Lister: Improve suggested folder for Open and Save as

[white]

View a file with TC's internal lister and choose menu option File/Open or File/Save as.
The suggested folder to open a file or save the file is as follows:

Folder for Save as

• The suggested folder to save the file is the currently displayed folder in the active panel of TC's main window.
  Thus, if you keep Lister open, switch to TC's main window and go to some folder, switch back to Lister, choose menu option File/Save as, the suggested folder is the folder you navigated to in TC's main window.

Folder for Open

• Right after you opened Lister, the suggested folder for opening a file is either the folder displayed in the active panel or the inactive panel of TC's main window.
  It depends on in which panel you last changed to a different folder.
• If the Lister window has lost focus, if you go back to the Lister window, the suggested folder in Lister for opening a file will be TC's program folder.

Issues

• TC uses Windows dialogs for opening and saving. Many people find these dialogs confusing as to which folder is currently being displayed. So it's important that the suggested folder is consistent and easy to understand.
• The suggested folder for opening a file is quite random and therefor not useful at all. And TC's program folder is certainly not a useful folder to suggest.
• The suggested folder for saving seems to be consistent, but I think it's not intuitive.
• If you opened a file in Lister using cm_list c:\path\file.ext, the suggested folder for opening or saving is never related in any way to the file currently being displayed in Lister.

Suggestions
I suggest to use a far more simple way for the suggested folder.

• Always use the path of currently displayed file as the suggestion for opening and saving.
• After saving a file, load the new file in Lister.
  Because:
  - It's common practice to use the new name after Save as
  - If you want to make another copy to the same location, you don't have to navigate to the folder again.

[petermad]

Support++


I especially fin this highly surprising every time:

• Right after you opened Lister, the suggested folder for opening a file is either the folder displayed in the active panel or the inactive panel of TC's main window.
• It depends on in which panel you last changed to a different folder.

[Horst.Epp]

Disagreed
Some peopble like me and many others use tools like Listary, QuickSwitch or QAP
to let the Open/save dialogs follow the current folder in the file manager.
This is much more helpfull compared to always land into the current files folder.
So I suggest TC Lister should always suggest the current folder in the activ file list.

[petermad]

So I suggest TC Lister should always suggest the current folder in the activ file list.

That is also acceptable - as long as TC doesn't suggest: "the folder of panel where you last changed to a different folder" - who keeps track of that!

[white]

Some people like me and many others..

Which is it? Some people like you or you and many others?

.. use tools like Listary, QuickSwitch or QAP to let the Open/save dialogs follow the current folder in the file manager.
This is much more helpfull compared to always land into the current files folder.

"the file manager" being Explorer. So basically you would like the Open/save dialogs of all Windows programs to follow Explorer because that would be much more helpful?

To land in the location of the object file is often helpful. It's also very clear and convenient because the user doesn't have to at all times keep track of the current folder in one of the other windows.

If people generally use 2 or more Total Commander windows it becomes even more troublesome.

So I suggest TC Lister should always suggest the current folder in the activ file list.

That is also acceptable - as long as TC doesn't suggest: "the folder of panel where you last changed to a different folder" - who keeps track of that!

Who keeps track of the active panel, active folder tab on that panel, and current folder on that folder tab, when in Lister? The correlation is not obvious and would confuse most people.

And what about the people who use Lister as a standalone tool using the command line parameter /S=L? For them using the current folder in an invisible window is completely useless.

[Horst.Epp]

"the file manager" being Explorer. So basically you would like the Open/save dialogs of all Windows programs to follow Explorer because that would be much more helpful?

You don't know the tools ?
All tools i mentioned support TC, XYplorer, DOpus and of course Windows explorer.
File manager means in no way only Windows explorer at least not for my understanding
of english and IT terms.

[jinsight]

Support++ per petermad

[white]

You don't know the tools ?

No, I don't. But I did google it a bit. As I understand it, they are quick access tools which include "Quick Switch". The ability in file dialogs to quickly go to the current folder of a preset file manager when instructed to do so.

Because you find that useful, you seem to suggest that a file dialog in a program should start in the current folder of "the file manager".
So a file dialog in Notepad should start in the current folder of Explorer?

In my opinion these are very different things. The one thing being useful doesn't mean the other thing is a good idea.

[Horst.Epp]

You don't know the tools ?

No, I don't. But I did google it a bit. As I understand it, they are quick access tools which include "Quick Switch". The ability in file dialogs to quickly go to the current folder of a preset file manager when instructed to do so.

Because you find that useful, you seem to suggest that a file dialog in a program should start in the current folder of "the file manager".
So a file dialog in Notepad should start in the current folder of Explorer?

In my opinion these are very different things. The one thing being useful doesn't mean the other thing is a good idea.

If you don't like it, dont use such functions
but you will found many users for all this tools which like to have the full support
of their file manager and search tools inside of Open/save dialogs.
None of the tools force you to switch automatically.
I think we can stop here further discussing that topic.

[tuska]

"QuickSwitch" - short version:
QuickSwitch - Info and Download (compiled AHK script)
QuickSwitch - Test results with different applications
QuickSwitch and JumpToFolder AHK scripts

"File - Save as..." or "Open"-dialogue in any application: Ctrl+Q opens the "QuickSwitch Menu".
In this menu, the paths of TC (left/right window) or additionally the path of Windows Explorer can be selected.
When using multiple instances, the paths are also listed.

If necessary, you can switch to TC with ALT+Tab and select a different path there.
If you then switch back to the "Save/Open"-dialogue with ALT+TAB, the path is automatically adjusted there.

[Fla$her]

I don't use Open/Save As from Lister at all.
Listary uses mainly for browsers and some editors.
Therefore, for me it's not so important what will happen with these dialogs in Lister, especially since plugins that support editing (inied, cudalister etc) do not interact with Lister "Save As." And copies are easier to make in file panels.

[Horst.Epp]

I don't use Open/Save As from Lister at all.
Listary uses mainly for browsers and some editors.
Therefore, for me it's not so important what will happen with these dialogs in Lister, especially since plugins that support editing (inied, cudalister etc) do not interact with Lister "Save As." And copies are easier to make in file panels.

I don't know what your configuration is
but Listary works in Open/Save dialogs from Lister using a plugin like CudaLister and others.

[Fla$her]

2Horst.Epp
By interaction meant saving the modified file, and not a copy, which is described next.

[Horst.Epp]

2Horst.Epp
By interaction meant saving the modified file, and not a copy, which is described next.

Listary supports ALL standard open/save dialogs.
Save modified file is no special case and fully supported by Listary.
Tested with CudaLister after changing read-only status and save the modified file.

[Fla$her]

Listary supports ALL standard open/save dialogs.

You're wrong. I've come across a number of dialogs that she doesn't interact with.

Save modified file is no special case and fully supported by Listary.

Listary? Maybe Lister?
I specifically checked "Save as..." before writing. Unlike plugin context menu "Save" item, it only makes a copy (without saving the edit).