Messages

26

Feature Requests and Suggestions / Re: Features-Updates-Mods

« on: February 12, 2015, 14:23:40 »

Note: for command bar, I'm referring to the bar where hints are displayed and you can enter commands there.

I will review the ones that you said are already implemented or at least a little tweakable.

Thank your four your reply.

27

Feature Requests and Suggestions / Re: Features-Updates-Mods

« on: February 12, 2015, 13:29:53 »

So far...

Multiple columns. Implemented as List View mode

Option not to remember a file selection or not when changing folder. Implemented (see Explorer panel settings)

Internal edit/view/others. Internal file assotiations can be set (respecting relative paths)

Symlink/hardlink creation support. Implemented (see Tools > File Links)

Thanks for the answers.
Multiple columns do not work if implemented. I have the List View mode enabled. It is one of the first settings I did. See screenshot in my initial post.
File selection remember mode does not apply for the top drive buttons.
I am not talking about file associations, but the ability to read certain formats with no external WOS systems. (Example: even from the old DN in DOS mode if I strike enter on a .wav file, it can play without anything additionally installed/nothing external.)
Links system - [Confirmed].

28

Feature Requests and Suggestions / Features-Updates-Mods

« on: February 12, 2015, 12:33:23 »

[New Features]
New features a powerful FM should have.
Stages: Proposed/ Approved/ In Progress/ Implemented/ Field-Tested


*F02-1   Multiple actual columns (Status: Proposed; Origins: All FMs; Type: modification/update, high priority)
There are no subcolumns.
If only one basic column is selected (name/ext), files are displayed as big list since no subcolumns exist.
to illustrare, please compare the two screenshots:


See the difference ?
The visible nuber of files is very limited compared to a multi-column display.
This is something of great importance in file management.
We should adapt the current column system to be able to work this way.
In this manner we can have both the important information and geenral view of a large subfolder (like the ones from windows).
  +F02-2 Related: Filter by extension with no extension column
While having only one main column (name, that includes n+ext) there should be the possibility to list files by extension also, without having to add an entirely separate extensions column.


*F02-3   Focused file size/date displayed the lower information area  (Status: Proposed; Origins: DN; Type: modification/update)
Any files that is cursor-on (focused) shown display at least its size and dates (perhaps attributes also) in the lower area where
we currently have information about selected folders.
Also, the total space should sum when multiple files are selected.
This is critical information that must be seen at all times without requireing additional commands/maneuvers.
  +F02-4 Related: F3 should be used to display 'calculate folder size' values. (Status: Proposed; Orgins: DN; Type: small update)
Since it's use can be dual (for viewing files and getting folder size) it really should be implemented.


*F02-5: Space selection to next row (Status: Proposed; Origins: DN, Type: small modification)
Current file selection system is pretty unfriendly.
If you want to select a few random files is not that nice.

Desired functionality: when pressing space to select a focused file, the focus should move on the next file (below).
This will cause a file list to be selected efficiently by keeping space pressed. This is widely used in file managers.
Not having this option is pretty bad. Shift-based selection is unreliable.
  +F02-6 Related: Option not to remember a file selection or not when changing folder (Status: Unknown). If one does not exist, it should be added. (Status: Proposed; Type: small modification)
This also applied for selecting the drive and going to root instead of a sub-sub-sub folder previously accessed. 
  +F02-14 Related: when copying files, with unselection on, all file are unselected initially instead of being unselected independently after copy-move.
This is a big problem in case of accidental stop of copy/move.
   
*F02-7 File colors rules editor needs Enable button (Status: Proposed; Type: small modification)
When you edit file colors you get that warning that you need to enable them or they will not apply.
The best thing is to replace that with an enable button that has the same function as the color wheel apply checker.
I really took some time as new user until I could find that checkable option which was not in any relevant menus.


*F02-8 Custom upper icons (Status: Proposed; Origins: WN; Type: modification, low priority)
The move, delete, copy, find etc icons on the top area look way too similar.
There should be the possibility to choose external ones. An icon subfolder with proper naming should make customization easy.

*F02-9 Portability (independent of OS cfg/settings) (Status: Proposed; Origins: DOS, Type: modification, very high priority)
All configuration must be stored locally (InstallpathToMCmd\CfgSubfolder), not in user windows junk folders or registry.
A file manager must be able to run completely configured by its onw files, not by depending on operating system limitations.
There is no rason whatsoever to keep the cfg files in the windows user trash folders.
If user-based setup is needed, user subfolders with the custom configurations can be crated even more easy to InstallpathToMCmd\CfgSubfolder\UserName.
This is one of the most important issues for It experts.
File managers need to unpack and run in many situations where installation is not possible or file system is broken enough not to allow corresponding access to user trash folders.
 +F02-10 Related: overwriting default XMLs.
I have studied the file color-related XMls and found that it actually exists in 3 places at once. I did overwrite the default one with the my completed color configuration that is now seen as [default].
Although this is not a feature request, I would like to know if the overall configuration can be overwirtten in the same manner and what XMLs correspond to what settings (or can you overwrite all-in-one somehow ?).


*F02-11 Internal edit/view/others (Status: Proposed; Origins: DN, Type: new features)
A good FM must be able to view/edit files. I'm not saying to incorporate movie player or anything, but to be able to view basic file types (including well known image formats), or play an audio file without depending on the OS or installed externals is very important.
Let's be serious: notepad ? Even DOS editors are more advanced. 
 +F02-12 Related: Hex editor (Status: Proposed; Origins: DN, Type: new feature)
Sufficiently to say. A hex editor is essential for advanced file users.

*F02-13 Menu bar needs cloak/decloak button (Status: Proposed; Type: small modification)
Top menu bar needs a simple hide/unhide button. New users don't know about Ctrl-M. The button can be placed on the top icons raw.

*F02-14 Symlink/hardlink creation support (Status: Implemented)
-This was updated, it does exist.

*F02-15 Goto File (Status: Unknown; Origin: DN; Type: small modification)
In the file/dir area, pressing a key combo should enable a quick search by file name with autofocus.
So lets say I press alt-x, then when I start to type something, the focus automatically goes to the file starting with that character or multiple characters.
This is widely implemented in many FMs.

*F02-16 Custom Ctrl+lower buttons (Status: Unknown; Origin: DN; Type: update)
In the lower side we have the evryday view-edit-copy-etc buttons.
While pressing ctrl, new buttons do appear but they have nothing on them. Can this be customized ?
Certain actions could be bound there if customization would allow it.

*F02-17 Command bar customization (Status: Proposed; Type: modification/update)
1st of all, it should be placed in the lower area, not the top. Top positioning is very inconvenient for users that type a lot of commands.
2nd, it could be made customizable to be able to have colored prompt on black background (or any color combo, similar to the file area)

*F02-28 Removable spamtrash from drive area selection
Some users that manage files well do not use at all the windows spam folders (My Doc, My etc, Fav, Downloads, Public).
Those options should be removable from there. This could be done by allowing customization of that area.
Spamtrash folders should not be mandatory stuck with drives, network and registry.

----------------------
There are still existing features I have not yet studied, but the above can turn this FM into a truly powerful tool. I am willing to debate any technical issues and even help with some issues and hope to get more time so I can even help some of the implementations if needed.
Hope this FM will continue to evolve and become the best available.

29

Support and Feedback / Bugs F02

« on: February 12, 2015, 12:14:04 »

Those were found after my testing yesterday.
Note that not all may be bugs, but if they are not, just tell me.

*F02-1: Bug/BF: focused folders can shrink
What it suppose to do: Not shrink
What it actually does: Folder font causes shrink
For folders I have changed the font to bold in color customization, in order to distinct them from files with ease.
The problem is that I did not find a way to do the same for the focused/selected setting.
So when a folder is focused/selected, is shrinks to normal font size.
If I change the setting to bold (from main settings not colors), it makes everything bold, inlcuding files.
 +F02-2: Related: focus needs a background area change.
Instead of changing file colors when focused it more easy to have a slight background variation (or file color alteration).

*F02-3: Bad Feature: Accidental delayed 1st click renames
What it suppose to do: nothing
What it actually does: enables rename
This happens way too ofter. Although I prefer keyboard only when it comes to FMs, many users do use the mouse.
When clicking something and after a while clicking again, the file suddenly becomes renameable.
This bad behavior is also known in WOS explorer. It needs to have an option to be disabled.

*F02-4: Bug (small): Sometimes colors do not apply
After several modifications and reloads, custom file color no longer changed.
They did work after a reload of MC, but this is still a bug.

*F02-5 Bug: file attributes for directories hidden/system do not work in color settings
Color selection system does not appear to distinguish folders that have H and S attributes in order to give them a different color than standard folders.
If the ruleset applies in the order it is listed in the color system, this will require further testing to be confirmed.

*F02-6 Bug: MC crashed on FTP access
When trying to access a FTP, File management for professionals crashed with send /don't send (OS: W7x64).
This is clearly a disadvantage of using external functionality instead of integrated one.

30

User Contributed Content / Re: Hail

« on: February 12, 2015, 09:13:01 »

Thanks for answering.
In that case, a list of known bugs should be somewhere on the forums and there it could have bug status (reported/confirmed/in progress/fixed).
As for the rest, I think a feature topic and a bugs topic in the respective sections will do for now.
Changes/updates (the 3rd category) can be under features since it is mostly feature related.

31

User Contributed Content / Hail

« on: February 12, 2015, 07:35:15 »

Hello everyone.
Since there is no intro section, I'll post some basics here.

Before anything,  I salute you Mathias for the excellent work so far. You have started a project similar to what I intented to do for years but for which I had no time.

I've been working on file managers development since DOS era (see DN - Dos Navigator - the best MS-DOS FM in the world).

Unfortunately today most file managers are very limited. None of them is truly professional (TC for example cannot even open pictures without parsing it to the OS). That was until I found Multi-Cmd. MCmd gets closest to what an expert would need in complete file management. Since Windows vista appeared, compatibility with already ancient WinNavigator I am still using decreased a lot. The source for it was not available so I could not improve its design. When I found MC and tested it a little, I found it to be the only one truly supporting file color schemes (and a few more things of major interest). Even more, I found that coloring is not only based on extensions...and this can help a lot.

There are some bugs I found in just one day of testing, there are functionality issues that could be made way more user-friendly and there are things that if added will make this FM the most capable on the market today.

I will not request the source code MCmd since I will not have the time to develop a FM from scratch or from a existing source, but I will report all bugs, make suggestions, come up with unique features that existed in ancient times but are found in no FM today.

I am currently writing down some of them and I intent to make a general topic to include everything (to maybe have 3 sections: features, bugs and others). I think posting them separately will be harder to follow (while using 1 topic a status system for bugs/features would be quite nice and efficient).
But feel free to say if those need to be posted separately.