Total Commander

[Juergen]

Hi all,

I've written a Freeware add-on for TC 7.50+ called NiftyLink.

NiftyLink is a 32 bit program for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, that integrates with Windows Explorer, and provides additional functionality as portable add-on for Total Commander. It allows creation and execution of special links to directories, files, and internet addresses. These Links provide possibilities, that are not given with any standard Windows link (LNK file, junction, symbolic link, or hard link).

General

• NiftyLinks to directories and files can contain absolute paths or relative ones. Relative links are portable and work even on USB drives and e.g. inside of a Dropbox.
  
• Absolute paths can contain volume names instead of drive letters. This is especially useful for USB drives, because their drive letters can change.
  
• NiftyLinks can contain environment variables and pseudo environment variables (like inTotal Commander). The program itself provides the two environment variables %nifty_drive% and %nifty_path%.
  
• NiftyLinks can contain self-defined shortcuts.
  
• NiftyLinks to certain documents can point directly to a specific "page". The word "page" must not be taken literally: It can also be e.g. a slide of a presentation, or a record in a database. The only prerequisites are, that the corresponding program provides a function for this, and that the proper simulated keystrokes are given in the INI file.
  When you have a complete book in the form of a PDF file (not seldom these days), then you can e.g. create links to particular chapters or as bookmarks. This even works with protected PDF files.
  
• When you press the [Shift] key while double-clicking at a NiftyLink, then not the target file or the target directory will be opened, but its parent directory (in TC in the current tab), and the target will be selected. Then you can rename, copy, delete or do other things with the target.
  (With a NiftyLink to an internet address, this is of course not possible.)
  
• NiftyLinks are small files that consist of plain text.
  ( New interpretation of WYSIWYG: What you see is where you go. )
  
• NiftyLinks work on any file system (FAT, NTFS) that is supported by Windows.

Additional functions in Total Commander

• Extended dialog for creation of NiftyLinks.
  
• NiftyLinks to directories and archieves can open them in the current tab or in a new tab – in the current or in the other panel of Total Commander.
  
• NiftyLinks are aware of installed packers and Total Commander's internal associations.
  
• NiftyLinks can point to directories that are provied by filesystem plugins.
  
• With the content plugin "Text Line", the content of NiftyLinks can be displayed as tooltip.
  (Thanks to Vochomurka for this tip, and thanks to the authors of Text Line!)

Image: http://luethje.eu/prog/niftylink110_en_tc.png

Download the current version of NiftyLink from my website.

For details how to install and use the program please see the documentation.
Please post your questions, suggestions, and bug reports here in this thread.

Enjoy!

Regards, Jürgen
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My add-ons and plugins for TC: NiftyLink, mbox, Sequences

[MVV]

Windows 7 has symbolic links that support relative paths.
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VirtualPanel plugin: Temporary panel for TC (forum)
TOTALCMD.NET: TCFS2, NTLinks, CopyTree, AskParam, ConPaste, Sudo…

[Juergen]

[MVV]

Interesting.
I didn't check that. But I'll try.
I think XP will show folder but won't be able to enter it.


BTW why you don't use standard LNK files? They can also contain relative path (you just need to find a way to specify relative path) and they are supported by OS internally. Also icon file may be associated with LNK. Or simple BAT/CMD file can be used as flexible link - even more, it can act as script.
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VirtualPanel plugin: Temporary panel for TC (forum)
TOTALCMD.NET: TCFS2, NTLinks, CopyTree, AskParam, ConPaste, Sudo…

[Juergen]

[sgp]

[sgp]

@Juergen, any chance for mouseover to show the resolved path in a tooltip?

[Juergen]

2sgp:
This is a nice idea, thank you!
Unfortunately, at the moment I don't know how this could be implemented.
Is there an internal TC function that my program can call for this purpose?

Regards, Juergen
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My add-ons and plugins for TC: NiftyLink, mbox, Sequences

[Vochomurka]

Actually, not internal.
First way is to use the Windows explorer property to show some first lines of *.txt (say) files. Second way is to use the TextLine plugin:
1) Install the TextLine plugin;
2) Configuration \ Display \ User-defined (plus button on the bottom right corner);
3) Add;
4) *.flx, *fld;
5) Field: [=textline.2] (that is, show the second line of the *.fl? files as tooltips).
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PowerPro scripts for Total Commander

[Balderstrom]

[sgp]

@Juergen, On Win7 doube-clicking a .fld file sends the relative path to the address bar without a final ENTER, so no change directory takes place. Possibly ENTER is sent indeed, but with the wrong timing. I suspect that Win7 is more picky about stuffing keys than WinXP is.

@Vochomurka, I tried the textline plugin trick on Win7 but it display anything here. Also, I'd prefer for the tooltip to show a _resolved_ link, not just a relative path.
I'm not sure how to setup your other suggestion using Explorer.

[Juergen]

2Vochomurka
That's cool, thank you!

2Balderstrom
I think using mount points and doing without drive letters is a good idea for using USB drives on my own machine. On other people's computers, I want to just plug in my USB drive and use it, without changing anything on that computer.

Anyway, double clicking on a symbolic link, a LNK file or a junction to a document will open that document with the program, to which it is associated on the respective Windows system, no?

In contrast, double clicking on a FlexLink to a document will open that document with the program, to which it is associated internally in Total Commander, if such a internal association exists. Otherwise, the document will be opened with the program, to which it is associated on the respective Windows system.
Also, a FlexLink to a directory can open that directory in a new tab in the current panel of TC or in the other panel (currently only possible by manually editing the .fld file: replace <newtab> with <newtabother>). I don't think that this is possible with a symbolic link, a LNK file or a junction.

2sgp
The TextLine plugin works well here on my system (although it doesn't seem to support UTF-8, so that target file names in a FlexLink that contain e.g. our funny German umlauts will not be displayed correctly).
Yes, the plugin just shows the respective line of the file "as is". But now I know how to do it, and I can write a similar plugin that will resolve the path before it will be displayd. However, this would be some extra amount of work, and currently I want to concentrate on the FlexLink program itself.

Thank you for reporting the problem with Win 7. Yes, on principle always a final ENTER is sent in that situation. I'll see where I can do some tests on a Win 7 machine.

Regards, Juergen
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My add-ons and plugins for TC: NiftyLink, mbox, Sequences

[sgp]

[fenix_productions]

2Juergen
You don't need to play with Explorer for tooltips.

If you provide your own WDX plugin for flx, fld files properties, then it can be used for "User defined" tooltips within TC interface.
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"When we created the poke, we thought it would be cool to have a feature without any specific purpose." Facebook...

#128099

[Juergen]