Closing image view to return to browser - suggestion

[bzzz]

Hi,

First off, thanks for an excellent program.

I have a suggestion. Currently in viewer mode (after opening an image in browser) one needs to click on the inner X button to return to browser mode. Another way of returning is to click on the browser icon. Clicking on the outer X button exits XnView.

My suggestion is that the outer and inner X buttons should both have the same function i.e. close the image and return to the browser. The reason for this seemingly counter intuitive suggestion is that the outer X button is an easier to hit target with the mouse as compared to the inner X button or the browser icon (Just slam your mouse to the top right corner and click, no need to even look). I don't know how easy this will be to implement but please consider it.

Also, I'm new to this program, so if anyone else has any other quick mouse-based way of switching from viewer to browser I would appreciate learning it. (I know of the Esc key too, but that's a keyboard based way)

bzzz

[Lostclown]

Well there are many ways that come to my mind.
Most of them are through the keyboard.

Esc (as you mention)
Ctrl W
Ctrl F4
Alt F C

Clicking "File"-"Close" on the dropdown menu.
Clicking the folder icon to the left of the dropdown menu and then "Close".

It sounds as you prefer using the mouse.
But let me tell you the keyboard alone is much quicker than using only the mouse. And maybe the quickest way of all would be to use both i.e. mouse to select/open image and Esc to return to browser.

And if you insist on using the mouse then the "Browse" button is much bigger (at least on my system) than the X buttons and should therefore be faster/easier to click.

Changing the standard function of X-buttons in the document/image windows is not a good idea.

This maybe highlights a minor problem with XnView. It is not "Open Source" and you therefore can not make your private "idiotic" changes. But then Pierre is generally open minded for suggestions if they sound as they are useful for more than ONE person.

Regards,
Lostclown

[helmut]

First thank you, LostClown, for your detailed and excellent answer. There's not much to add.

Currently, there's a discussion whether Close or Exit should be made available in the Context menu (aka 'Right mouse button menu') in Fullscreen mode, see post Add exit to right mouse button menu. Perhaps what has been discussed there should apply for the normal view mode, too? I think this would be just logical and intuitive.

[Dreamer]

so if anyone else has any other quick mouse-based way of switching from viewer to browser I would appreciate learning it.

Unmark option 'View in fullscreen', under Options > Browser. Now you can switch between viewer and browser with left mouse button double-click on image in viewer and image (thumbnail/file/row) in browser (maybe soon also double-click on preview in browser, you can also support it here). If you want go from viewer to fullscreen (and back), you can, with middle mouse button.

If you're new, read also this (to enable some options in fullscreen).