RC1: Open - System / Edit - System - very useful but...
Moderators: helmut, XnTriq, xnview
RC1: Open - System / Edit - System - very useful but...
I just found "Context menu > System > Open / Edit" options - very useful but very hidden options.
I suggest to make own line for "Open - system" at least in the context menu and:
Add hotkeys for:
- Open - System - F3 (standard open key)
- Edit - System - F4 (standard edit key)
F3 key is reserved for Search , so I suggest to change Ctrl+F to F and current F3 to Ctrl+F (more (also another reasons) here).
(Or at least Open - System - F4, but I'd rather prefer F3 as above)
I suggest to make own line for "Open - system" at least in the context menu and:
Add hotkeys for:
- Open - System - F3 (standard open key)
- Edit - System - F4 (standard edit key)
F3 key is reserved for Search , so I suggest to change Ctrl+F to F and current F3 to Ctrl+F (more (also another reasons) here).
(Or at least Open - System - F4, but I'd rather prefer F3 as above)
Last edited by Dreamer on Fri May 27, 2005 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Open - System / Edit - System - very useful but...
You have it in the context menu??Dreamer wrote:I suggest to make own line for "Open - system" at least in the context menu and:
It's better to keep F3 fo search.Add hotkeys for:
- Open - System - F3 (standard open key)
- Edit - System - F4 (standard edit key)
F3 key is reserved for Search , so I suggest to change Ctrl+F to F and current F3 to Ctrl+F (more (also another reasons) here).
(Or at least Open - System - F4, but I'd rather prefer F3 as above)
Pierre.
Re: Open - System / Edit - System - very useful but...
Yes but as "submenu" - System > Open - it's a reason why I didn't know about it till now, I think it's hidden.xnview wrote:You have it in the context menu??Dreamer wrote:I suggest to make own line for "Open - system" at least in the context menu and:
I disagree - reasons:xnview wrote:It's better to keep F3 fo search.Dreamer wrote:- Open - System - F3 (standard open key)
- Edit - System - F4 (standard edit key) ...
- most users use a mouse double click to go to fullscreen (or MMB click in viewer or F11)
- single F key in viewer would be better, it's a standard in many video players
- F3 for open (view in external or internal viewer/program) is a standard in all file managers
- F4 for Edit - same as above
- Ctrl+F is a standard in almost all programs, e.g. all internet browsers and also xnview's help

First off, I think that the keyboard shortcuts should be discussed seperately or later to make the dicussion a bit simpler. Let's first become clear what the top part of the context menu (and the normal menu "Tools") should be like.
Sub menus make the users live harder, since these cannot be accessed that quickly. So submenus should be used sparingly.
In our special case, we have only two submenu items, so there's no big benefit in the submenu, it makes the main menu only one item slimmer. (It's a bit like a splitter with two sockets, you only win 1 socket). So the items could go into the "main" menu.
On the other hand the submenu "System" gives the main menu some structure. Whereas "System - Open" and "System - Edit" will look a bit strange. But "System" looks odd amongst the other menu items.
Thinking back and forth my suggestions for the main menu is:
Open
View in Fullscreen
View in Hex mode
Open With... >
-------------------------
Open (System)
Edit (System)
-------------------------
Open all
-------------------------
...
Please notice the change in order, naming, and extra separators. Comments and Feedback are welcome, perhaps we can find an even better solution.
Sub menus make the users live harder, since these cannot be accessed that quickly. So submenus should be used sparingly.
In our special case, we have only two submenu items, so there's no big benefit in the submenu, it makes the main menu only one item slimmer. (It's a bit like a splitter with two sockets, you only win 1 socket). So the items could go into the "main" menu.
On the other hand the submenu "System" gives the main menu some structure. Whereas "System - Open" and "System - Edit" will look a bit strange. But "System" looks odd amongst the other menu items.
Thinking back and forth my suggestions for the main menu is:
Open
View in Fullscreen
View in Hex mode
Open With... >
-------------------------
Open (System)
Edit (System)
-------------------------
Open all
-------------------------
...
Please notice the change in order, naming, and extra separators. Comments and Feedback are welcome, perhaps we can find an even better solution.
The System menu may be small now, but maybe it will grow in the future. I think it's ok to have it. It's not like everyone uses them all the time.
Btw. ACDSee doesn't call it "System" but "Shell". Like in "Shell Open" and "Shell Edit". Could make long-time ACDSee users like me feel like home quicker.
And while we're at it: if you right click on a file in ACDSee while holding the Ctrl key the standard Windows Explorer menu pops up. Maybe that's worth considering instead.
Anyway, i think Pierre is smart enough to make the interface efficient. So i'm fine with it either way. It's a very big menu though. It already takes up half of my screen vertically.
Btw. ACDSee doesn't call it "System" but "Shell". Like in "Shell Open" and "Shell Edit". Could make long-time ACDSee users like me feel like home quicker.

And while we're at it: if you right click on a file in ACDSee while holding the Ctrl key the standard Windows Explorer menu pops up. Maybe that's worth considering instead.
Anyway, i think Pierre is smart enough to make the interface efficient. So i'm fine with it either way. It's a very big menu though. It already takes up half of my screen vertically.
Window offers "Open" and "Edit", think there is not much more.Danny wrote:The System menu may be small now, but maybe it will grow in the future. I think it's ok to have it. It's not like everyone uses them all the time.
I had a discussion with Pierre regarding this. Can anyone tell me what Shell > Open actually means? And what is the word in Finnish for example? I think System > Open is much clearer.Danny wrote:Btw. ACDSee doesn't call it "System" but "Shell". Like in "Shell Open" and "Shell Edit". Could make long-time ACDSee users like me feel like home quicker.
That's indeed a nice feature. XnView 1.81?Danny wrote:And while we're at it: if you right click on a file in ACDSee while holding the Ctrl key the standard Windows Explorer menu pops up. Maybe that's worth considering instead.
Right. But with all the requests it's sometimes hard to filter the good ones from the bad ones and find a good general solution.Danny wrote:Anyway, i think Pierre is smart enough to make the interface efficient. So i'm fine with it either way. It's a very big menu though. It already takes up half of my screen vertically.
I think many users could be "afraid" of the word System
But Shell ? I don't think it's better...
Any other ideas?
I think there are many useless items in the context menu, since they are as toolbar buttons, shortcuts, or in the menu...
But I'll start new topic for that. I need a space also for hotkeys F3, F4 and Ctrl+F here
.
But Shell ? I don't think it's better...
Any other ideas?
I think there are many useless items in the context menu, since they are as toolbar buttons, shortcuts, or in the menu...
But I'll start new topic for that. I need a space also for hotkeys F3, F4 and Ctrl+F here

'Shell' has multiple meanings.helmut wrote:I had a discussion with Pierre regarding this. Can anyone tell me what Shell > Open actually means? And what is the word in Finnish for example? I think System > Open is much clearer.
For one, Windows' shell is "Explorer.exe". (In Linux it could be KDE for example.)
Shell also means using the command line according to the settings in the registry. It's there where sub-functions like open, edit and play for example are defined.
That's where "shell" comes from.
And why you even have to translate it is beyond me. You haven't translated "System" into Finnish either, have you?

That sounds very reasonably to me. Then you could call it "Default program" and "Default editor" as well.OL wrote:Perhaps ShellOpen and ShellEdit should be in the Open With submenu
--> no bigger context menu by adding 2 more items to it
--> no System submenu for only 2 items
So everyone agree with "Default progam" & "default editor" in Open With menu?Danny wrote:That sounds very reasonably to me. Then you could call it "Default program" and "Default editor" as well.OL wrote:Perhaps ShellOpen and ShellEdit should be in the Open With submenu
--> no bigger context menu by adding 2 more items to it
--> no System submenu for only 2 items
Pierre.
Current System:
System -> Open
System -> Edit
My thoughts:
Alternatives -> Open with Associated Viewer
Alternatives -> Edit with Associated Editor
System -> Open
System -> Edit
My thoughts:
Alternatives -> Open with Associated Viewer
Alternatives -> Edit with Associated Editor
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X 3.8Ghz, 16Gb DDR4, RX6600XT with Dell U2520D at 2560x1440@60Hz scaling 125%
Win11 x64 24H2, Hard Disk Sentinel Pro, MS PowerToys, Process Lasso Pro and Wintoys
Win11 x64 24H2, Hard Disk Sentinel Pro, MS PowerToys, Process Lasso Pro and Wintoys
Maybe, or:xnview wrote:So everyone agree with "Default progam" & "default editor" in Open With menu?
- Open with Associated Viewer
- Edit with Associated Editor
Or:
- Open with Associated Program
- Edit with Associated Editor
See also this: Useless items in the browser context menu?
And what about F3, F4, Ctrl+F...?
So are you agree with:
Open With >>
App 1 ...
App 2 ...
-------------
Add program...
Remove all
--------------
Open with Associated Program
Edit with Associated Editor
Ctrl+F => Search
F3 => Default open
F4 => Default edit
Open With >>
App 1 ...
App 2 ...
-------------
Add program...
Remove all
--------------
Open with Associated Program
Edit with Associated Editor
everyone agree with following key:Dreamer wrote:And what about F3, F4, Ctrl+F...?
Ctrl+F => Search
F3 => Default open
F4 => Default edit
Pierre.