Saved Tabs TC Application Title

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davejulien
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Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *davejulien »

Hello. I have a several "Saved tabs to file" which I open up each in a different Total Commander app. These basically are grouped by projects that I work on.

Is there a way for the Total Commander app title to become the name of the saved tabs filename? When I have multiple TC apps open it's not easy to differentiate which app to pick when hovering over the icon in the taskbar. Would be REALLY nice to have a tag in the tabs file that will allow me to customize the app title when it's loaded. Then I could name this group of tabs for the project it represents.

TIA.
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petermad
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *petermad »

You can open the different TC instances with different ini files with the start parameter /i=project1.ini.

Then you can use the TitleExtraText parameter in each ini file to set ther Title:
Help wrote:TitleExtraText= Show extra text in the title bar:
*text in front of the title,
-text same but without instance number (multiple programs running)
$text behind the title
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davejulien
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *davejulien »

Thank you for the feedback.

This works to get the title with what I want but has a few undesirable side effects. 1) I have to have a project specific Windows shortcut for each instance of TC. This is not desirable and just fills my taskbar. 2) By having different taskbar icons I can't hover over a single icon of TC to see all running instances with different application titles/projects. 3) When I change the application settings they are saved to a project specific INI file. I would prefer that all my instances of Total Commander share the same settings. With this implementation I'd have to continually copy the INI settings across multiple project INI files to keep everything in sync. With exception of the "TitleExtraText" parameter and open tabs.

I would like to offer an enhancement... Could you please make it so the "tab" file can support the "TitleExtraText" parameter? I think this would be a very nice enhancement for the user. If this were implemented the user could start multiple instances of Total Commander from a single taskbar shortcut, easily view all the projects that are open with the different app titles by hovering over a single TC taskbar shortcut, and easily open tabs for projects they are interested using the right click "Load tabs from file" option. As an added enhancement ask the user when they go to save the tabs what they might want the project/workspace name to be. Then you could auto populate the "TitleExtraText" in the tab file to be used when they load it again.

I've done what you suggested above with the multiple INI files but this really is an advanced user setup that could be greatly simplified.

Thank you again. Great product.
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nsp
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *nsp »

I also have multiple total commander setup but this is mainly defined by some predefined tab, custom view and toolbars, I also separated the Directory hot list with categories and not a a huge unsorted list. I only manage a single configuration set of ini files. I use a submenu in vertical toolbar to switch from one to another set of default tabs with specific toolbar and custom view.
When I run multiple instance of TC, I use powerpro to add a colored window inside TC title bar with additional menu based on TC windows handle.. This could also be done with AHK or autoit.

The Extra text is unique by configuration file and static , what could be good is to have a command line parameter to change it when launching TC and also a CM_TITLETEXT with parameter to change it on the fly... Jump to suggestion forum to ask for it ;)
davejulien
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *davejulien »

I have to say I really really tried! I thought TC was going to be the Holy Grail of file managers. All I was mainly looking for was a file manager to hold different tabs based on project. When I open the project file I'm just looking to have some predefined tabs with folder locations opened. Unfortunately to implement this in TC I found myself heading down all sorts of paths with CMD files to change the title, different INI files for each project, creating folder structures with INI files, keeping INI files in sync, and manually opening each tab for each project from hot list folders based on the CMD changing the title. So many compromises along the way for something that seemed so simple. I give up! Found another app under development called One Commander that seems to save projects with their respective tabs. Looks like I'm done with TC. If this functionality is implemented one day please respond to this thread and I'll give it another go. Thank you.
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nsp
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *nsp »

TC is already the Holy Grail of file managers for many users even if not perfect. You must focus on what is working and then add with tools or trick what you miss.
Saving and loading tabs based on project name in hot list/custom view, base folder, ... can be easily done in TC what you miss is a small title which can be done with external application.

I hope you will have a nice and long journey with another One Commander...
davejulien
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *davejulien »

I'm aware of using what works and adding tools and tricks to get something functional. I've done what you suggested and I "got it to work". The end result was lots of hoop-jumping which isn't worth all the short-comings that come with it. Using an external application doesn't work to open the previously open tabs unless you choose to use separate INI files. Using separate INI files then leads you down the path of having to keep your settings in sync. Yes, TC can do it but why not make a very small tweak to make it work in an ideal way? That's all I was suggesting.

Nice and long journey with One Commander? Really? Maybe take a look at what some competing products are doing to keep TC on the bleeding edge. That's how you attract new customers and keep the product growing.
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Hacker
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *Hacker »

davejulien,
Hmm, not sure if I understood completely what you are trying to achieve, but personally I would write a two-line AutoHotkey script, the first line would change the INI file setting TitleExtraText and the second line would run TC with a TAB file as parameter to open the desired tabs. Then I would make shortcuts (or icons) using this script for each of the tab sets I'd want to use.

Anyways, all of us here use many different tools (including various file managers) for different purposes, so, yes indeed, use whichever tool fits your purpose best, be it TC or any other program, we wish you luck and hope you will find what you need even if it's not TC. You're always welcome here.

Roman
Mal angenommen, du drückst Strg+F, wählst die FTP-Verbindung (mit gespeichertem Passwort), klickst aber nicht auf Verbinden, sondern fällst tot um.
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jinsight
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *jinsight »

This project would be a little easier if the following suggestion were implemented:

https://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=76318
Dynamic Text Settings for Title Line in Total Commander
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davejulien
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *davejulien »

For me it would be beneficial if the "TitleExtraText" config key was supported in the tab files. Then when that tab file is loaded the title changes. Anything would be better than using an external application just to change a title. The title may seem like a small item but it's actually kind of big on functionality to know what that instance of the window is for.
Fla$her
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Re: Saved Tabs TC Application Title

Post by *Fla$her »

than using an external application just to change a title.
Nothing prevents you from using it to open tabs and change the title at the same time. This is not a problem for a script or TCFS2.
But the problem is different: the header set in this way will be reset after updating the panel, restoring and expanding the window, showing and hiding components (cm_Vis*), including the command line by Shift+Left/Right, connecting and disconnecting FTP, etc.

Personally, I do not need this, because I always use TC with a hidden header, saving space vertically.
Overquoting is evil! 👎
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