Tabs, and their utility (how marvelous they could be)

[nand]

Hello, everyone

I'm used to take full control over my work, and in doing so, I often end up with lots of various 'links'.
At first, I tried doing so by adding different DIRECTORY LINKS ("cd directory/path") in the Directory Hotlist. But at some point I was fed up with double-clicking (you can also click on the * button on the right of each pane) and then selecting directory, and then, eventually, going to the sub-directory that I had in mind.
Also, not to mention, that some times I wanted to go back... how? either by clicking lots of times on the back button, or by selecting another DIRECTORY LINK.

But at some point - tabbing made its first appeareance! And I was so reliefed, since I could replace my Directory Hotlist with Directory Locked Tabs.

..still... there a big BUT! and this "but" has lots of ordered bullets

1. firstly, I like that the "root" is maintained per tab. For instance, if you click on the root button, you go to the tab's main directory.

2. directory history does not maintain a tab logic. If you have two tabs, and go from one to another. When you click on the back button, you go back in directories, but the tab remains the same!

3. it would be nice that when you click the selected tab (the current directory's tab), you'd go to the "root" of the tab

4. it would be useful to have an option (global, or per tab) that states "Do not redirect to root, when coming back" - or with a better choice of words: when you have two tabs, and you go deeper inside those tabs' directories.. when you go back to one of the tabs, it shouldn't re-select the root directory

4a. to help you understand how I perceive my tabbing: more like structured browsing - My Documents, My Downloads, Kits, Www server, which are all locked, but directory changes are allowed - plus I keep an extra tab, which is "loose" (no lock; more like.. the main tab)

5. I created the same tabs on the left, and on the right pane. A Copy function would be useful (the other option would be to save the tabs to a file, then add them to the other pane)

If I'll think about some other aspects on tabbing, I'll add them here.

PS: So, what do you think, Chris? Too much work for you?
PS2: What do you think, TC users?

[icfu]

Point 2 sounds like a new feature wish, but it also sounds very complicated to realize, the rest is either already implemented (1, 5) or has been suggested at least half a dozen times (3, 4) from which point 3 is not possible to realize according to ghisler.

Furthermore I have no clue why you don't press Ctrl-D for the directory menu or navigate the history using Alt-Left/Right, you don't have to use the mouse for that.

I suggest that before you express your feature wishes and comments you invest a little time to search the forum and read the help file or just ask if something is possible first.

Icfu

[Lefteous]

2icfu

Point 2 sounds like a new feature wish

not really

[icfu]

Maybe I have understood it wrong, no idea. I think that he wants to have the tabs dance when moving back in the global history.

A history per tab could solve that problem of course, I think that's what you mean here, right?


Icfu

[Sheepdog]

1. firstly, I like that the "root" is maintained per tab. For instance, if you click on the root button, you go to the tab's main directory.

set in wincmd.ini

Code: Select all

[configuration]
LockedGoToDriveroot=0

and you will go back to the 'locked directory'. (with 1 you will go to driveroot)

3. it would be nice that when you click the selected tab (the current directory's tab), you'd go to the "root" of the tab

a button with 'cm_gotoroot' would do the same, but - yes a click on the Tab to achieve it would be convenient.

4. it would be useful to have an option (global, or per tab) that states "Do not redirect to root, when coming back" - or with a better choice of words: when you have two tabs, and you go deeper inside those tabs' directories.. when you go back to one of the tabs, it shouldn't re-select the root directory

This seems a bit of contradict point 3: If you click on the Tab regardless it is already the active one or not it should either go to root or not (I think).

5. I created the same tabs on the left, and on the right pane. A Copy function would be useful (the other option would be to save the tabs to a file, then add them to the other pane).

You could do that already:
1. Rightclick on a left TAB an choose 'Save Tabs to file'.
2. Rightclick on a right TAB an choose 'Load Tabs from file, replace tabs'.

sheepdog

[nand]

Point 2 sounds like a new feature wish, but it also sounds very complicated to realize, the rest is either already implemented (1, 5) or has been suggested at least half a dozen times (3, 4) from which point 3 is not possible to realize according to ghisler.

Point 2 is not at all a wish. I see it as a slip up. When you use a MDI environment... pressing Ctrl-Z also goes back to any previous child window, and when I say Directory Tabbing.. I'm thinking automatically that History should be tabbed too. And I don't know how Chris implemented this feature (the obvious would be: an array of strings), but what he should add, is just the id of the directory tab. Another thing is when you close a directory tab, you should also delete any history related to that.

Point 1 is also not a wish. I probably shouldn't include it in the list, but I said "I LIKE", not "I WOULD LIKE". So, it's more like the positive aspect, that I was surprised to find while working with tabbing.

Point 5 - yes, you're right. It is already implemented! I don't know how I missed it.

Point 4 - then, if it's been suggested a dozen times, is there a reason not to implement it? Lack of time, or maybe other issues prevale. In this case, I'd suggest a STICKY note or a new forum section talking about WHAT IS COMING ON (what wishes have been accepted as new features, and that..sometime in the future, they will be implemented)

Point 3 - I'm not arguing with Chris. Maybe it is harder to do (and there's no real addon, so too much energy for little gain), not impossible (virtually nothing is impossible). But how can it be than there is a DoubleClick event trigger, that closes the tab, and there cannot be a normal Click event trigger?

Furthermore I have no clue why you don't press Ctrl-D for the directory menu or navigate the history using Alt-Left/Right, you don't have to use the mouse for that.

Yes, you're very much right. I just forgot about Ctrl-D (didn't use it in a while) and, while not forget about Alt-Left/Right, I forgot to include it in my post.

I suggest that before you express your feature wishes and comments you invest a little time to search the forum and read the help file or just ask if something is possible first.

Just to answer you backwards I already said that nothing is impossible, hence everything is possible! I skipped the search due to a sense of organization, by rushing into the subject, meaning - put everything related to tab there, and don't get confused in previous posts (often happens).

PS: There one more thing: often being a forum moderator, I encourage people to post any questions - by doing so (repeating some aspects) the people "running the show" realize how important the issue is for real.

[nand]

A history per tab could solve that problem of course, I think that's what you mean here, right?

If you imply dividing the history by tabs, then going Back would stop at the first directory of the tab, and not having a "tab dancing" as you reffered to it.

[nand]

4. it would be useful to have an option (global, or per tab) that states "Do not redirect to root, when coming back" - or with a better choice of words: when you have two tabs, and you go deeper inside those tabs' directories.. when you go back to one of the tabs, it shouldn't re-select the root directory

This seems a bit of contradict point 3: If you click on the Tab regardless it is already the active one or not it should either go to root or not (I think).

No, no contradiction there!
Two different scenarios
1. You are using Tab #1. You changed the directory.. You click on the tab's name -> your current directory becomes the formal tab directory.
2. You are using Tab #1. You selected Tab #2. Tab #2 does not go to its formal directory, but instead it is being left alone, using the directory which it was using when, in the past, you moved out of Tab #2

Point 5.

You could do that already:
1. Rightclick on a left TAB an choose 'Save Tabs to file'.
2. Rightclick on a right TAB an choose 'Load Tabs from file, replace tabs'.

I know about this! I mentioned it in my post. And also I noticed afterwards that there's the option "COPY TAB TO OTHER PANEL".

[Hacker]

nand,

I'd suggest a STICKY note or a new forum section talking about WHAT IS COMING ON (what wishes have been accepted as new features, and that..sometime in the future, they will be implemented)

That has also been suggested but probably won't happen because of competition, IIRC.

Roman