Messages

26

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: collect files in a virtual folder

« on: December 07, 2006, 01:17 PM »

most filemanagers do not have the ability to create "virtual folders".  these are not physical folders but they still allow you to create holding pens for files you want to group together (but not physically move).  this concept is similar to a search results window where files from many different disk locations are viewed together as a collection allowing the user to perform file operations and access the explorer contect menu for the items in the list.  a "virtual folder" is similar in that it allows you to drag in whatever files that you want.  this is useful for collecting a bunch of files from various locations and performing a single action of them all from the context menu.  if the virtual folder supports saving and loading of file lists, then a user could quickly show all files relevant to a particular project.  as mentioned in another thread, if used with "log monitor" then a list of recently added or updated files can be displayed.  scripts could be created that display dynamic lists of files based on virtually any search criteria.

i know xplorer² (a file manager) supports "virtual folders" (actually they call them "scrap containers").  i have seen a few others but i can't recall any names right now.  regardless, these features have always been bundled with the filemanager itself rather than being a standalone prog that can be used universally and can be customized to more powerful uses.  needless to say, plain vanilla explorer doesn't have this feature (and neither do most filemanagers).  it would be great if users of any file manager could take advantage of this concept.  the most universal method would be to allow files to be added to a virtual folder from the sendto menu.  this would necessitate using a commandline parameter for adding files.  as mentioned above, this would open up a huge number of options by using scripts.  also, with "log monitor" users could get an instant display of any new or updated files (such as any newly downloaded music, or any documents that have been updated on a shared drive, etc) and instantly be able to process those files however needed.

so, the skinny on such a program:

filebox.exe "music.box" "x:\path\file.ext"

where "music.box" is the filename for the virtual folder and "x:\path\file.ext" is the path of the file(s) you want to add to it.

if "music.box" does not exist, it will be created.  the file structure for a *.box file is just a text file containing a list of the files included.  changes to the *.box would be automatically saved.

i hope i explained the concept of a virtual folder okay - maybe everyone is already familiar with the idea and i just talk in circles 

27

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: folder monitor with customizable action

« on: December 07, 2006, 09:59 AM »

wow!  i had no idea "log monitor" existed (obviously).  maybe i had missed it in my searching due to the name.  as first impressions go, it looks great and just what i needed.  thanks guys, i am definately grateful.  this is not to discourage ruff from working on a similar project because, as others have mentioned, this project has been abandoned by the author and i think it would be great if someone revived the concept.

that being said, has anyone made or know of a script that will add commandline filenames into an explorer-like results window (where files can be dragged out, moved, copied, renamed, deleted, etc.)?  i was thinking something like:
filebox.exe "music" "x:\folder\file.ext"

where "music" is the name of the filebox and the path is the file to be added.  if a filebox named "music" already existed, then the file would be added to it or if none existed, a new one would be created.  this way, multiple fileboxes could exist for various filetypes.  not only would this be useful for this application but also as a sendto item.  most file managers do not have "virtual folders" that allow you to create holding pens for files you want to group together (but not physically move).

i'll post this as a new topic ("collect files in a virtual folder") so that this thread can be marked as complete.

28

Post New Requests Here / DONE: folder monitor with customizable action

« on: December 07, 2006, 02:06 AM »

i have been looking for a program like this forever but i just haven't found anything.

a program that automatically monitors user selected folders for changes:
- a new file
- a modified file
- a renamed file
- a change in file attributes

the user specifies an action to perform on any new/updated files.  the most basic action would be a commandline such as:
prog.exe -x -y -z "%path%\%file%"

with the diversity of commandline progs and scripts, there is no real limit to what a user could do to the detected files.  a user might:
- selectively backup files as they are created/modified
- run security software on new file arrivals
- automatically rename all files that enter a folder to have x prefix
- popup a notification window with sound when changes are made
- upload altered files to an ftp server
- automatically launch new files
- automatically import new files into a database
- etc.

it would be most helpful if network paths were supported.

such a program, would allow the user to create "rules".  each rule would specify:
- what folder(s) to watch
- what changes to look for (new, modified, renamed, re-attributed)
- what action to take (commandline)

this general idea could be expanded in the future to have commonly used "actions" built in (such as "popup with sound" or "display log") without requiring a separate commandline/script.  one "action" i would find useful is to put all updated files into an explorer results window (just like how files are added to search results).  that way, it not only serves as a sort of log of what has changed, but i can also manage the files (delete, rename, move, edit, etc.).

in addition, rules could also include filters to selectively apply these actions only to certain types of files.  this filter could be as simple as an extension filter or as complex as a regular expression.  but, obviously, none of this is needed for a basic version.

to me, this concept is really useful and really expandable for a multitude of applications.  i sure would get a lot of use out of it anyway. 

29

LaunchBar Commander / Re: great idea!

« on: April 19, 2006, 11:38 AM »

i realize that i think mouser already plans to integrate frr and lbc.  i think this is a great idea.  but i hope that there will be an option to load the contents of a node in the main FRR results area so that it could browse subfolders rather than opening them in an external program.  but essentially this would mean adding the explorer feature...  looks like i am talking in circles 

30

LaunchBar Commander / Re: great idea!

« on: April 19, 2006, 09:15 AM »

FRR is great too!  but i currently use LBC for my short list of quick launch programs/folders and for situations where i need to navigate a list of files that i may not remember the specific name of (mostly playlists and documents).  obviously, these needs will be better met when the folder features are implemented (right now i update them by hand).  in short, i still love hierarchal organization for some stuff.  alternatively, FRR would fit this function if it implemented multiple configurations.  for example, i could use ctrl+space for the traditional FRR and alt+space for a hierarchal display like shortpopup.  personally, i would love to have this functionality in FRR but i don't think this is the direction FRR is going.  mouser and i have already discussed an explorer style plugin for FRR (which would work like shortpopup).  we will see when we hear the official word from the big cheese himself! 

-cracksloth

31

LaunchBar Commander / great idea!

« on: April 18, 2006, 08:51 PM »

i'm impressed with lbc (and i'm a registered user of true launch bar).  it still has a way to go but it shows promise and it it better on resources.  my only request is that i be able to bring up a toolbar by hotkey and be able to navigate it by keyboard.  i also see that you plan on adding folder support which is *great*.  i would just like to comment that the folder node needs two options:
  1) a node that shows the contents of a folder
  2) add folder contents to this node
this offers significantly more flexibility and also allows users to combine the contents of multiple folders into a single node (which is great for AllUsers/DefaultUser/LoginName folders like quick launch, favorites, and start menu).  it would also be useful for combining multiple playlist folders.

regardless, it looks great so far!

-cracksloth

32

FARR Plugins and Aliases / Re: Find+Run Plugin System Idea

« on: October 15, 2005, 02:07 AM »

been waiting for this my whole life...  one step closer to the minibrowser!

i have been really busy (and will continue to be) for quite awhile but after revisiting the forums, i have a hard time pulling away!  i've missed out on so much - you have definately been hard at work!  anyway, i love the direction you are going and i will try to contribute more as time permits.  you rock, mouser!

33

Find And Run Robot / Re: Feature Request: Super Context...

« on: August 31, 2005, 08:20 AM »

ah...  i was trying to say that nontroppo's context menu could simply load those actions defined by a separate context menu tool (by parsing the registry or a config file).  it was just a way to remove some bloat from f&r and to maximize your coding time by creating a second tool that would also be helpful in other situations.

but i agree about not worrying about this yet - it's not pretty, but the explorer context menu is functional and complete.

34

Find And Run Robot / Re: Feature Request: Super Context...

« on: August 31, 2005, 06:54 AM »

could you explain:

though i suspect that the people who requested this dont want to have to go into the menu and really want results in result window

i don't know that i understand this entirely 

35

Find And Run Robot / Re: Feature Request: Super Context...

« on: August 31, 2005, 01:07 AM »

maybe everyone already knows this but you can currently access the context menu using only the keyboard (although it is a slow process).  just perform a search and select the result of interest using the arrow keys.  then press the "context menu button" (that weird key introduced with the windows key that no one uses).  it will give you the context menu (and you can continue to the windows context menu using the arrow keys).

my suggestion would be to create a coding snack that creates a new popout submenu in the traditional explorer context menu of windows.  in this submenu you could place common actions specific to a certain filetype(s).  this would be a useful tool separately *but* you could create a special menu for f&r that will graphically list the actions found in this submenu.  it would allow users quick access to the most frequent actions for that item without being overwhelmed with the large number of options available in the explorer context menu.

so basically it looks like we have 5 potential actions for a result item:
  - select an item:  arrow keys or single-click
  - launch:  # key or double-clicking
  - f&r context menu:  by pressing the "context menu key" or right-clicking
  - explorer context menu:  by jumping around in the f&r context menu
  - action list proposed by nontroppo:  not yet completed


let's face it, you will never get all users to agree on the "best method".  i think that each user should be able to specify the method they prefer in the options.  here is a preliminary list of possible triggers:

mouse triggers:
    - single-click
    - double-click
    - right-click
    - middle-click

triggers with an implied item number:
    - # key short
    - # key long
    - ctrl+#
    - alt+#
    - win+#

triggers affecting the currently selected item(s):
    - tab
    - backspace
    - enter
    - space
----------------------------------------
users could pick their own preferred trigger for each of the 5 actions written above.  it would also make it easier to expand the action list in the future.  for example, if a user wanted a hotkey to add an item to an alias group, to delete the item, etc.

it doesn't quite apply yet, but when you add support for finding other filetypes (multiple configurations or whatever you call it), it would be necessary to be able to select multiple files (using ctrl to select files one at a time and holding shift to select a group of files using the arrow keys).  this also makes your drag and drop support more useful.

that's about it!  good job mouser!

36

Unfinished Requests / Re: IDEA: mouse location launcher

« on: August 17, 2005, 04:24 PM »

it does look very powerful...  i guess i'm just turned off by having to learn the specific syntax for powerpro.  it is not exactly a tool of ease (especially for the advanced stuff i am talking about).  you have to have a lot of time that you can dedicate to it (which many people don't).  to me, it's kind of like tossing me a book on programming and telling me to have a go at making it myself.  i'd *love* to make the tool but i do not have the expertise and gaining the expertise would require time that i do not have (trust me, this would take me a *long* time!).    a lot of useful tools can be created using scripting languages but that does not mean that everyone should make his/her own tools (more people would benefit if someone who knew what they were doing took a crack at it).  anyway, in short, i guess i'm just dumb like that! 

37

Unfinished Requests / Re: IDEA: mouse location launcher

« on: August 16, 2005, 11:22 PM »

so, in summary, this has turned into a 3 program solution:

 - a desktop manager (vwm) that will automatically place certain windows on a specific desktop and each desktop has its own taskbar (maybe this already exists so if anyone here knows of a vwm with a taskbar or if anyone knows how to modify powerpro, let me know.)
 - powerpro (optional) for switching between these desktops via the mouse.  obviously, other methods (like hotkeys) could be used instead.  at any rate, methods for this already exist.
 - a modification of f&r that would display search content in a window without toolbars or other buttons (mouser, this might be a good project to use that lite skinnable window design that you were talking about).  in my little world, this would mean a commandline that specifies 1) a config file and 2) the search criteria to use (like an alias, or a command, or whatever).

38

Unfinished Requests / Re: IDEA: mouse location launcher

« on: August 16, 2005, 10:20 PM »

i had always glazed over powerpro based on the ugly screenshots and website.  i thought it was some kind of skinnable toolbar.  anyway, thanks.  i would say this fits the bill for the "fitt's machine" (although it is not quite the simple small tool that i had in mind).  but it does *not* fill the role of the desktop manager (or whatever you want to call it) that i was talking about.  so let's spell out the requirements of such a program (and feel free to tell me if a similar program exists):

- creation of multiple desktops with a way of switching between them (nothing special here - any desktop manager would do)
- the option to have certain windows always open in a specific desktop
- individual taskbars (or other task management device) for each desktop
- some keyboard navigated windows to display useful shortcuts similar to the displays found in the screenshots here:
http://www.symphonyos.com/desktop.html
these windows would display things like drives, recent documents, favorite folders, program shortcuts, a music folder, etc.  technically, these windows could be a separate snack *or* (even better) you could give f&r the commandline option to launch a new instance that *only* displays the content with a specific search (no toolbar or search field).  that way, all these cool features would be found in f&r, it would save coding time, and it would allow people to have often used searches open all the time (which is obviously useful in instances like this).  it would be nice, however, if f&r had a view style that was bigger and more menu-like than details (again, reference the screenshots to get an idea of what i am talking about).  what does everyone think?

39

Find And Run Robot / Re: Feature Request v2 - removing/streamlining some features

« on: August 16, 2005, 06:19 PM »

i also currently only use detail mode...  but i would eventually like to see a thumbnail mode (for images and videos).  if this is something you would consider implementing, you may want to at least keep the code handy.  just food for thought.

40

Unfinished Requests / Re: IDEA: mouse location launcher

« on: August 13, 2005, 11:15 AM »

so did i just freak you guys out by mentioning multiple desktops?  this is just the method i thought would be the easiest to implement because i assumed program docking would be the most difficult feature.  anyway, it is not necessary and would be a more confusing paradigm for users to follow.  when i was rolling the idea around in my head, i just realized that fullscreen menus are kinda like transient desktops and i was hoping that desktop widget software (like konfabulator or anything similar) would work with them.  honestly any implementation would be fine as long as the core functionality would be the same.  so what are the thoughts on this project or "Fitt's machine"?

41

Find And Run Robot / Re: an idea about an alternative to multiple configuration files

« on: July 31, 2005, 11:55 PM »

perhaps we should consider a button that reveals a panel of extended search items, including filter groups checklist, options for searching within files, etc.

sounds perfect.  maybe this panel would be displayed within the results area?  just a thought - no strong attachment to it.

42

Unfinished Requests / Re: IDEA: mouse location launcher

« on: July 31, 2005, 11:47 PM »

okay, well, the menus would actually be more like virtual desktops.  so the applications would not even really need to be "docked" to the menu as much as "visible" in that specific desktop.  i will assume everyone is familiar with virtual desktop tools but, if not, let me know.  using virtual desktops is not absolutely necessary but it is probably the easiest way to explain the concepts and it is perhaps the easiest way to implement program "docking".  basically, you would be able to specify certain programs to always be visible on a certain desktop (these "desktops" would be visually equivalent to a fullscreen menu).  so you would create a desktop for music and you would have all music related programs setup to display in that desktop.  similarly, you could create a desktop for documents, videos, internet browsing, file browsing, etc.  programs that are not specified to be docked in a specific desktop will open in the "main" desktop (as you would expect).  now, i also mentioned that there would be other fancy widgets located in these menus/desktops.  one widget type would display files found in a particular location - for example, the music desktop could have 3 of these widgets:
 - "C:\Documents and Settings\cracksloth\Start Menu\Programs\music\"
 - "C:\Music\Playlists\"
 - "C:\mp3\"
this widget would also be useful for displaying items in internet favorites, recent documents, recycle bin, or even shutdown options like: shutdown, hibernate, standby, logout, lock screen, etc.
there could also be a widget for displaying open tasks (grouped by desktop).  clicking on a task would switch to that desktop.
another widget could display a clock.
another widget would display all of the drives mapped on your system.
you get the idea (and i am sure others will have some great ideas as well).  you could quickly access these desktops using "Fitt's Machine" just by slamming your mouse into the corner of the screen, by clicking in a corner or side, or by pressing a hotkey.  you would have a unique environment tailored specifically to each kind of computer task that you do.  it also cleans up the clutter of having a lot of programs open at one time.  like i mentioned before, i think task oriented computing is the future of interface design and this would be a really great way of pooling common resources together without having to redesign Windows.

there are many ways to address task switching (maybe we can all state our preference and why we think it is best):
  - when selecting a window in the taskbar, the parent desktop would automatically be selected
  - each desktop would have its own taskbar and the tasks docked to a virtual desktop would be hidden from the taskbar of the main desktop
  - each desktop would have its own taskbar but the tasks would still be accessible from the main desktop taskbar (docked tasks are available in both the virtual desktop and the main desktop)
  - each desktop would have its own alt-tab menu
  - etc.

like i mentioned above, it is not necessary to think of these as desktops - visually they would appear as fullscreen menus that you can turn on or off at will.  i guess it just depends on how your mind works.    in retrospect, i think we should just call them fullscreen menus because it is easier to explain (but in the background they behave like virtual desktops).  i hope i didn't confuse anyone with the talk of "main desktop" and "virtual desktop".  to recap, the main desktop is what we see everyday.  the virtual desktops are the other "menus" that we add that have widgets and docked programs.

@kfitting:

what happens to those of us who use 90% of our windows maximized (like myself!)

well, the maximized windows that you don't dock to a desktop/menu would remain as normal in the main desktop.  if you docked a window to a desktop, you could still maximize/move/resize the window.  no change.  it is just the underlying desktop that is tailored to a specific task and you could also dock those windows that are related to that task so that they are quickly available.

i am not sure if this description is adequate but if anyone has any concerns, let me know.

43

Find And Run Robot / Re: an idea about an alternative to multiple configuration files

« on: July 31, 2005, 09:46 PM »

@kfitting:

anyway, i hope this was helpful.  for the record, i do not want the checkboxes you mentioned for selecting configs to be a part of the main interface.  i would rather that the screen popup when i enter a specific keywork into f&r (like "config" or something).

i assumed when you guys were talking about a checkbox list for selecting multiple filter groups simultaneously.  i thought mouser was suggesting that these checkboxes would be shown in the main window.  i simply wanted to suggest that they be found in a separate menu (which is shown by pressing a toolbar button or by a custom command entered into f&r).  a row of checkboxes would become problematic if you had a lot of filter groups.  a vertical arrangement like a menu would be better for longer lists.  you could navigate the menu with the arrow keys and use the "space" key for selecting a checkbox or the "enter" key to only activate the selected filter group.  or they could be toggled with the mouse.  anyway, i like filtergroups, i just don't want to look at them all day! 

i would personally love to see a fulltext search of files.

i already have written for another project some nice fast code for searching in files

since you have access to code to do this, it would make a great plugin.  since plugins are optional, no one should be very upset with this but there would likely be quite a few who would *really* like it (especially since you can setup multiple folders that are properly filtered so that you are doing full text searches through a very specific group of files - this is a feature i've never seen in traditional search tools).

@kfitting
i think that mouser's code would search through the actual files - it wouldn't create an index file.  a lot of new search tools have started using index files to increase speed because thay are basically attempting to quickly search the entire harddrive very quickly and to keep track of where files are located.  with the targeted search method that f&r is capable of, similar speed can be achieved by intelligently filtering files.  this is a really good idea because often you do not want to search through every help file, program documentation, and letter to aunt mollie found on your hard drive - most of the time, you have a good idea of what filter group your document would be found in and other matching results found elsewhere on your harddrive would just get in the way.  yes, this is a very good idea!  i think that this function fits very well with the underlying theme of f&r (finding files) and i think that it puts f&r a step above the rest.

44

Unfinished Requests / Re: IDEA: mouse location launcher

« on: July 31, 2005, 01:00 PM »

maybe it could be called "Fitt's Machine" (based on the ideas proposed by the now-famous "Fitt's Law").  if anyone is interested in good interface design, check out:
http://www.symphonyos.com/desktop.html

"Jason's Laws of Interface Design" are very true.  personally, i am not as opposed to nested menus as he is (at least menus that i can customize myself) but i understand what he is trying to say (that nested menus created by others have a steeper learning curve and are more difficult to navigate in a mouse-world).  anyway, not that this was officially approved as a snack, but another interesting snack that could be created to complement the "Fitt's machine" are some fullscreen menus similar to those i linked to (for computer, tasks, documents, quicklaunch, music, etc.)  the user could customize a menu however he/she wanted.  it would be a very great way of managing your computer.  especially if you could automatically dock a program to a menu.  for example, i would "attach" winamp to my music menu so that i would have access to all of my frequent playlists and the player and shortcuts to all music related tools all at once.  similarly, on a "programs" menu, i would dock f&r, insert all of the shortcuts found in the quicklaunch folder, put some shortpopup links to my start menu, and a link to "add/remove programs".  this sort of "task-based" computing is the future and this would be a really great method of embracing it.  in retrospect, the "fitt's machine" would be a nice coding snack but the menus would probably be advanced enough to be a featured program.  i've got more ideas about this but i will gauge your reaction first.

i've got more ideas than sense.

-cracksloth

45

Find And Run Robot / Re: an idea about an alternative to multiple configuration files

« on: July 31, 2005, 12:31 PM »

i like the content plugin idea as well - similar to the plugin system i discussed previously.  i assume that your "dict" command would reap the info from a web dictionary?  this would open up the possibility to reap other kinds of info like weather and movie listings.  potentially, it could behave like a wap browser for access to quick information.  me likey! 

46

Find And Run Robot / Re: an idea about an alternative to multiple configuration files

« on: July 31, 2005, 11:08 AM »

comments:

mouser, would you divide those heuristic options into two:
"percentage match bonus" & "beginning of filename bonus"
when searching for the title of an mp3s (for example), it would be beneficial not to give bonuses for being in the beginning of a filename.  in addition, these phrases might be more descriptive to slow people like me. 

but i'm open to the idea of a ability to maintain multiple Config files...

this is unneccessary.  to me, filter groups and multiple configs are the same feature, only different in implementation.  i think other features are more important if for coding reasons, you prefer to switch filter groups rather than config files.  however, commandline options for switching filter groups would still be a good idea (for scripting and setting up aliases).

if you do not want to add the options i mentioned to fiter groups then it is acceptable to add toolbar buttons for:
  - few and many results (assuming that these can be configured by the user).
  - switching display modes
  - a checkbox list to select active filter group(s)

plugins could also exist for the type of content searched.  for example, a search plugin for id3 tags, exif tags, document content, email, etc.  just an idea.  obviously, these ideas would not need to be implemented immediately but they would provide expansion for down the road and would allow f&r to keep up with the many content search tools that are becoming popular these days.  since it is a plugin, other users could contribute by creating these.  and because plugins are optional, they would not need to be loaded by users who do not want them.  they could be listed in each config group under a new tab called "search methods" where the user would select one or more:
  - filename
  - document content
  - id3
  - exif
  - internet history
  - outlook email
  - etc.
each of these search methods would have unique heuristic scoring, pattern scoring, and search folders.  this would be done to reduce confusing options that may not apply in all situations (and it would be more powerful).  for example, you could create a "url" search that would search your internet history and the filenames of your favorites for keyword(s).  anyway, just me rambling again about long term possibilities.    really i am just giving my vote for a plugin system!

47

Find And Run Robot / Re: address bar replacement

« on: July 30, 2005, 10:54 PM »

i am not a big fan of integrating it into explorer as a toolbar because it would become useless to those who use alternative shells (like i do).  in addition, i like that f&r doesn't take up screen real estate.  dig it, yo?

48

Find And Run Robot / Re: an idea about an alternative to multiple configuration files

« on: July 30, 2005, 10:32 PM »

i've been busy lately so sorry i haven't provided much feedback lately.  anyway, i though i should reply to some of these ideas:

a real attraction of this approach for me is the desire to avoid multiple configuration files, for the reasons i have described previously (things like hotkeys and aliases seem like they should be shared between config groups).

i meant to imply that hotkeys and aliases would be found in the general program options (not a config file).  using multiple config files would require that you separate some features into general options so that they apply universally to all configs (like hotkeys and aliases).  i guess i miscommunicated.  so, to me, there isn't a lot of difference between the idea of a separate config "file" and a "config group" that keeps its settings internally.  both suit the same function.

the real innovation mentioned here is the method of switching between configs.  like i mentioned before, there are many ways to be able to switch between configs.  we've mentioned quite a few in the past including the ability to switch between configs using the keyboard by creating a "command" or "alias".  the method of switching configs presented here (as a prefix) is also acceptable and it has the added bonus of easily being able to specify multiple configs simultaneously.  this may be useful if a user does not want to specify a specific config group for both sets of folders.

but lets talk about what options need to be in each config group/file:

search folders
heuristic scoring
pattern scoring
max entries to display in results list (X)
results display style (small icons, large icons, detailed report)
result label extension (yes, no)

specifying multiple config groups simultaneously may interfere with the last two settings because they define *how* results are displayed - this means multiple config groups could have conflicting settings.  because i believe these settings are essential, we need to discuss ways of addressing these issues:

------------------
results display style (small icons, large icons, detailed report):  what happens when different display styles are specified in each config group?  i think that each style should be given a value:
  - thumbnails (0)
  - large icons (1)
  - small icons (2)
  - detailed report (3)
when multiple config groups are specified, f&r should display the results using the style of the greatest number.  for example, if you specified both a video config group (that was set to display thumbnails) and a music config group (that was set to display small icons), then f&r would display the results as small icons.  i realize, that f&r does not currently have a thumbnail display style - i just used it as an example.

if you don't like that idea or if you want something more simple, you could just have f&r always display as a detailed report if the two config groups do not have the same display style.
--------------------
result label extension (yes, no):  this one is easier... if the config groups disagree, then just show all extensions.
--------------------


anyway, i hope this was helpful.  for the record, i do not want the checkboxes you mentioned for selecting configs to be a part of the main interface.  i would rather that the screen popup when i enter a specific keywork into f&r (like "config" or something).

also, as an aside i thought of another good heuristic score but when i looked at the heuristic scoring tab, this might be a feature you have already included but i just never realized.  basically, it would add a percentage of the "score" amount equal to the percentage that the search characters match the result filename.  so if i set a heuristic score item:
percentage match bonus = 200 points
then i entered "word" into the search field.  let's say i get 3 matching results:
Word
Word Perfect
Wordy

the "Word" result would get the full 200 point bonus.  the "Word Perfect" result would only get 33% of the 200 points (66 points) because the entry "word" comprises 33% of the result "Word Perfect" (unless you want to ignore spaces).  likewise, the "Wordy" result would receive 80% of the 200 points (160 points).  make sense?  well, when i was looking at the heuristic tab, i noticed "percentage of search string points".  since i don't know what this is, it might already be what i am trying to describe. 

anyway, that's about it!  take care guys!

-cracksloth

49

Unfinished Requests / Re: IDEA: Babies on keyboard

« on: July 19, 2005, 12:04 AM »

i didn't mean to imply that by being a screensaver, the program would automatically inherit these qualities.  unfortunately, you would still need to code them (unless there is something i am missing with password protected screensavers).  but the features you speak of would be great security additions to any screensaver.

50

Finished Programs / Re: IDEA: Dim rest of desktop/windows, except for focused window

« on: July 18, 2005, 08:08 PM »

some weird things i noticed:

when a window spawns a menu that extends beyond the confines of the active window, it is half shaded.  to test this right click an ie window (you can do it right now...  go ahead, do it!) and the menu will only be partly covered by dimmage.

or drag the window over an "always on top" toolbar and only that area of the toolbar that is in front of the active window will be un-dimmed.

the method i mentioned would have the unintended side effect that "always on top" windows would not be dimmed (aka some toolbars).  this would be nice.