Additional file attributes (beside name, size, type ...)

[poldem]

I would like to add additional file attributes to the file list (there are some of them on the list already, like file name, size, modified, type, attributes).

This is something I use a lot when sorting my camera JPEGs, and particlarly when I work (CVS status).

During the work I often need to group the files by their CVS status (the status is shown as an icon, but is often handy to have the files grouped together by CVS status).

I have not found a way how to put these additional attributes on the view in FreeCommander.

I have a picture of what I really need, but I can not find the link for uploading. It seems, that I am not allowed pictures to the forum.

[Cyg]

Absolute DITTOs!
I don't exactly know what other people need programs like these to organise their files for -mine are perfectly organised with Windows Explorer. What I need is INFORMATION. WinXP was almost perfect save for it's lack of "Folder Sizes", which the app. FolderSizes took care of quite nicely. However, Vista and Win7 have a problem displaying some important info such as "Dimensions" for video files and nothing I can find will add Folder Sizes to the Columns menu (or make it otherwise available) - thus a need for an alternative such as FreeCommander. FreeCommander is the fourth Explorer alternative I've tried and they're all deficient to the point of near uselessness - which is extremely bewildering and aggravating. It just shouldn't be this painfully difficult to find a usefully informative program - something is seriously wrong in the world Windows (not that the same problem doesn't exist with other platforms - I have no experience with them, sad to say.)
Am I missing something? I tried every which way and except for being the only app that provides folder size info in Windows 7 (which means I HAVE to use it for that much at least) I see no other use for FreeCommander. I don't like being so negative, and I am likely to find more to my liking as I become more familiar with it, but it'll NEVER replace Windows Explorer until it offers many more column info options - I mean, what is even the use of "Attributes"? And "Modified" and "Type" are only occasionally (read rarely) useful, and should be removable until needed. I hate useless info almost as much as not having useful information - and there appears to be no way to disable these unwanted columns either.
Please somebody prove me wrong and help me out - I'm looking for a program to LOVE and will be pleased and happy to donate/buy an app that truly replaces WinExplorer.

[poldem]

Opus 9 (a commercial product) has this feature

[poldem]

I would like to add additional file attributes to the file list (there are some of them on the list already, like file name, size, modified, type, attributes).
This is something I use a lot when sorting my camera JPEGs, and particlarly when I work (CVS status).

During the work I often need to group the files by their CVS status (the status is shown as an icon, but is often handy to have the files grouped together by CVS status).

Is it possible to add other file attributes (like CVS status, digital photo info from EXIF) to the existing file view ??
Anybody ??

[Bigun]

Each of you bring up an interesting point or points. I may be wrong, but it appears to me a couple of you have just been around for a few years. I make this point because you may have missed the all time great file manager - "Norton File Manager".

Perhaps as many as 6 to 10 months before the introduction of Windows 95, Symantec started advertising their "Norton File Manager" as being many times better than the file manager it was being built into the Windows operating system itself. Their advertisements listed dozens of features that would not be available in the built-in file manager for the upcoming "Windows 95".

Back then most everyone referred to the company that became Symantec as "Norton". The Norton file manager to do many things that the Windows Explorer program could not do. Norton cutout of a lot of the drilling down to a particular file or folder that had to be done using Explorer. Norton made the task of finding, opening, copying, moving files and folders etc. very simple. When it comes to using file managers, "simple" can be equated with "fast".

I believe that the best feature that was introduced In the Norton File Manager with the idea of using two columns. This was a new idea . Implementing the available two column feature in made everything easier and faster faster. All of the better file managers for all versions of Windows have used the two column approach that was introduced in the .

For reasons completely unknown to me, the Norton File Manager program was pulled off the market just about six months after Windows 95 made its debut.

In those early days of personal computers optical disk drives were not in common use. Programs were furnished on a very unreliable media - the floppy disk. I was afraid that the installation floppy disks that I bought would suddenly no longer work and I would be left without the Norton program. I bought three licensed copies of Norton File Manager and got a fourth set of disks furnished with a new Dell computer.

If you could find someone that has the old Norton File Manager program it would be to your advantage to look at the program. Someone may even have an old computer magazine carrying an advertisement of Norton file manager. Looking at the features in the Norton program will help you immensely defined what it is that you want to have the latest and greatest file manager program. It information could be very valuable to developers as well. There are a few decent file managers available for Windows XP (I have no knowledge of programs designed to run on Vista or Windows 7). No program has come close to "Norton File Manager" in functionality and ease of use.

Since we are using the "FreeCommander" forum, I wo I believe that Project needs more.FreeCommander has possibilities. I have been using the program for I like the program Project needs more. It will be a long struggle for one man to fully develop an outstanding file managing program that comes close to the old "Norton File Manager". A one-man shop could join forces with other small developers wanting to write a program for an excellent file manager. Another possibility would be for the one-man shop chuck the idea of trying to copy Norton File Manager and develop a new file manager program with the goals being to be able to get to any file on the computer quickly and easily.

Taking into account all of the many file managing programs that I have used for operating systems starting with MS-DOS and going through Windows XP I have say that Windows Explorer is the absolute worst. Apparently Microsoft developers do not intend to put much effort into developing a better file manager then what they have in the "Explorer" file managing program.

I believe that the developer should not start his project by making a long list of all the features that people would like for him to incorporate in his program. I feel that would be better for a developer to think of the ways that he could make his program easy-to-use, fast to find what is being looked for, and speedily completing file managing operations. The developer would not have to make lists of the features to include in his program. The features that will be important will present themselves as the developer works towards his goal of simplicity and ease of use.

"FreeCommander" is much closer to what I would like to have in a file manager than Windows Explorer is.

[granny]

If you haven't done so already, take a look here
http://www.freecommander.com/fc_beta_en.htm
to see screenshots of the next generation.

Looks really good, doesn't it?
< drool >

I know it will be many months before a final version is released, but donors are eligible to get the alpha/beta of the new FC.

[Bigun]

Yes

The screenshots look very nice. The layout appears to be user configurable to some degree. I cannot tell from the screenshots whether or not these layouts are hard coded templates or if there are many options the user can select and change as the user's needs change.

There is a mighty big jump going from today's FreeCommander to the next generation as depicted in the screenshots. How long will it be before we see the next version of the program is anyone's guess. I think there will be a number of stages between the now product and the product shown in the screenshots. I do not doubt it can be done. It is the fact that I doubt it will be done quickly. Also I doubt that the developer will sit on all of the many changes shown and wait until all features are incorporated in the program before the next version is introduced. I would not wait until I could present the whole package at one time.

I do not see my favorite feature for a file manager to have in the screenshots. That is the two column view. It may be in one of the screenshots but it is not as obvious to me as when two columns are shown in the present version.

The new FreeCommander is indeed full of many useful functions. When these functions become available to the user I think that a good help file will be necessary.

Thank you for pointing me in the direction that displays the FreeCommander of the future.

[granny]

If by "two-column view" you mean two panes, then yes, it will have two panes.
it looks different in the screenshots because the "splitter bar" is so narrow.
I've taken a peek at the beta forum just to see what they are discussing, and the released alpha is still very raw.

My personal Most-Wished-For is to have columns that can be arranged by drag&drop, as in Windows Explorer, don't know if that will ever happen. As much as I love FC, I find it awkward to have to apply a Custom Columns view when I want the Size column next to the Name, instead of the Date Modified column, etc etc etc.

I understand that Total Commander is closer to the old Norton's Commander than FC is (I only used TC for a very short while). I think FC has been deliberately designed to be more similar to Windows Explorer, while Total Commander was designed as a Norton's clone.

[poldem]

my answer has been answered. Additional columns will be possible in next version. This is good news. I have lived with WinExplorer for a long time. Now I use it in combination with FreCommander. I can live with this for a while ...

And I am looking forward to have the new version as soon as possible !