Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

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jsmith42
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Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

Post by *jsmith42 »

There's a two-panel file manager called FMAN.
It has a feature I found very useful when working with multiple directories. The author calls it "GoTo on steroids", and it has been sort of adapted from Sublime. What it does is allow the user to quickly go to any of the visited folders, sort of a filter-as-you-type directory history window. It might also have some weighting for more often visited directories and suggests subdirectories if a path is entered.

Author's description available at this link, with a GIF of the function in use:
https //fman.io/ blog/goto-on-steroids/

TC has a recent directories list (alt+down), but it is not filterable and inconvenient to use as it is large when populated.
TC also has a fav dirs list (Ctrl+D), but it has to be manually populated, and if one works with a multitude of folders, it also becomes cluttered and has no filter-as-you-type filter capability.
Finally, TC has a quick search\quick filter capability (ctrl+q etc), but it also works only within the current directory.

So this "go to" feature is extra useful and I'd love to see it included in TC.
Rob Weinstein
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Re: Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

Post by *Rob Weinstein »

+1

@jsmith42, based on your comment I installed fman and spent some time with it. Its 'GoTo on Steroids' function is really slick. fman also has a similar function for commands called the 'Command Palette', obviously borrowed from Sublime Text. After spending some time on the website and interacting with the author, Michael Herrmann, on fman's Github issue tracker, I now understand that he's going for a minimalist approach, mostly keyboard-driven, and expects any special functions to be added in the form of plugins - and he will "strive to give plugins the means to implement the required functionality".

A few years ago, I tried a little add-on program for TC called 'xcd' that provided a similar function but I'm unable to find a working download link anymore. Currently, I use 'Everything' to quickly find a folder and open it in TC, and in my opinion, I prefer the way Everything works over either xcd or fman. Like Everything, fman's 'GoTo on Steroids' provides incremental, as-you-type results, however, 'GoTo on Steroids' "only suggests directories you have already visited" (I think xcd had a similar limitation). It's the as-you-type results that make these tools so slick.

fman is a little too austere for my taste but I'd love to see something like 'GoTo on Steroids' built into TC.

-Rob
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Stefan2
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Re: Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

Post by *Stefan2 »

Rob Weinstein wrote: 2018-09-08, 14:31 UTC A few years ago, I tried a little add-on program for TC
called 'xcd' that provided a similar function
but I'm unable to find a working download link anymore.
Search the forum for user "matbal" (*), see his signature to DropBox, download XCD.




* = e.g. viewtopic.php?p=154810#p154810
jj42
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Re: Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

Post by *jj42 »

Thanks for the hint and link to the "xcd" tool! It is a very handy thing :)

And xcd also suggests directories that you have NOT visited, just try it out. The documentation says, the info for the directories comes from the treeinfo.wc files that TC generates in the root dir of every drive.

I agree it could be even better if somehow the results would start showing while you're typing... @ghisler: Maybe a function like this could be integrated in the quicksearch of a future TC? :D
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jinsight
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Re: Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

Post by *jinsight »

The Directories List (alt+down) could and should be more easy to use - then it would actually be used! The list is too long to use effectively, the first letter filter is useless with many entries in the list and the directory list exits if the letter isn't found.

A filter-as-you-type directory history, similar to quick search, would facilitate moving around in recent directories.

Now, Total Commander has no way to easily navigate recent directories and select one. Forward and backward in tabs is a weak version of this request as you can't see where you're going; you have to wait until you get there to see where you're going.

Again, TC is a mature product, so the little things count more. Is this hard to do? Can it be implemented in TC 10.0? Do others have an interest in this?
License #1945
Windows 10 Pro x64
Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.3930)
TC 11.00 x64 and x86, Everything 1.5.0.1366a x64, QAP 11.6.3.1 x64
jj42
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Re: Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

Post by *jj42 »

jinsight wrote: 2021-04-22, 18:34 UTC (...true stuff...)
Yes, fully agreed.
Maybe the quick search extended plugin could be extended even more by using the idea behind the "xcd" tool. Or both could be merged into TC some day :)
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jinsight
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Re: Go to filter-as-you-type directory history like in FMAN

Post by *jinsight »

bump
License #1945
Windows 10 Pro x64
Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.3930)
TC 11.00 x64 and x86, Everything 1.5.0.1366a x64, QAP 11.6.3.1 x64
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