BIG feature request: "Bookmarks" tree pane

[serjayes]

Two panels design was revolutionary in the old DOS Nortocn Commander. I think that the time has come for Total Commander make a revolutionary step: adding a third pane, which either can be shown on the left or on the right from the two panes or not shown at all.

Finally there's enough of screen estate to allow this.

This third pane should contain something equivalent to "bookmarks" pane in Firefox or "Favorites" on Internet explorer. That means, possibility to organize "liks" (in our case, directories) in logical hierarchy ("creating folders" there would only make folders in some bookmarks page).

That would be "directory menu on steroids" allowing a LOT of directories to be there, organized in some logical groups, and always visible. Anybody who organizes bookmarks knows how much power that gives.

The advanatage of it would be so big that I wouldn't even need tabs then. A click on some directory there would simply change the active directory on the active pane. On the active pane there would be also "add to bookmarks" posibillity.


I was also considering the possibility to make this as an external application, but I don't know if there is some "automation" interface (any way to change active directory in active pane from another application) in Total Commander.

[shammat]

Basically you suggest to move the "Directory Hotlist" (Ctrl-D) to a separate pane, correct?

Enhancements to the user interface for maintaining those directories have been requested several times. There is even an external program with a nicer interface to maintain the directory hotlist

[icfu]

@serjayes:

I was also considering the possibility to make this as an external application, but I don't know if there is some "automation" interface (any way to change active directory in active pane from another application) in Total Commander.

TC Script Editor, AutoIt, etc... TC itself doesn't contain a scripting interface.

I like your proposal and in my fantasy I already use TC like Opera or TypeAndRun because the bookmark list will of course support nicknames. So, if I wanna use the bookmark to go to X:\path\deeply\hidden\inside\the\system I would type "h" for hidden in the redesigned command box and be already there.

Sweet dreams...

Icfu

[Sir_SiLvA]

is the startermenu limited? :p

[JohnFredC]

I would sometimes like to have a tree-derivative pane available on each side of TC in addition to the file panes. It might contain my history list, it might contain my favorites list, it might contain my folder tree. All of these should support drag and drop from both file panes and navigate linkage to the associated file panel (right with right, left with left).

Several file managers support dual trees already: FreeCommander, SpeedCommander, DOpus. just to name the ones I know about. However, I don't think their implementations work as well as they might...

It would be cool if there was a "handle" one could float the mouse over that would momentarily show such a panel. NetCaptor, Maxthon, FireFox (with an extension) all support that behavior in their sidebars.

So I guess my idea is about TWO side bars, one on each side, with configurable content.

No "three-pane" approach, please!

But on second thought I guess all you keyboard guys would just complain that this request would "slow TC down". Who uses a mouse when efficient keyboarding is the ONLY way...?

[ado]

Finally there's enough of screen estate to allow this.

I am affraid there is NEVER enough of screen estate

No "three-pane" approach, please!

exactly

But on second thought I guess all you keyboard guys would just complain that this request would "slow TC down". Who uses a mouse when efficient keyboarding is the ONLY way...?

yes, I got it, it is note to me

[serjayes]

I've just discovered that there IS a possibility to change the current directories in panels over Command line interface. Quote from Help:

----
totalcmd.exe /O /L=c:\ /R="d:\doc"

Activate already running Total Commander and set the left path to c:\, and the right path to d:\doc
----

I tried it, and it always starts the topmost totalcmd, which is very good. So it seems that something like that can be done even as an external program? Anybody interested to develop a "bookmarks manager for TC"?

[Sir_SiLvA]

develop a "bookmarks manager for TC"?

totalcmd.exe /O /L=c:\ /R="d:\doc"

How about using the StartMenu for that

[JP]

There is even an external program with a nicer interface to maintain the directory hotlist

What's its name?

[shammat]

What's its name?

http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/widimec/index.html

[icfu]

Widimec wants the wincmd.ini located in windows folder, all other locations don't work here. The recommended file-open command only leads to an error box claiming that no wincmd.ini was found without offering an ability to locate it.

I recommend http://www.totalcmd.net/plugring/ultra_tc_editors.html instead, that collection works at least.

@Sir_SiLvA:
I thought you were making jokes when you recommended the directory menu, you weren't or were you?

Well, honestly that menu is indeed rather limited and I would not call it an alternative for a bookmark system but more some kind of rudimental navigation system usable only with few entries. It's not even configurable in a reasonable time without additional tools. Have you ever tried to move a subdirectory and/or more than one entry with the built-in dialog?

A sophisticated bookmark system could maybe realized as a FS plugin for example that reads the input from wincmd.ini. Double clicking an entry would open the boomark in the opposite panel, comparable to using a web browser.

Icfu

[shammat]

Widimec wants the wincmd.ini located in windows folder, all other locations don't work here. The recommended file-open command only leads to an error box claiming that no wincmd.ini was found without offering an ability to locate it.

Not true. I call it with the full path to the .ini file (which is located in the program folder) and it works fine. Maybe you checked an older version?

[icfu]

What's the use of "File-Open" then?
When I start Widimec without a parameter, only the exe, I see a wonderful line:

Load ini file by clicking Open in the file menu...

That does NOT work.

I wasn't aware that the app could be started with parameter, as it is nowhere mentioned (*Edit* or to make it clear, I read readmes but not help files ). Thanks for that hint, indeed it works when widimec is called using %P%N.

I assume that the editor has problems when there are spaces in the pathname to wincmd.ini in registry as it is not loaded on startup.

Icfu

[nyugi]

I would sometimes like to have a tree-derivative pane available on each side of TC in addition to the file panes. It might contain my history list, it might contain my favorites list, it might contain my folder tree. All of these should support drag and drop from both file panes and navigate linkage to the associated file panel (right with right, left with left).
...
So I guess my idea is about TWO side bars, one on each side, with configurable content.

Or even these bars could contain all of them, but showing only one. Switching could be realized by tabs or buttons (like in Microsoft Outlook 2003).

Don't hate me for this.

[eyolf]

I think that the time has come for Total Commander make a revolutionary step: adding a third pane, which either can be shown on the left or on the right from the two panes or not shown at all.
This third pane should contain something equivalent to "bookmarks" pane in Firefox or "Favorites" on Internet explorer. That means, possibility to organize "liks" (in our case, directories) in logical hierarchy ("creating folders" there would only make folders in some bookmarks page).

I second this suggestion wholeheartedly. I've just decided to move from FileAnt to TC (because of speed, configurability, add-ons and plugins, and, not least, the active user community!), but I truly miss the "AntHill" - precisely the favorites sidebar that serjayes suggests.
It shouldn't be too difficult to do it, or what? If only to have an option to have the hotlist open by default as a moveable window, instead of having to click or press ctrl-D to open it.
The main advantage would not necessarily be to avoid this extra operation, but to have a visual overview that is there all the time so that you don't have to scan through it every time you want to use something from the hotlist - since you know where that particular link is situated.

Other than that: great program![/i]