TC7.01 - Custom columns, plain text only

[white]

If you create custom columns using plain text only (no plugin data), the text is not shown.
As soon as you add plugin data to a custom column, it is possible to have custom columns with plain text only.

Is there a reason for this or is this a bug?

[ghisler(Author)]

Yes, the custom columns are meant to be used with content string fields only. You can combine them with text, but you cannot have just text. It's currently not planned to change this.

[white]

Yes, the custom columns are meant to be used with content string fields only. You can combine them with text, but you cannot have just text. It's currently not planned to change this.

I do not think this is very transparent for the user. If the user instructs the computer to display just text, it should do so. Or it should display a message or at least it should be mentioned in the help.

And why is it that after you have added a column with content string field(s), it is possible to add additional columns with just text?

The same thing applies to "Show custom fields below thumbnails" (see Configuration - Thumbnails). Just text without custom fields is not shown. And in this case it could be useful to be able to display just text. For instance when you use it in combination with "Fields by Type".

[ghisler(Author)]

It doesn't really make sense to show a column with just text - all lines would show the exact same text!

The same thing applies to "Show custom fields below thumbnails" (see Configuration - Thumbnails). Just text without custom fields is not shown. And in this case it could be useful to be able to display just text. For instance when you use it in combination with "Fields by Type".

Yes, in this case it could make sense. I will try to add it in this case.

[ghisler(Author)]

This should be fixed in TC 7.02, please test!

[Flint]

Cannot confirm. I created a new column set, added one new column (so that there are 3 columns - Name, Ext, Test) and entered xxx, applied it - the column is empty in TC. Checked with 7.02, of course; WinXP SP2.

[StickyNomad]

I tried it too:

1. I added a test-column containing 'xxx' to an already defined column set
-> The text is shown

2. I defined a new set containing only Name, Ext and the Text column
-> No text is shown
Then I added a plugin field (tc.extension) to this new set
-> Text is shown

So a pure-text column seems to work only if any content-plugin value is shown in another column.

[white]

It doesn't really make sense to show a column with just text - all lines would show the exact same text!

The same thing applies to "Show custom fields below thumbnails" (see Configuration - Thumbnails). Just text without custom fields is not shown. And in this case it could be useful to be able to display just text. For instance when you use it in combination with "Fields by Type".

Yes, in this case it could make sense. I will try to add it in this case.

This should be fixed in TC 7.02, please test!

Looks okay to me. Fixed in the case when showing text only (no plugin data) below thumbnails for a certain file type!

[ghisler(Author)]

2StickyNomad
Indeed this isn't supported for just a single text-only column, because that really makes no sense to have!

It makes sense for thumbnails view and for hints, where you can show a fixed text under a specific condition, e.g. if the file size is > 1 GB, show a "huge file" warning, or show a warning for very old or very new files.

[Flint]

because that really makes no sense to have

My arguments from this post is valid for custom columns as well.

[ghisler(Author)]

Well, my argument is that except for people trying to find bugs, no one will really have this problem...

[StickyNomad]

2ghisler(Author)

2StickyNomad
Indeed this isn't supported for just a single text-only column, because that really makes no sense to have!

Thanks for the info. That's totally OK for me, as I have no urge for plain text columns anyway. I just wanted to state my findings.