11 Nov 2009, 20:22
Dear Master Turly,
hopefully your op went perfectly and you’re fine. Your FinderPop is simply the best file browser on Earth (the Grab function is revolutionary); I'm enjoying FP since 1997 (OS8, G2 132 MHz) and now I'm using FP 2.2.1b in OSX.5.8 (G4 1250 MHz). Where have all those twelve years gone? Time has picked them everyone. ;–) Here are my innermost wishes to improve FinderPop 2.2.1b (et seq.):
A.) Language selector
Because we have to discuss in English here, a button would be great to switch the GUI from German (my location) or French etc. to English. Otherwise we foreigners would always have to "guess" the English names for all those tabs, menus and other functions, e.g. for FinderPop's first tab "Erscheinungsbild".
B.) Selectable position of the "folder content submenu"
The option "folder content submenu" (I can only "guess" its English name because of A) under the "Options" tab activates a submenu to browse the content of a clicked folder directly. Great! But it would be even greater if we could freely select the submenu position within the menu list (maybe using -!!f) according to the "desktop content submenu" (using -!!d) and according to the "active processes submenu" (using -!!p).
C.) Selectable position of the "recent items submenu"
The option "last used [0–12] items [√] in submenu" (I can only "guess" its English name because of A) under the "Options" tab activates a submenu to recently used items. Great! But it would be even greater if we could freely select the submenu position within the menu list (maybe using -!!r) according to the "desktop content submenu" (using -!!d) and according to the "active processes submenu" (using -!!p).
D.) An unlabelled alias should not get the label of its original
FP 2.2.1b pops every alias which has definitely no Finder label color into the label color of its original. This should be corrected because the Finder lets you arbitrarily choose different label colors: one for the alias and a different one for its original. It is absolutely user-confusing and annoying when an alias file is suddenly colored in FP although it has no label color in the Finder.
E.) FP Classic option: aliases in Italic
In Classic versions of FP (before OSX) there has been the helpful option to show alias filenames in Italic (or the like) to spot them promptly as aliases. Please add back this comfort. Otherwise FP users cannot distinguish aliases from other files at all.
F.) FP Classic option: folders in Bold
In Classic versions of FP (before OSX) there has been the helpful option to show folder filenames in Bold (or the like) to spot them promptly as folders. Please add back this comfort. Otherwise FP users cannot distinguish folders from other files very well.
G.) List dot-named and invisible items after "normal" items
The last two checkboxes under the tab "Erscheinungsbild" allow us to list dot-named items (e.g. ".DS_Store") and invisible items (e.g. "Desktop DB"). But both are alphabetically mixed with the normal items so that everything becomes chaotic (barely readable); we need an option that simply lists the normal items at the top and then the other ones. Would be perfect.
That's all, folks. This is it. (–:
16 Nov 2009, 09:19
Thanks very much for the good suggestions, A. H.
I will do my best to get around to implementing at least some of them!
19 Nov 2009, 22:13
Thanks a lot, Turly. For the time being I'd be happy even with only three of them: G, D and C. They would augment the usability enormously.
08 Mar 2010, 04:44
When (circa) will a full version (not beta) of the newest FinderPop come out for OSX.5.8 (PPC)?
09 Mar 2010, 21:24
The full version will come out when more people have tried the beta version on 10.5.8
So far a total of three -- count them, three -- people have got back to me saying they had no problems with 2.2.4b8 on 10.5.8. Four if you count me, but that's cheating. Does the beta version work for you on 10.5.8 ?
I am waiting to hear back from two people with (Snow Leopard) bugs, once I fix those, that will hopefully be it for version 2.3 which will be compatible with 10.4 to 10.6.
Then I will start working on the improvements you mentioned, plus a few other bits and bobs I should really get around to releasing and documenting...
09 Mar 2010, 22:45
As one of the people testing FP on 10.6.2, turley, I'm sorry to say I haven't found anything wrong yet. My bad in not saying anything - when it breaks I'm vocal enough.
If you have an updated beta or rc, send it along for a trial.
Mark
13 Mar 2010, 14:31
Maybe it is time to announce the latest beta (as beta version of course) on sites like VersionTracker. More people will try this version and there will be a better chance of getting reports of the odd bug that remained unnoticed so far.
15 Mar 2010, 23:40
Just did a 2.2.5 (but still beta) release now - let's see what, if anything, rolls up in the next few days!
Edit: AH - this will be the official release assuming no-one gets back to me with bugs, so feel free to treat it as an official release.
17 Mar 2010, 19:53
Hi, Turly ...
> 2.2.4b8 ... Does the beta version work for you on 10.5.8 ?
Yeah, I had overlooked completely that a no-snow thrill-beta is there since 2010-0216. (o: Now I tested it three days: FP 2.2.4b8 is functioning like 2.2.1b without problems on my 10.5.8 G4. (So I'm the fourth official tester of such a constellation.^^)
Just one thing: Both in FP 2.2.4b8 and 2.2.1b the option "Clicking onto empty menu bar space invokes FP" never worked for me (neither with nor without the checkmark "Must be a ctrl-click"), and clicking into the top left monitor edge also never finderpopped. Instead, I'm using FP by clicking into the bottom left or bottom right monitor edge (next to my dock bar), which is always working fine (with and without ctrl-click), or onto the desktop background or onto folders and files (which is, of course, also functioning always).
> 2.3 ... will be compatible with 10.4 to 10.6.
Great! =)
> Then I will start working on the improvements you mentioned, plus a few other...
I'm totally looking forward to it (especially to G, D and C)!
> Maybe it is time to announce the latest beta ... on sites like VersionTracker.
Yes, Ronald, I absolutely agree. This should be done more frequently (on MacUpdate.com etc.).
> Just did a 2.2.5 ... feel free to treat it as an official release.
Thanks a lot, Turly; I'll download and test 2.2.5, too, then I'll answer in your corresponding topic...
20 Mar 2010, 00:49
A. H. wrote:Just one thing: Both in FP 2.2.4b8 and 2.2.1b the option "Clicking onto empty menu bar space invokes FP" never worked for me (neither with nor without the checkmark "Must be a ctrl-click"), and clicking into the top left monitor edge also never finderpopped.
Correction: Sorry, that's all working.
I just thought it wouldn't as I deactivated "FP active in: other apps" and therefore menubar finderpopping only works if the Finder is in front — which was not the case. But now I tested it in the Finder, and of course it works. I leave "FP active in: other apps" permanently deactivated because I don't want that FP modifies any programs. It still scares me a bit. How harmful are those modifications still, Turly?However: I'll continue using FP by clicking primarily into the bottom left or bottom right monitor edge (next to my dockbar) because this brings always (!) the Finder to the front and (!) invokes FP to browse files etc.
20 Mar 2010, 11:47
A. H. wrote:I don't want that FP modifies any programs. It still scares me a bit.
I have had "FinderPop active in all applications, not just the Finder" enabled for years, with "Enhance other apps' Contextual Menus too" disabled. Clicking in the menu bar will thus always work and I have never seen problems in any one of my 170+ applications.
21 Mar 2010, 20:56
What RonaldPR said.
I generally do not let FinderPop "enhance other app's contextual menus" - I just want the click-in-unused-menubar functionality.
If you think FP is causing a problem with a particular app, you can disable FP from "patching" that app by dragging the app's icon to the "Exclude" list in FinderPop's "Active" tab. So next time you start that app, FinderPop won't touch it. If doing this fixes whatever problem you were having, then it is likely that FP was indeed to blame, in which case let me know the details and I'll do my best to fix it!
22 Mar 2010, 16:22
Yeah, unused-menubar-clicks with "[√] FP active in: all apps" and "[_] Enhance other apps" in 2.2.5b is all I need and works great. I'm not scared anymore. ^^ Thank you! That's surely the best default for new users, too.
12 Jul 2010, 01:07
turly wrote:I am waiting to hear back from two people with (Snow Leopard) bugs, once I fix those, that will hopefully be it for version 2.3 which will be compatible with 10.4 to 10.6.
Then I will start working on the improvements you mentioned, plus a few other bits and bobs I should really get around to releasing and documenting...
Hi, Turly! Of course you're Irish, but: Congratz to your Spanish Footy World Cup Winners 2010!
The Germans phugged it all up. 
Now that your Barcelona players have won, you must (^!^) at least implement suggestions "G.)" and "D.)" finally, which I have already been proposing last year. Pleeeease...
05 Apr 2011, 02:58
turly wrote:Then I will start working on the improvements you mentioned…
Happy New Year, Turly! ^^ Just the two improvements "G.)" and "D.)" ... °_° Pleeease hack'em in. =)
05 Apr 2011, 09:50
I need to get labels working in the Snow Leopard Finder first, and it's proving a bit more difficult than I thought. I've been working on Snow Leopard Finder labels and the little 'info-window' you get when pressing cmd + option while mousing over a FinderPop menu (and having a bit more success at the latter.)
10 Apr 2011, 22:13
Hey A.H.
2.3.10 BETA finally fixes some of your wished-for items
D.) An unlabelled alias should not get the label of its original
E.) FP Classic option: aliases in Italic
Item G I'm not sure about, I think FP showing dotted or invisible items works fine for me - dotted items like .login appear at the very start of my menu as I'd expect them to, and invisible items appear alphabetically. I'm not sure I "buy in" to your request
11 Apr 2011, 08:49
turly wrote:dotted items like .login appear at the very start of my menu as I'd expect them to, and invisible items appear alphabetically.
This certainly is the way I expect the items to appear in the menus. When those items are made visible in the Finder, sorting by name will sort them the same way in list and column view, it is the way the items are sorted in Terminal, and it is the usual way such items are sorted in other operating systems.
21 Apr 2011, 20:44
Oh! The update checker in my 2.3.0.3b still says it's the newest beta (build 23003), so I missed your 2.3.0.4, 2.3.0.6, 2.3.1.0, 2.3.2.0 beta ... Sorry.
Now I installed 2.3.2.0b on the G4 (OSX.5.8) and found no problems:
> new "Aliases in Italics" checkbox [my wish "E"]
. . . Perfect; thank you, Turly! √
> aliases use the aliases' label [my wish "D"]
. . . Perfect; thank you, Turly! √
> maximum number of Recent Items to 16
. . . Better; thank you, Turly! √
turly wrote:Item G I'm not sure about, I think FP showing dotted or invisible items works fine for me - dotted items like .login appear at the very start of my menu as I'd expect them to, and invisible items appear alphabetically. I'm not sure I "buy in" to your request…
As a Mac tutor I'm always recommending FP to all of my students and friends since 1997. Lots of them (including me) often like to see all dotted/invisible items while finderpopping through directories, but normally these items are not shown in Finder windows so that many familiar directories can look very unfamiliar in FP: Folders named "1) XYZ", "2) XYZ" etc. are suddenly not on top anymore because of dotted items, and between "d.jpg" and "e.jpg" suddenly "Desktop DB" and "Desktop DF" appear etc.pp.
That's why most people I know (including me) are not using "Appearance > Show invisible items" at all. They leave it switched off, although they would often like to see all invisible items. ;o(
The destruction of the familiarness could be avoided by an option that alphabetically lists "normal" items first — and then alphabetically lists dotted/invisible items at the bottom. Turning off this option would mix "normal" and dotted/invisible items together again (for those who prefer the OldSchoolFP/Terminal way).
I don't know how complicated it is to implement this option into your programming concept, Turly, but if it is not too time-consuming, then please give it a try: It would additionally improve filebrowsing in FP — and I'm sure you and RonaldPR would use the new option, too.^^
Happy Eastereggs, altogether ...
ah
21 Apr 2011, 21:50
I wouldn't mind addition of an option to sort invisible items after the other items if it is indeed that, an option. For years I am used to see 'dot files' at the top when files are sorted alphabetically and I do not want that changed in FP menus on my computers. I do not normally use the options to see those files in FP, though. When I need to access invisible files I enable those options in FP, or I make them visible in the Finder, or I use Terminal. And I access visible files inside invisible folders sometimes using the "Go" menu in the Finder. It all depends on what I want or need to do.
BTW 1: I notice that the .DS_Store files do not appear in FP menu. Was that already so in previous FP versions?
BTW 2: The desktop files "Desktop DB" and "Desktop DF" files will only appear at root level on disks/volumes that have been used (or are still used) with (Classic) Mac OS. They have no function anymore in Mac OS X.
BTW 3: I suppose the update check will only work for release versions.
22 Apr 2011, 10:55
OK, I remain a bit unconvinced but I'll see what I can do next time I'm back at my Mac (2 weeks time)
It'd be turned on by a 'defaults write com.finderpop.finderpop sortInvisibleItemslast" kind of thing - I don't plan on having a UI option for this unless it proves a lot more popular than I think it will!
I ignore .DS_Store files, I might have added that recently.
I only update the version checking stuff for "proper" releases, which will hopefully be reasonably well tested...