NEW: August 8th.

This is the third beta version of the File Browser plugin I'm developing.

The panel displays a list view with the directory and file structure, similar to Windows Explorer. When double-clicking a file it will launch it.

NEW FEATURES:
- A drop-down tree view for easy folder navigation.
- Favorites, allows you to add any folder to the favorites list for quick access.
- Support for drag-and-drop, including between the panel and Windows Explorer (and other supporting applications).
- Shell context menu support (that was the toughest ).
- It will remember the last path that was shown before closing.
- Bugs with icons fixed.
- The Desktop is now the top level folder instead of My Computer.
- New keyboard shortcuts (Enter to open, backspace to go up one level, F5 is refresh, delete deletes the file, and more).
- As usual, I'm sure I forgot something.

INSTALLATION:
Please download the DSPACKAGE file and open it when DS is running.
If you already have this panel installed, make sure that you first delete the folder: %appdata%\Desktop Sidebar\plugins\FileBrowser.
This panel requires the .NET framework version 1.1 that can be downloaded from the Windows Update site.

KNOWN ISSUES:
- DS with this panel gives an error when it's shut down. I'm working on that.

Please post feedback in this thread. Any suggestion/bug report will be happily accepted.

Screenshot (updated for version 3), showing the list view with the shell context menu (on the right) and the tree view (on the left):

is it possible to have explorer menu on right click on folder/file ?

At right of the parent folder button, is it possible to add a edit control that show the current folder ?

The plugin not work when he is undocked

How do you make so many panels so fast?
Nice panel-too bad that right clicking a file doesn't do anything.Maybe in the real version.

I have idea. Put a preview area above the toolbar. If you click a drive/folder/file/mp3, it will display their info. If click on image/html file, it will preview the picture/html

I will try to implement it (although I prefer it as a details window).

I would like to be able to set which drives are shown I bet that is posible but I am not sure. Plus I can not see my mapped network drives I think that would be handy.

This is a great pannel it has some great posibilities I am with YYY when he ask how you do so many good pannels so quickly.

-Reg

I would like to have an option to open folders in Windows Explorer, not only files.
And path indicator will be nice too.

I found a way to implement Explorer context menu. Then it will be possible to launch folders with Explorer.
I already implemented the path indicator.

When will you release the second build?

When it will be ready. I can't promise anything. The Explorer right click menu is pretty difficult to implement.

Goma you are my personal god, I have tried of doing this with the capture panel without luck.

Here is a couple of askings through

-Memorize function, or default folder, so when it loads it opens at a specific folder.
-Posibility of changing view (Details, icons, list, thumbnails)
-Basic functions (Delete, move to, copy, paste, etc...)

I think that these demands aren't too much dificult to implement, I think that if you put icons to the right of the folder up icon, that woul do the trick, icons for delete, copy, paste, move to and open with... that way we select an item(or someitems) and click the action we want to do with them. but this is a very good panel ^c ^.

Any chance that moving/copying files between two file browser panels will be supported?

Good job i love this panel .

OK, it will take me some time to implement the Explorer context menu. It's quite difficult. So do you think I should release a second build without it (but with almost all other suggestions)?

Screenshot:

Sure! Especially if it's already contains the copy-cut-paste features.

Released a new version. Please check the first post.

I am having an icon problem with version 2 of this panel. Some of my icons don't show up at all and I just have the standard "unknown item" icon in the panel while in explorer, the real icon is there. Also, on my desktop, all of the items have the icon of JBuilder and not their own icons. Does that make any sense? Any one else have this problem?

Was that a problem also in version 1? It's just that I'm using a third party plugin for the file viewer list view, so I don't really have control over it. I do have its source though, so I will try to look into it. I also experience some problems with the icons.

Yup, it was a problem in v.1 as well.

I thought so. As I said, I will try to look at the list view's source.

Thanks! Excellent panel and idea! Keep up the good work!

What about the open folder support?
An easy way to do it - clicking enter when the path indicator is in focus would open the folder in Windows Explorer.

I get a weird outline as well. But I couldn't care one bit now that copy/paste are added on.

Great job GoMa this is turing out ot be one of the best pannels so far

-Reg

first up, this is easily one of the most useful panels we have in DS. it totally rocks. infact, this is the only plugin that i am considering dedicating a whole instance of DS for. i tried two file browser panels one below the other on my left side DS, with no other panels. once the paste folder function is sorted out, ill be all set!

small problem however... the file broswer panel is using up a lot of cpu cycles. it maxes out my CPU every time i do anything with it, slows everything down to a halt. its really slow to respond. i hope this will improve in later versions. i am running a p4-m @ 2.4 GHz and 512 mb ram so i dont think im short of resources.

feature request: can you add the tree-structure view option, just like windows explorer.

feature request: selecting multiple items using shift+click and ctrl+click or boxing and selecting

bug: not all file associations are recognized. for example, in explorer window, .png files are correctly asssociated with photoshop, and have the correct kind of icon. but in the panel, these files are not being associated with photoshop and have the unknown file type icon next to them

Good job GoMa I'm using it now

i think the excessive CPU usage is only happening when i put your panel inside a stack or tile group. please check that.

regarding the tree view, it will be most useful only if there is a split screen, with folders in a tree view in one half, and files in the other... just exactly like in the windows explorer view. but im thinking that this will be hard to implement.

as for the associations, its opening in the correct program. but the icons are not showing correctly.

Icon skin not different in stacked... don't think that's how it was intended.

Is that what you mean (see screenshot)?
I think it's a bug in DS.

Looking ugly Most of the panel will look like that when stacked. I do think its DS bug.

its an issue with icon backgrounds. its a panel developer issue. not a DS bug or skinning issue. icons have to have magenta or transparent background. otherwise itll look like that.

They have a magenta background, and they look just fine when not in a stack.

The volume ctrl panel have the same effect when stacked. The Stack panel is the problem.

I just want to say that this is the panel which has finally prompted me to say goodbye to my last slideshow on this instance of DS. The DS on the right which is always on top has all my favorite panels so I can access them while browsing online. There are just too many good ones now to be looking at pictures.

Good stuff! Finally got around to looking at this panel, and it is very useful.

I have one question, and I am not sure if I understand correctly, or if I am using the right terminology, but here it goes:

Is it possible to add a 'Desktop' option to the highest level view rather than having to dig through the doc settings, etc. etc.? Or am I missing something?

Great Job!

Coult69

coult69, you are right.

Whew!

Then I would like to add that to the requested features...

Thanks,

Coult69

I don't think it will be possible, sorry, although I also thought this option would be useful. I tried implementing it but didn't succeed. Sorry. Will a toolbar icon that gets you to the desktop be good?

if i click on a link to a folder in the file-browser panel... instead of opening the link as a folder in explorer, can you make open the folder within the file browser panel itself? that will be like totally incredible. that would be the bestest feature i can think of!!!

also, a desktop icon in the menu bar sounds like a good idea. how about a start menu icon too? then we can use it as a start menu replacement also