Adding Custom Buttons to Splitter Bar

[txmax]

Please consider allowing the addition of custom user-defined buttons to the splitter bar.

Keep up the great work on FreeCommander XE!

[dsperber]

The HELP doesn't mention "splitter bar", although I've seen that phrase used by others.

I have no idea what area on the UI is called the "splitter bar". Can you please post a screenshot showing it, or maybe just describe where it is and how it is obtained for view?

thanks.

[joby_toss]

http://www.freecommander.com/fc_guide_g ... Bar_en.htm
(this guide is for FC2009, but the main idea is still the same)

Settings (Tools -> Customize toolbars...):



Looks:

[dsperber]

I don't see anything like this in FCXE. There is no Tools -> Settings tab or options for "spitter" that I can find.

Where/how is this configured at all in FCXE?

Also, again... left/right presentation in your example. Sure that is acceptable for 2-panes (i.e. without Tree), but I much prefer always looking at "split horizontal" 4-panes over/under (i.e. both 2-pane tree and details on top and bottom, 1-2 on top, 3-4 on bottom). So where would this "splitter with tool buttons" appear in over/under presentation? Simply as a thicker separating area than is already there now with no tool buttons on it (for me, anyway)?

[joby_toss]

I said: Tools -> Customize toolbars...

It will look like this:

[dsperber]

I said: Tools -> Customize toolbars...

AHA! Didn't process your English earlier. Now I see. Thank you for this insight.

Don't know why the word "splitter" doesn't show up in Help -> search providing useful information. That would have allowed me to answer my own questions. Some irrelevant and vague discussion of "splitter hotspot visibility" regarding re-sizability is presented along with even more confusing dialog about "quick viewer splitter" vs. "main splitter". I came away learning nothing.

Also, there is "no topics found" when a search is done on "Customize toolbars". That clearly is the missing giant clue which would have also allowed me to answer my own quest for knowledge in FCXE.

Anyway, I have my button customizations up in what I now see is the "standard toolbar", at the top of the window just below the Menu bar. Now that I see what a "splitter" is and that it can hold additional buttons, I don't see why I should waste additional screen space to put some buttons on this "splitter" (remember I'm using 4-pane over/under split-horizontal presentation), when I can minimize the size of this "lost space" and simply use the very wide standard toolbar to have all the button functions I want to customize there... as I already do.

This FCXE is really quite the program. I've been using FC2009 for many years as my Win7 replacement for Drag 'n' File Gold, until earlier this year when I learned about FCXE. I've been following this forum and related discussions to try and gain more insights into its remarkable capabilities and customizabilities and flexibilities. Up until reading about what other people do and say, or by their uncovered bugs or suggestions for product improvement, much of what is lying hidden but available with FCXE isn't really obvious other than by truly exploring and experimenting with every single Settings item or Menu bar dropdown list capability.

Quite the program.

Thanks again for setting me straight here.

[dsperber]

P.S. - how did you get your "standard" toolbar button on the same row as the Menu bar items when you showed your own split-horizontal view?

For me, these occupy two separate rows.

[joby_toss]

Don't know why the word "splitter" doesn't show up in Help -> search providing useful information.

That's because the English help file is not entirely translated yet (only the Settings section is done). You can take a look at the German help file here: http://www.freecommander.com/fcHelpXE/Splitter.html Or Spanish here: http://www.freecommander.com/fcHelpXE/s ... tanas.html

Now that I see what a "splitter" is and that it can hold additional buttons, I don't see why I should waste additional screen space to put some buttons on this "splitter"

I find the Splitter bar very useful for these buttons (at least): Copy, Move and Compare. There is no need to use it if you don't find it useful (uncheck it), but I think this is one of those features that really makes XE unique.

Up until reading about what other people do and say, or by their uncovered bugs or suggestions for product improvement, much of what is lying hidden but available with FCXE isn't really obvious other than by truly exploring and experimenting with every single Settings item or Menu bar dropdown list capability.

Because working alone on such a huge project is a very time consuming job for Marek, he can't answer all the questions, he can't do all the translations and the help files at once, he can't explain every single setting (hidden or not) to us and I really understand that. But he created this wonderful meeting place (the forums) where I learned almost everything about FC, from him and other great guys.

P.S. - how did you get your "standard" toolbar button on the same row as the Menu bar items when you showed your own split-horizontal view?
For me, these occupy two separate rows.

Tools -> Customize toolbars -> General options -> many toolbars + Show menu as toolbar

[dsperber]

Now that I see what a "splitter" is and that it can hold additional buttons, I don't see why I should waste additional screen space to put some buttons on this "splitter"

I find the Splitter bar very useful for these buttons (at least): Copy, Move and Compare. There is no need to use it if you don't find it useful (uncheck it), but I think this is one of those features that really makes XE unique.

I'm not disputing the usefulness of the functions connected to these optional buttons.

I'm only questioning placing them on a second separate "splitter" toolbar, when there already is the primary "standard" toolbar which can be customized to hold the same buttons and which already is present by default on the standard UI. Why not just add these additional buttons to that "standard" toolbar?

[joby_toss]

I understand that you have no use for it, but that's why it is optional: some people find it handy and use it, some don't. For example, I love the 2 small arrows on the Copy/Move buttons that give me a quick visual representation of where/from the files are copied/moved. I'm not trying to convince you to use it, as you shouldn't try to convince anyone that it is only a lost space.