" effect? When you're sorting in a particular order, the color of the background toggles each time the sorted column changes values. This way we could see an obvious grouping of names, extensions, dates, etc.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

[SanskritFritz]

The Name;Ext;Size;Date button row changes accordingly. Is it not enough?

[boxsoft]

The Name;Ext;Size;Date button row changes accordingly. Is it not enough?

Do you mean the entry's displayed values should be enough, or is there some additional feature related to a "button" that I'm missing? Sometimes I want to quickly glance down a list and see that some there are a bunch of *.CLA files, followed by another bunch of *.CLI, then *.CLW. Rather than laboriously squinting at the actual displayed extension, it would be easier to glance at the changing background color, and immediately realize how they were grouped. The same applies to the name (especially with variations in capitalization causing different display sizes). In the case of date+time, sometimes two files appear at first glance to have the same stamp, but they might be off by a day/minute/etc.

It's all about recognizing the information without having the peruse it in detail. (Think of it like speed reading, where you want to get the gist of what's being said, without having to read every word.)

It would also make it easier to line things up horizontally.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

[SanskritFritz]

I see. You can try coloring based on rules:
Options / Color / &Define colors by file type...

[JohnFredC]

I'd like greenbar too (well, subtle graybar, in my case), plus subtle horizontal and vertical dividing lines.

These are certainly not necessary additions to the display, but do contribute subliminal efficiencies to panel use for some individuals (such as myself)...

Probably won't happen any time soon though. Christian's development tools do not support these kinds of interface enhancements.

[boxsoft]

I see. You can try coloring based on rules:
Options / Color / &Define colors by file type...

Although that's something I might benefit from, it would require that I setup a whole bunch of rules, with a distinct color for every rule (to permit differentiation, regardless of the group of files). What would be much better is a standard "alternate background" (e.g. light gray, light green, etc.) that would alternate with the standard white, to show the changing values. If every entry was different, then the background color would be toggled constantly, like this:

Image: http://www.boxsoft.net/images/tc1.jpg

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

[Clo]

2boxsoft

Sometimes I want to quickly glance down a list and see that some there are a bunch of *.CLA files, followed by another bunch of *.CLI, then *.CLW

• You may already set colours by file-types, then sort the files by extensions. It's -in my modest opinion- the handiest way to work. You can even set a type for files without any extension.
* You can't get different BkGrd colours; some kinds of features have beeen required, but they need too much resources and codes (please, have a look in the Search...)
* Hence, it's suitable to choose a so light background-colour for the pannels, in order to use the maximal number of visible colours above that background.
* TC works currently still fine with a P 1 @166 MHz - 192 MB SD-Ram.
- I don't guess that it should with a lot of cosmetic things like you wish...
* However, I'm not against some plugins to get them (whether clever guys write them), for user's having very powerful PCs.
 KR
Claude
clo

[SanskritFritz]

I got the idea, and i like it. Takes careful planning though, what rules to implement , etc.

[Valentino]

Yes, I also like these ideas (well, not new, asked many times, so maybe Christian will consider them ):

1. Columns ordering/selecting (show/hide some columns). It would be even more flexible to allow the user to "compose" column content. E.g. column "N" will contain just file name, column "E" - file extension, "NE" - filename with extension, "D" - date, "T" - time, "S" - size, "A" - attributes, "V" - executable version, "Xa" - song author in audio file, "Xn" - song title, "Xb" - album, "Xr" - bitrate, "R" - image/video resolution, "Zz" - movie duration, and so on, and so forth.
Further, we can store several sets of columns (like we save searches in Find Files).
So these settings in INI file can look like:

Code: Select all

[Columns]
Basic_Left=NE,S,D T,A
Basic_Right=NE,S,D T,A
For Mike Hanson_Left=NE,E,S,D,T
For Mike Hanson_Right=NE,E,S,D,T
Audio_Left=NE,S,Xa - Xt,Xb,Xr
Audio_Right=NE,S,Xa - Xt,Xb,Xr
Video_Left=NE,S,R,Zz
Video_Right=NE,S,R,Zz
Exe Entrails_Left=NE,S,D T,Bd Bt,Vf/Vp,Ep,Io/Is
Just Turn On Your Imagination_Right=A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L, ... Kappa,Mu,Teta,Xxx (not porno),Zabcd-Ydcba

Then we can right-click on colun header, or pane title (which contains current path), or some other places, and select "Basic" or "Video", or "Exe Entrails" and enjoy .

After all of this, I think, there would be very few feature requests on this subject.

If we add other settings to this set (like sorting by some predefined column (this "idea" also was mentioned in the forum not once)), smth else, we could see the following settings in our hypothetical INI file:

Code: Select all

[SuperHyperMegaSets]
Basic_Left=NE,S,D T,A
Basic_Right=NE,S,D T,A
Basic_LeftSortBy=E
Basic_RightSortBy=DT
Basic_SomeOtherSetting=aaa
Basic_SomeAnotherSetting=bbb
ValentinoLostInDayDreams_Left=NE,E,S,D,T
ValentinoLostInDayDreams_Right=NE,E,S,D,T
ValentinoLostInDayDreams_LeftSortBy=-E,N,-S
ValentinoLostInDayDreams_RightSortBy=-DT,S,N,A,E,R
ValentinoLostInDayDreams_SomeOtherSetting=aaa
ValentinoLostInDayDreams_SomeAnotherSetting=bbb

(Pay attention to "_SortBy" values, guess what I meant? )

Of course implementing GUI configuration for all of this is hard but who needs it? I think majority can live with manual editing of these "expert" settings in INI file.

2. Make more powerful coloring in "Define colors by file type", i.e. forecolor, backcolor, bold, italic, underline, font name (:shock:), font size (:shock: )... Well, font name and font size not needed .

3. ... Well, I better go to sleep a bit...