** Summary of Requests and Suggestions *

[Mathias (Author)]

This is a list of all the request for future improvements I got.  A lot more then I though I would get.

This list contains only user request that I got from here in the forum, mail or from the send feedback function inside the program.

Some of this request was already on my own list, and I got a lot on my own list that is not included here.
But I do not want to reveal everything I have planned for the future. Have to have some surprises.

This list is not sorted in any particular order. Even if a feature is on this list, That does not mean that it will be added, This is just a list of request. some might be added and might not be.

To add a feature or not, is based on a lot of things. Some of them are if it is even possible to add it? Will it affect other parts of the program?
Will it make the user experience better or worse? Will the feature be useful for many or just a few user? How much time will it require to add it?
If a feature is only useful for very few user but will take very little time to add it, then I might be added anyway.

After the list of requests there are some comments on some of the major requests.

(I rephrased and summarized some of the request below.)

• Favorites/Bookmarking system
• Synchronize Folders
• Support for larger icons on the toolbar both 32 and also 24 and 48
• Search in registry
• Thumbnail view in Explorer Panel, Show all files with a larger image that is a Thumbnail of the file if the file is a picture file.
    (Thumbnails in both list and detail mode have been requested,
    in detail mode there would be possible to show more picture info in multiple lines next to the image)
• Show a Preview pane in the opposite panel
• Password support for Zip and 7-Zip
• Printing support from the built in file viewer.
• Tool for creating file lists. Should work like Multi-Rename where you can set [N] Like tags where on a line you want filename and so on.
• Customize the right click menu. Add commands to it.
• Option to turn off full row selection. So for an item to be set to focus the user has to click on the actual file name.
• Option to go to parent folder when double clicking on empty area (Should be combined with option to turn off full row selection )
• Option to turn off Drive Dropdown list
• Able to Custom colors for file and folder based on name, date, attributes and state (selected, focus, normal)
• Show System/Hidden files with a special or lighter color.
• Flat view Showing all files and folders and subfolders together
• Column header should follow the font size of the Explorer Panel.
• Browse the recycle bin
• Create new empty files easily with a build in command.
• Create new file based on template. So when user select create new file the user get a list of different templates.
• Dynamic column in the Explorer Panel when in List Mode
• Option to instead of showing free space show used space. Instead of "800G of 2000G free ( 40% free )" then show "1200G of 2000G used ( 60% used ) "
• Customized number of button rows to show in the button panel from within the program. Now you need to manually modify the file
• Tool for splitting and joining files
• Option to split view main GUI as Top / Bottom instead of Left/Right
• Able to throttle/limit the speed for copy/move operation
• Modify the copy queue. Rearrange and remove items from the queue
• Save a copy queue and able to restore and continue from it at a later time.
• SFTP support, SSH file transfer, not to be confused with FTP-SSL.
• Function to Move and Link a folder automatically. (eg It will move the folder C:\A to D:\A, then it will create a Link (junction/symlink)
    from C:\A to D:\A so all program still using old path will still work )
• Add script that will auto run at startup and shutdown of MC.
• Able to turn off external folder change monitoring for a folder.
• Tool to 'grep' text lines from a file
• Tool for comparing files.
• Able to use wcx,wfx,wlx plugins
• Concept of Work Sessions. All tabs are belonging to a session. And user can define different session. and if Session X is selected
    All tabs are closed and new opened with the locations defined it that work sessions.
• Copy plugin that will automatically CRC check files and create CRC checksum files if needed.
• Support for browsing and extracting files from .CAB
• Support for browsing and extracting files from .ISO
• Support for browsing and extracting files from .LZH (Really? anyone still using that ?)
• Able to share files using HTTP, Sharing a file temporary to someone that is a guest on your LAN can be a pain.
    Because you often need to modify a lot of network settings on the computer before you will see each other’s file shares.
    Able to share a file quick via a simple built in HTTP server would solve that pain.
• Get icon for folder defined in desktop.ini file inside the folder ( Like Windows Explorer do )
• Get color and column settings for a folder defined in a file stored in that folder. Similar to what Windows Explorer uses the desktop.ini file for
• Customize the color the progress bar that are shown in the status bar. And have different color for different action
    eg. Green for copy, Blue for move, Red for delete.
• Customize the colors for the Column header, and Toolbar background, status bar.
• Customize the background color for the dropdown list
• Customize the colors for the command line field.

(Item that are stroked have been added/fixed since this post was first created)

That is a lot of requests. And then the features I have on my own list is not listed here.
I wish I could clone myself and fix all of them, But that is not possible.


Here are some comments on some of the requested features

Favorites/Bookmarking system

  I had been thinking about something like that for a while myself. There are a couple of way to do this.
  A) A simple menu that shows a list of added path. Just like the simple favorite list you got in your web browser.
     And all items in the list are number 1-9 and then A-Z so they can easily be access using the keyboard.

  B) The other solution is a more advanced way. Show a windows where all favorites are shown. You can also tag paths and only show path with a special tags.
     You can also start to type something and the selection of bookmarks will be less until you find the bookmark you want,
     There can also be a tab/view/button that will show the most common path you select so you easy can select items.
     and there will of course be keyboard hotkeys for everything so you can from the keyboard do all things fast.

  C) Even more advanced system that automatically keeps track of paths/locations you do things in and keeps a list of them.
     and if a path/location is not visited in a long time it is automatically removed from the list.
     When show the bookmark window you will then see the path/location that you work with most frequently and they can then be access using 1-9,A-Z keys.

Synchronize Folders

  This is also a feature that would require more information on how you would like it to work.
  syncing folder can be simple like just making sure that folder A and B are the same. and if a file is located in both places it will keep the file that
  is the newest. However if a file is deleted in place A it will then not be deleted in place B since it does not know if the file is new or not.
 
  The more advanced way is to keep a 'folder sync-project' file with your files. Then it would be possible to detect if files are deleted and sync that too.
  And also in a more advanced folder syncing it would also allow for comparing file content. (witch also is a separate request that is quite large to add)

Thumbnail view

  There is a couple of ways this can work. as stated above there are request for this both as list and detail view.
  In Thumbnail list mode it will show a thumbnail is list mode is now but with the image being the size of 64x64 or bigger. (Might be customizable)
  And with the filename under the image. And just like list mode you will have multiple columns.
   ---------      ---------
  |         |    |         | 
  | image   |    | image   |
  |Thumbnail|    |Thumbnail|
  |         |    |         |
  |_________|    |_________|
  Filename1.jpg  Filename2.jpg


  With Thumbnail detail mode you will have 1 image per row. but the filename and file information will be listed next to the image under each other.
  And maybe also with special image properties
   ---------
  |         |  Filename1.jpg
  | image   |  343 343 bytes
  |Thumbnail|  2012-01-01 23:23:23
  |         |  1600x1200
  |_________| 
   ---------
  |         |  Filename2.jpg
  | image   |  453 4324 bytes
  |Thumbnail|  2012-01-02 12:52:31
  |         |  1600x1200
  |_________| 

Preview panel

  This is also a feature that I been thinking about for a while. and there are a couple of way to approach this and possible issues to avoid.

  Should a preview panel be locked to a specific open tab. ? If not then if I got a Preview panel on the left and 5 tabs on the right and I change
  the tab then the preview panel should show the new file in focus in the new tab? Can there be multiple preview panel open on the same side?
  or maybe only one preview panel per side. And more.
 
  I'm leaning into only allow 1 preview panel per side and the file in in focus on the opposite side, will be the file that is shown in the preview.
  and if tab is change so a new tab is in focus, then the new file that is shown and is in focus will be shown in the preview panel.

  Then it is what the preview panel should show..  for images it should show a thumbnail, for text file it should show the file content.
  But should it show all content using scrollbar or the first parts of them. (So many choices)

Flatview Showing all files and folders and subfolders together

  Not sure if it is possible. But do you not get that behavior if you open search, and search for everything in one folder.
  Then all files and folders and subfiles and subfolder are shown in the search result.
  Maybe the search need to support for more file system functions so the thing you want to do with files/folder when presented like this can be done here?


Missing feature
If you have any suggestions that are not on the list ? Just leave new post about it in the forum.
If it is a bug in any existing feature when leave the post in the support forum.

Your Input/Feedback
A lot of the requests can be added in many different ways so if you have any ides and views, suggestion
on how any of the feature should work, fell free to express your view of that here.
all suggestions are welcome.

So the question is. Which of the requests above would like to have added the most.

The end...

[Jungle]

Concerning .ISO, .CAB, wlx, wcx... On the one side, there are a lot of plugins, so internal TC-plugins support could make MC development easier in the future.

On the other side, implementing such support might become just a waste of time since there are already at least 2 filemanagers supporting wlx and wcx (Unreal Commander, Double Commander).

I think you may just release own plugin sdk and concentrate on other global ideas. Step by step (maybe some vote again?). From my point of view, there's no need in fourth Total Commander. IMHO it is impossible to create something truly perfect that can completely satisfy everyone.

[matm]

Flatview Showing all files and folders and subfolders together

  Not sure if it is possible. But do you not get that behavior if you open search, and search for everything in one folder.
  Then all files and folders and subfiles and subfolder are shown in the search result.
  Maybe the search need to support for more file system functions so the thing you want to do with files/folder when presented like this can be done here?

Either way is fine. FreeCommander has this feature, if you want to check.
use case for me is selecting files across trees to copy/move/delete.

regards

[Mathias (Author)]

Flatview Showing all files and folders and subfolders together

  Not sure if it is possible. But do you not get that behavior if you open search, and search for everything in one folder.
  Then all files and folders and subfiles and subfolder are shown in the search result.
  Maybe the search need to support for more file system functions so the thing you want to do with files/folder when presented like this can be done here?

Either way is fine. FreeCommander has this feature, if you want to check.
use case for me is selecting files across trees to copy/move/delete.

I know how it works. What I meant with "not possible" is that I'm not sure it is possible to add this because on how the internal architecture of the Explorer Panels. A lot of the functions in that depends on that the file items listed is located in the specified path. I might require a lot of internal redesign to make it possible. And I'm not sure I want to do that.

But since the search panel shows show files like that. It might be possible to use the search panel for this. But to be able to use the search panel for this, then some file operation features might need to be added to the search. and/or some other improvement might need to be added to the Search panel to be able to use the search panel for this.

[Peter]

Hello !
I would like to see everything you listed added but here is my toplist.

1. Modify the copy queue. Rearrange and remove items from the queue
2. Save a copy queue and able to restore and continue from it at a later time
3. Search in registry
4. Customize the right click menu. Add commands to it.
5. Password support for Zip and 7-Zip
6. Favorites/Bookmarking system
7. Browse the recycle bin
8. Create new empty files easily with a build in command.
9. Create new file based on template. So when user select create new file the user get a list of different templates.
10. Tool for splitting and joining files
11. Able to throttle/limit the speed for copy/move operation
12. Add script that will auto run at startup and shutdown of MC.
13. Tool to 'grep' text lines from a file
14. Support for browsing and extracting files from .CAB
15. Support for browsing and extracting files from .ISO

[midros]

Re: What do YOU want to see in the next major version
« Reply #13 on: June 30, 2012, 13:16:55 »

Quote from: midros on June 22, 2012, 16:53:27

    2. an easy way to select non consecutive files using the keyboard
    for e.g. in win explorer you hold down the ctl key, then move down with arrow key and select individual files with space key

    3. an option in picture tools to resize or compress
    either in terms of percentage (10 - 30 - 50 %) or in a few predefined resolutions  (small - medium - large)

    4. change of the arrow behavior during rename function
    I explain.  after you press "rename" or f2, the selected ......

2. Im note sure what you mean with this.

3. You mean like a quick zoom feature. pressing shortcut x and it wlil got to 10% and pressing y it will got to 20 % ?
Or do you mean that it should resize and save the image to disk ?

4. This is fixed in v2.5.1

I reply here because the other thread is locked

2. it is clear if you try it in win explorer
you scroll down in a list with the arrow key, stop on a file so this file is selected (highlighted), press CTRL key (and keep it pressed), scroll further down, stop on another file and press spacebar. then this file is also selected. (You can also deselect a selected file with the spacebar)
It is all similar to CTRL + left mouse click

3. I mean  it should resize and save the image to disk (with a different filename or an option to replace the old one). It could be very well combined with the "picture format conversion" in "picture tools"

[Mathias (Author)]

2. it is clear if you try it in win explorer
you scroll down in a list with the arrow key, stop on a file so this file is selected (highlighted), press CTRL key (and keep it pressed), scroll further down, stop on another file and press spacebar. then this file is also selected. (You can also deselect a selected file with the spacebar)
It is all similar to CTRL + left mouse click


3. I mean  it should resize and save the image to disk (with a different filename or an option to replace the old one). It could be very well combined with the "picture format conversion" in "picture tools"

2. Didn't even know you could do that with Windows Explorer.  I will see it is possible to add it.

3. Ahh Like a "Save As.." option that also allows for resizing.. Had "save as" on my list. but also doing resize while you add it might be useful, Will update my list with that.

[Mauro72]

My votes...

- Thumbnail view in Explorer Panel, Show all files with a larger image that is a Thumbnail of the file if the file is a picture file.
  (Thumbnails in both list and detail mode have been requested,
  in detail mode there would be possible to show more picture info in multiple lines next to the image)
- Show a Preview pane in the opposite panel
- Show System/Hidden files with a special or lighter color.
- Able to Custom colors for file and folder based on name, date, attributes and state (selected, focus, normal)
- Customize the color the progress bar that are shown in the status bar. And have different color for different action
  eg. Green for copy, Blue for move, Red for delete.
- Customize the colors for the Column header, and Toolbar background, status bar.
- Customize the background color for the dropdown list
- Customize the colors for the command line field.
- Tool for splitting and joining files

And the point on filesize numbers ex: the programs show "0 K/3 911 883 K in 2/1238 Files... "  may be  "0 K/3.911.883 in 2/1.238 Files...."

Thanks Mathias.

PD: Remember my old post...

Hi...
Any chance to customize the color of progress bar operation. Example:

Copy progress bar (Green color)
Deleting progress bar (Red color)
Moving progress bar (Yellow color)
Compressing archive (Blue color)
Uncompressing archive (Orange color)

Will be more highlighting and easy to view the current transferring work.
Thanks.

[Crash+Burn]

Flatview Showing all files and folders and subfolders together
Not sure if it is possible. But do you not get that behavior if you open search, and search for everything in one folder.
  Then all files and folders and subfiles and subfolder are shown in the search result.
  Maybe the search need to support for more file system functions so the thing you want to do with files/folder when presented like this can be done here?

SubDir Branch View | FlatView | Flatten Files
---> No Directories appear in the list
---> A Single Click on the Command or Button does the Search
---> Path Tabstop is optional

All Searches below are performed with *.* [ x ] Wildcard.

#1) With File Search, Directories will appear if they have a 'dot' in their name.

#2) With File Search, No files, or only a single Folder's contents will be displayed if you activate Attributes (and don't click on any of the subsequent attributes).

#3) With File Search, No files, or only a single Folder's contents are displayed if you activate Attributes and deselect [] Directory.

#4) With File Search, you cannot select specific folders, then search and have the search only look in those folders.

#5) With File Search, you have a different context menu (right click)

#6) With File Search, you cannot quick filter the panel.

#7) With File Search, the Search Appears in the other panel.

So if there was a Flatten All (or Selected) Folders, a few changes would be required:

A) Hide Filters should work on the list (e.g. Hide Folders, etc).
B) Quick Filter should work on the list.
C) When you Flatten Folders, if there is at least one folder selected, then
-----> ALL of the other folders should be automatically added to the Exclusion List.
D) When you exclude a Folder from within the Panel's context menu:
-----> The excluded folders should be added to the Find Files Exclusion List.
E) The normal context menu should be available, perhaps via Ctrl or Shift + RButton.
F) An option to have the Flattened View displayed in the current tab, instead of the other pane.
------> The type of tab would change, from a Normal Tab to a "File Search" type tab.
------> It's name should stay the same.
------> The icon of the tab should become a Magnifying glass.
------> The tab colour would match that of File Search.
G) [..] UpDir should appear in the Flattened View.
------> Clicking on it, should revert the "File Search|Flattened" Tab to a normal tab - in the same folder you were when you performed the Flatten Files.

Aside from "F" most of the other changes shouldn't require much in the way of code changes.
Although depending on how Filtering is done in the File Panels that code may need to change.

File Searches can be saved as LST files.
File Searches can be restored.

When you take all that into consideration, there is a significant overlap in the features of Flattened Folders, Virtual Folders, and File Search.

If you consider that:
1) A File Search is basically a Virtual Folder (since you don't have a standard context menu)
2) A File Search contains the results of SOME (or all) Files of SOME (or all) Folders that have a similiar root.

Given that, a Virtual Folder could easily be ANY files from ANY path.

There could be one or more ways to view these virtual folders:

Virtual Folder sorted by Name (no code change required):

Folder#1
Folder#2
Folder#3
Example File1 in Folder#1.txt
Example File1 in Folder#2.txt
Example File1 in Folder#3.txt
Example File2 in Folder#1.txt
Example File2 in Folder#2.txt
Example File2 in Folder#3.txt

Virtual Folder sorted by Path (no code change required):

Folder#1
Example File1 in Folder#1.txt
Example File2 in Folder#1.txt
Folder#2
Example File1 in Folder#2.txt
Example File2 in Folder#2.txt
Folder#3
Example File1 in Folder#3.txt
Example File2 in Folder#3.txt

In both of these cases, one could then [Hide Folders].

Additional Code would be required:
1) Dragging a file to a Virtual Folder, adds that file to the LST.
2) Deleting a file from a Virtual Folder, removes that file from the LST.
3) Dragging a file OUT of a Virtual Folder to a Normal Tab -> Makes a copy of the file.
4) An additional, optional, Ctrl+Delete that would allow you to delete the REAL file.

Thus,
A File Search is a Virtual Folder with a Search for some or all files from a similiar Root.
A Flattened Folder is a Virtual Folder with a Search for ALL files from a similiar Root.
A Virtual Folder is a ... Virtual Folder that contains files from any Root.

[jmefun]

First, thanks for the excellence program.

My requests:
1. Open a cmd window from here.  Right click on a folder and have an option to "Open cmd window from here", with the folder path set as current directory in cmd.  Also, an option to "Open cmd as administrator from here"
2. Predefined target directories for Copy and Move operations.  Let users pre-define target directories.  Once copy or move was invoked, prompt user for target selections.

[Mathias (Author)]

First, thanks for the excellence program.

My requests:
1. Open a cmd window from here.  Right click on a folder and have an option to "Open cmd window from here", with the folder path set as current directory in cmd.  Also, an option to "Open cmd as administrator from here"
2. Predefined target directories for Copy and Move operations.  Let users pre-define target directories.  Once copy or move was invoked, prompt user for target selections.

1. You can kind of do that now using the command line field.. by typing "cmd" or "*cmd" (open as admin)
But the entire context menu thing will be reworked and then it will be added there too.

2. You can set presets for the copy to dialog that auto set target path/filter/option. This preset can be loaded from the F-key or also autoload if you starta a copy/move from a specified folder.  Expand the CopyTo dialog completely and at the bottom you can defined presets.

[Timon]

Concerning .ISO, .CAB, wlx, wcx... On the one side, there are a lot of plugins, so internal TC-plugins support could make MC development easier in the future.

On the other side, implementing such support might become just a waste of time since there are already at least 2 filemanagers supporting wlx and wcx (Unreal Commander, Double Commander).

I think you may just release own plugin sdk and concentrate on other global ideas. Step by step (maybe some vote again?). From my point of view, there's no need in fourth Total Commander. IMHO it is impossible to create something truly perfect that can completely satisfy everyone.

Don't think that implementing existing wcx, wlx, wfx and wdx plugins is just a waste of time. The question is not only in creating own sdk, but in fact in convincing 'lazy' developers that they have to write something under it. What for they have to write something under specific file manager on a new sdk, if, in fact, their plugins already work fine in extensive amount of other file managers? Different developers use them without any problems and if user want to migrate to another file manager familiar tools would be used.
P.S. FreeCommander XE also have support of wcx and wlx plugins.