cm_EditPath, breadcrumb bar and directory hotlist interactions

[vort3]

cm_EditPath focuses current path in way that you can change or copy the whole path.
Alt+F11, Alt+F12 (described in Help file as Open left/right current directory bar (breadcrumb bar)) hotkeys also focus the current directory, but in a different way.
Clicking on current bar once works like cm_EditPath, but with a one second delay.
Double clicking on current path opens directory hotlist.

I tried all possible values of InplaceRenamePath and still can't get rid of one second delay before path is focused (I don't really need directory hotlist there, there is a separate button for this, separate hotkey and an internal command that I can use).

Breadcrumb bar, on the other hand, I can turn off completely, but then there is one thing I will be missing: small triangle on the left of current path, that allows me to navigate to Control Panel, Network, Recycle bin etc. Also, default hotkeys (Alt+F11, Alt+F12 ) are not that good, and you can't assign those actions to other hotkeys, because there are no internal commands to focus breadcrumb bar.

It's not possible to customize behaviour of those three separate features to work as one would need:
[*] An option to turn off double click to turn off double click to show Directory hotlist (there are many other more convenient ways to access it)
[*] An option to turn off one second delay before current path is focused for editing (there are ways to access it, but sometimes it's better to just point and click)
[*] An option to turn off Breadcrumb activation when you hover over directories, but still keep that small triangle on the left side (by the way, what's the name of it, I'll just call it Breadcrumb root for now). This one is really useful to open some locations that are not simple directories.
[*] And option to bind focusing breadcrumb (root) to other hotkeys than Alt+F11/12. If I could bind them to other hotkey (like cm_SrcBreadcrumbFocus command would be really nice), I'd just turn off breadcrumb by hovering mouse completely and just used the hotkey, and sometimes I'd use mouse to edit/copy current path.
[*] When you press Alt+F11/12, breadcrumb root is focused, and to "drop" it down (I don't know how else to explain) you also have to press the down arrow. It may be useful for people who want to open breadcrumb menu on other directories of current path (for example, for c:\Users\Admin\AppData you can focus breadcrumb bar, then with right arrow go to Admin, then view its subfolders by pressing down arrow), but I'd rather just see the breadcrumb bar immediately at its root as if I clicked the trianle button on the left of current path. If I want to see subfolders of one of parent directories of my current folder, I can just backspace a few times and it'd be faster, than pressing Alt+F11, right, right, down.

All of those interactions can't really be fine tuned and not well documented, IMHO, and need some improvement.

UPD: I also forgot about the absolutely unnecessary "hold shift to change directory" when clicking on current path that is not explained anywhere too. What's the purpose of that?

[petermad]

• And option to bind focusing breadcrumb (root) to other hotkeys than Alt+F11/12. If I could bind them to other hotkey (like cm_SrcBreadcrumbFocus command

You can remap Alt+F11/12 by remapping cm_LeftPathFocus and cm_RightPathFocus. There is also a cm_SrcPathFocus.

UPD: I also forgot about the absolutely unnecessary "hold shift to change directory" when clicking on current path that is not explained anywhere too. What's the purpose of that?

When InplaceRenamePath=0 or 1 and the Breadcrumb Bar is disabled (BreadCrumbBar=0) you can still change directory by shift-clicking on a part of the path. With InplaceRenamePath=2 you don't need to hold down shift.

If the Breadcrumb Bar is enabled (BreadCrumbBar=1), clicking on a part of the path will always change directory to that part, no matter what the setting for InplaceRenamePath is. InplaceRenamePath is an older parameter than the Breadcrumb bar (introduced in TC 7.50 beta 1).

...but still keep that small triangle on the left side (by the way, what's the name of it, I'll just call it Breadcrumb root for now). This one is really useful to open some locations that are not simple directories.

The cm_OpenDesktop command basically takes you to the same place as the "Breadcrumb root".

[vort3]

You can remap Alt+F11/12 by remapping cm_LeftPathFocus and cm_RightPathFocus. There is also a cm_SrcPathFocus.

Hey, thank you very much for this. I didn't know about them (probably beacause I was searching for "breadcrumb" in TOTALCMD.INC instead of "Paht"). Those terms are not clearly explained in help files, IMHO. cm_SrcPathFocus is really useful.

When InplaceRenamePath=0 or 1 and the Breadcrumb Bar is disabled (BreadCrumbBar=0) you can still change directory by shift-clicking on a part of the path. With InplaceRenamePath=2 you don't need to hold down shift.

So basically, InplaceRenamePath=2 was added for people who want InplaceRenamePath=0 but without Shift, and this is the only function of Shift button when interacting with current path? Am I right that BreadCrumbBar=1 completely ignores what is the value of InplaceRenamePath?

Thanks for explanations, but there is still a one second delay when clicking current path before you can edit it. I wish Shift key could be used here to improve interactions: clicking with shift will change directory, but without shift it will just allow you to edit path, or vice versa.

And you still can't overrride Directory hotlist that pops up there without any need when you single click current path. Maybe we need an option to open directory hotlist with shift click (for people who prefere to click to open the hotlist) and just straight edit path without holding shift or delays.

The cm_OpenDesktop command basically takes you to the same place as the "Breadcrumb root".

Thank you once again: basically it takes you to location \\Desktop\, I didn't even know about its existence (I'm using TC for just two days), and indeed it's the same place, I'll definitely be using it. One little «diiference»: if you do cm_OpenDesktop and enter one of the places from there, cm_GoToParent won't take you back to \\Desktop\. Basically, with breadcrumb root thingy you can go in and out of all your places with left/right arrow keys, but \\Desktop\ behaves differently, and even though I have left/right arrow keys as cm_GoToParent and cm_GoToDir, I can't navigate in \\Desktop\ and its child directories with arrow keys as easily. I wish this behaviour was the same as in cm_SrcPathFocus, maybe I can change something is settings for cm_GoToParent to act as [..] list entry.

[petermad]

...though I have left/right arrow keys as cm_GoToParent and cm_GoToDir

I can recommend using cm_GotoPreviousDir and cm_GotoNextDir instead (default hotkeys for those two commands are At+LeftArrow and Alt+RightArrow).

So basically, InplaceRenamePath=2 was added for people who want InplaceRenamePath=0 but without Shift, and this is the only function of Shift button when interacting with current path? Am I right that BreadCrumbBar=1 completely ignores what is the value of InplaceRenamePath?

Correct, as far as I can see.

And you still can't override Directory hotlist that pops up there without any need when you single click current path.

You mean double click current path - right? It is because it is a double click that the one second delay is necessary - so TC can distinguish between single and double click.

[vort3]

I can recommend using cm_GotoPreviousDir and cm_GotoNextDir instead (default hotkeys for those two commands are At+LeftArrow and Alt+RightArrow).

That's what I'll have to do whenever I'm in \\Desktop\ (I just found that it's called Virtual Desktop, if anyone is interested). It's not as convenient with Alt, but I think I won't have to do that too often.

You mean double click current path - right? It is because it is a double click that the one second delay is necessary - so TC can distinguish between single and double click.

Yes, my mistake, sorry. I realize that double click is necessary to distinguish between single/double click, but one second delay is way too long. Some people may be slow with their clicks, especially older ones, but I double click way quicker, and I'm sure most advanced users do that as fast. This delay after single clicking on path should be configurable through some hidden wincmd.ini key, or just a way to disable double click on current bar to use Directory Hotlist (or make it so you can click with Shift pressed to use it, and without shift it's just cm_EditPath immediately).

[petermad]

2vort3

...though I have left/right arrow keys as cm_GoToParent and cm_GoToDir

You might find that inconvenient if you ever use Brief View (Ctrl+F1) with file names listed in multiple columns.

[vort3]

You might find that inconvenient if you ever use Brief View (Ctrl+F1) with file names listed in multiple columns.

This is something I have never used, and don't know why one would want to use that. But this is not related to the topic.

[petermad]

don't know why one would want to use that

I feel the same, but some people swear to it

[Hacker]

Well, it's quite simple. When I manage files I am much more interested in the names of the files than in their sizes or dates (let alone attributes), e.g. I want to see "what .log files are in a dir", not "what files 1 MB or more are in a dir" nor "what files between 12th April and 13th April are in a dir". Or I want to have an overview of the newest files in the Download dir to see what the 50 most recent downloads were and I don't have a need to see their sizes nor exact dates.
The Brief view makes browsing file lists much easier since you see what you need to see instead of useless information. In Brief view I see 2-4 times more useful information than in Full view while also making it easier to browse (by navigating using the right and left arrows). To me Full view is like Thumbnail view - useful if I need that specific information it provides, otherwise it's just in the way.

Roman