Author Topic: A similar function to Listary's Quick Switch function? (Read 29198 times)

About:blank · « **on:** March 03, 2020, 03:31 AM »

A while ago I've discovered Listary's Quick Switch function, and it became indispensable in my workflow ever since.
I like FARR better overall but I'm greatly missing this functionality. I was wondering if there might be a way to add this functionality to FARR natively or using a plugin/clever hack.

I'm aware that one can mimic this functionality using an AHK script, but would prefer not to have to run another program in the background just to achieve this.

BGM · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2020, 08:48 AM »

I've used Listary for a long time - and it's exactly this feature that I love the most. There are some others, but this is the best. It works with my file manager, FreeCommander, too, without flaw.

Listary does run ListaryService.exe along with ListaryHookHelper32.exe and ListaryHookHelper64.exe to hook application windows.

A similar function to Listary's Quick Switch function?

About:blank · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2020, 09:18 AM »

Yes, I've also noticed that Listary spins up a couple of processes to achieve this. I guess there's no way around it and wouldn't mind FARR doing the same if need be.
I've gotten so used to this feature that I honestly struggle to go back.

skajfes · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2020, 10:00 AM »

Honestly, I don't see how this should be a FARR feature. I know FARR is awesome, but IMHO it is awesome precisely because it does one thing and does it well.

About:blank · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2020, 10:07 AM »

Fair enough. You make a valid point.
To me, however, FARR is more than a program launcher. It's more of a platform for getting around the system and performing quick actions that would otherwise be less convenient.

Nod5 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2020, 11:34 AM »

I'm with Skajfes. This task (changing the folder in a save file... window) seems like a job for a windowless hotkey tool, not a GUI based file launcher like FARR.

I'm aware that one can mimic this functionality using an AHK script, but would prefer not to have to run another program in the background just to achieve this.
-About:blank (March 03, 2020, 03:31 AM)

If there already is an AutoHotkey script that does what you want (link?) then why not use that? What is the downside in your view?

About:blank · « **Reply #6 on:** March 03, 2020, 02:01 PM »

There are several scripts, such as this one but it's not working that reliability in my experience.

There are also scripts that allow to select a currently opened folder from a list, which is more convenient than nothing, but it's still not as efficient.

Nod5 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2020, 11:03 AM »

There are several scripts, such as this one but it's not working that reliability in my experience.
There are also scripts that allow to select a currently opened folder from a list, which is more convenient than nothing, but it's still not as efficient.
-About:blank (March 03, 2020, 02:01 PM)

In what way is it unreliable on your computer? I made an AutoHotkey script for the Ctrl+G feature and it seems to run without any issues on my PC. Will test it some more and post somewhere later on if I don't experience any problems with it.

rjbull · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2020, 03:25 PM »

I'm a long-term big fan of Listary... When at my PC, I more or less 'live' within my favourite file manager, Total Commander. Listary's ability to steer the dialog box to whatever is the active directory in TC is invaluable. Listary supports several other file managers etc. too.

Suggestion - from a non-programmer... I don't know how Listary acquires the active directory from the file managers. If FARR can offer the same information (ask Mouser), maybe you could persuade Channing to add it to Listary?

DC has older discussions on dialog box extenders, but I believe they mostly offer favourite and recent directories, not the switching feature that's so useful that for me, it's more less worth the modest asking cost of Listary on its own.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #9 on:** March 04, 2020, 03:58 PM »

There are several scripts, such as this one but it's not working that reliability in my experience.

There are also scripts that allow to select a currently opened folder from a list, which is more convenient than nothing, but it's still not as efficient.
-About:blank (March 03, 2020, 02:01 PM)

Some time ago I was trying to create a similar AHK Tray program to paste the last active Explorer Window path into the active window, such as a save or open dialog. It works after a fashion using the file folder caption to get the folder path. It does not work with shell objects or library locations such as This PC or Documents because searching through all the open windows is very slow. As a speed trade off I used the stipulation that the Windows folder settings must have "Display full path in Title Bar" enabled.

It would be great if we could figure out a way to have it work for all folders. I have attached a Zip with source I will upload to my site soon. If anyone finds any errors or has suggestions to make it work without relying on the window caption I would welcome them.

Nod5 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 04, 2020, 05:46 PM »

Maybe this should be moved to the Coding Snacks section?

I more or less 'live' within my favourite file manager, Total Commander. Listary's ability to steer the dialog box to whatever is the active directory in TC is invaluable. Listary supports several other file managers etc. too.
-rjbull (March 04, 2020, 03:25 PM)

Do you with "steer" mean one of these or something else?
1. when in the Save As window, the user presses a hotkey to make Listary change the Save As window path to the last active Explorer window's path
2. when a Save As window opens, Listary automatically and immediately changes the Save As window path to the last active Explorer window's path

Feature 1 seems pretty simple to clone, 2 more complex.

... the Windows folder settings must have "Display full path in Title Bar" enabled. ...
-MilesAhead (March 04, 2020, 03:58 PM)

I'm probably missing something here, but why not get the Explorer window paths via ComObj?

Nod5 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2020, 06:00 PM »

Here's my first AutoHotkey attempt at some of these features. Probably has some issues. But works ok in some tests on my Win 10 x64 PC at least. Only works with File Explorer.

SaveAsPathHelper.ahk
https://gist.github....7ab6762833d5442fef5d

rjbull · « **Reply #12 on:** March 05, 2020, 04:50 PM »

I more or less 'live' within my favourite file manager, Total Commander. Listary's ability to steer the dialog box to whatever is the active directory in TC is invaluable. Listary supports several other file managers etc. too.
-rjbull (March 04, 2020, 03:25 PM)

Do you with "steer" mean one of these or something else? [...]
-Nod5 (March 04, 2020, 05:46 PM)

Something else. Suppose you have one of Listary's supported file managers in one window, and you are currently at the File Open/Close dialog of any arbitrary program in another window. Alt+Tab to the file manager, Alt+Tab back to the dialog, and Listary will point the dialog to the active directory in the file manager. I had even more fun testing this with two supported file managers

The Web site currently lists:

Listary supports most of the popular 3rd-party file managers:

Directory Opus
Total Commander
XYplorer
xplorer2
FreeCommander XE
SpeedCommander
One Commander

The Options screen lists several others.

Nod5 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 06, 2020, 04:50 AM »

Alt+Tab to the file manager, Alt+Tab back to the dialog
-rjbull (March 05, 2020, 04:50 PM)

Ok, I added a similar feature to SaveAsPathHelper.ahk just now.
Alt+Tab from file dialogue window to Explorer window and back within 5 seconds: update file dialogue window with Explorer path

Listary supports most of the popular 3rd-party file managers
-rjbull (March 05, 2020, 04:50 PM)

Doable, but would for each such file manager need this pair of information:
- how to detect the window (what AutoHotkey's Window Spy utility shows as ahk_exe and ahk_class when the file manager is active)
- how to get the current folder path from the window (I guess this varies, but whatever Listary is doing this script could probably also do if the method is public e.g. getting path from window title, control text, DDE, windows message, keyboard shortcut, ...)

I don't use any of the listed file managers but if anyone who does gives me the above info pair I might add support for it.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #14 on:** March 06, 2020, 07:18 AM »

... the Windows folder settings must have "Display full path in Title Bar" enabled. ...
-MilesAhead (March 04, 2020, 03:58 PM)
I'm probably missing something here, but why not get the Explorer window paths via ComObj?

-Nod5 (March 04, 2020, 05:46 PM)

I did an explorer folder watcher utility(FolderCache) and looping through all windows for a match bogged things. If in response to a hotkey press it should be fine though. It is informative watching how you approach the features. I may end up using yours rather than my own at some point.

Nod5 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 10, 2020, 02:34 PM »

I updated SaveAsPathHelper.ahk to fix an issue that can make the path change fail in some cases (due to a quirk in how AutoHotkey's ControlClick command works)
https://gist.github....7ab6762833d5442fef5d

I think the scripts is very useful! If I may say so

Feedback welcome, especially from those who have used Listary's Quick Switch feature a lot and can tell me what my scripts is still lacking (apart from support for other file managers than File Explorer).

AJolly · « **Reply #16 on:** May 14, 2020, 08:09 PM »

I really like this feature in Listary!

I use FARR to launch programs, and have listary running to jump to folders.
(I also have search everything + FARR for file searching, and an autohotkey script to search between open windows)

wjamoe · « **Reply #17 on:** September 27, 2020, 05:51 AM »

Use FARR as replacement for Listary's [ctrl]+g

Start your program and open the file dialog (open/save save as...)

Open FARR
Find the file/path (faster than most other filemanagers

Go to row containing the path/file you want
Press [Ctrl]+C (this copies the complete filepath into the clipboard)
then press [Alt]+[Tab] to go back to file dialog
then paste [Ctrl]+v into file dialog
(remove filename if you copied a filename and you only wanted the path),
press [Enter] to update the folder contents

Njoy
Wjamoe (wiem)

kunkel321 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 27, 2020, 09:26 AM »

+1 for adding this unctionality to FARR.

I'm not currently running Listary because my new employer doesn't let staff be admnistrators of their laptops

Listary won't run without admin privaledges. When I do use listery though, it always bugs me that FARR and Listary have so much overlapping functionality. I'd rather just use one or the other.

Nod5 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 01, 2020, 06:05 AM »

The small AutoHotkey script SaveAsPathHelper.ahk I threw together to mimic this functionality still works ok on my PC. Link to source again
https://gist.github....7ab6762833d5442fef5d

I might spruce it up as a NANY release.

Listary won't run without admin privaledges.
-kunkel321 (September 27, 2020, 09:26 AM)

I suspect any tool with this kind of feature would have to run as admin if the goal is to have it work with save / open windows from most applications, including those running as admin.

wjamoe · « **Reply #20 on:** October 02, 2020, 03:37 AM »

From the file dialog it is also possible to copy the path and then start farr with that path

To select the path from the top most input field press

6 times [Tab] followed by [Enter]

The path is now selected so you can start FARR with automatic copy and paste of selected text (hot-keys) press

[Ctrl]+[Break]

You can define this in FARR Hot keys:
Toggle FARR and copy selection Ctrl+Break/Pause

The full path will now be in the search field of FARR

Use my previous post to copy the new path from FARR to the File-dialog [Ctrl]+c [Alt]+[Tab] [Ctrl]+v

kunkel321 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 02, 2020, 09:13 PM »

The small AutoHotkey script SaveAsPathHelper.ahk I threw together to mimic this functionality still works ok on my PC. Link to source again
https://gist.github....7ab6762833d5442fef5d

I might spruce it up as a NANY release.

Listary won't run without admin privaledges.
-kunkel321 (September 27, 2020, 09:26 AM)
I suspect any tool with this kind of feature would have to run as admin if the goal is to have it work with save / open windows from most applications, including those running as admin.
-Nod5 (October 01, 2020, 06:05 AM)

@Nod5

Good point about the possible 'admin' limitation. I actually did just try your script, and it seemed to work -- so that was very cool! I only tried the ^g bit, with a Windows Explorer window sitting open. Thanks for sharing it! If you do work on this more, it would be awesome if you see if you can get it to work with some of the popular explorer replacements. Especially xyplorer and/or Direcory Opus.

Nod5 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 04, 2020, 04:52 AM »

it would be awesome if you see if you can get it to work with some of the popular explorer replacements. Especially xyplorer and/or Direcory Opus.
-kunkel321 (October 02, 2020, 09:13 PM)

Listary does it which means it is possible. The trouble is more that I myself only use this with the Window 10 File Explorer, so I'm motivated to have that working. In contrast I don't use any secondary File Manager so I'm not so motivated to install, research and implement this for a bunch of them (especially over time, since they might change how they do things). For each such File Manager (FM) I'd need three things to implement the same features
(1) a method to detect all FM open windows/tabs
(2) a method to get the folder path from a specific FM window/tab
(3) a method to get the first selected file's path from a specific FM window/tab
If someone else tracks down how to do 1 2 3 for their favorite file manager then I'd be much more likely to make SaveAsPathHelper work with it.

Nod5 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 31, 2020, 04:56 AM »

I made a small tool for NANY2021, MoveFileHere, and it can be seen as an alternative method compared to parts of the Listary feature discussed in this thread. MoveFileHere helps a workflow where we make the browser always save/download files to a fixed Downloads folder and then use a hotkey quickly move the file to another File Explorer folder afterwards. Compare that to the workflow of quickly picking a custom folder for each download using Listary or the small SaveAsPathHelper script I made upthread to mimic some Listary features.

Nod5 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 07, 2022, 02:53 PM »

I noticed that there's a standalone version of QuickSwitch (in AutoHotkey) under active development at https://github.com/gepruts/QuickSwitch It support not only File Explorer but also som third party editors. I haven't tried it but thought it might interest some here.
There's a discussion thread in Everything's forum https://www.voidtool...c.php?f=2&t=9881