Softpanorama (slightly skeptical) Open Source Software Educational Society

May the source be with you, but remember the KISS principle ;-)

Softpanorama University Library

The Orthodox File Manager (OFM) Paradigm

by Dr Nikolai Bezroukov

Total Commander

• Introduction
• Compatibility
• Advanced and interesting implementation features
• Selected Plugins
• History
• Webliography

Introduction

Total Commander  (formerly Windows  Commander, the name was changed in 2003 at Microsoft's request, as they consider it infringed their trademark) by Christian Ghisler (Switzerland) is probably the most well known GUI-based OFM.   This is a true shareware without expiration date or limited functionality (un-registered version has to press one random choice button at the beginning of the session).

This is one of the oldest GUI OFM implementations. As of late 2007  it is more then fifteen years old -- Windows Commander 1.0 was released in the autumn of 1993. I have tested several version starting with the version  3.03 that was released in July 1997.  The last version that I tested was 7.01

TC is written in  Delphi, so it is an interesting demonstration of the superiority of Pascal for this particular type of applications ;-). But that means that it's not portable. Moreover while Delphi as an implementation language is definitely superior to C or C++ for this kind of applications still it's a pretty large program (over 100K lines of code).

All-in-all this is one of the best GUI-based OFM implementation.  It's instantly clear that true type fonts provide a lot more "real estate" then text mode and that shows.

After FAR this this the second major OFM implementation that supports hotkey remapping (see Configuration/Misc).  For example if the menu item doesn't have a shortcut key. For example if you can map  to, say Ctrl-O a very useful command that makes the directory in the passive directory equal to directory in the active panel (Commands/Target=Source). Go to the Configuration dialog, and open the Misc tab. On the bottom, you'll see the Redefine hotkeys area.  To remap a key you need to choose the key combination by selecting the Control, Alt, and/or Shift buttons first, and then selecting the key. After that select the command you wish to map the key to and  click on the check button. 

Still some typical OFM functions are implemented in is a slightly different way or using different default hotkeys (F2 key functionality is present as the Start directory,  Shift-F2 is used instead of F9-C-C for the directory comparison, etc).  Also FAR is still my primary OFM on Windows, I often use Total Commander instead of FAR because of larger "real estate" and because it its FTP client is better  and more compatible various FTP servers as well as with SecurID authentication on Solaris (in several cases I observed that FAR client cannot connect to the server, while TC FTP client can). 

Total Commander has plug-in API and a rich plug-in library second only to FAR. For example that is a plug-in that allows users to access both EXT2/EXT3 and Reiser partitions on the same machine. That means that for dual-boot machines with Windows and Linux, Total Commander allows access to files stored on the Linux partition while running Windows. There is also plug-in which permits reading ISO files and many others. See Total Commander - Plugins for the some example (there are many more on the Internet, not listed on the site).

As for most GUI applications a lot of efforts went to polishing GUI and some functionality can definitely be enhanced. Among possible avenue of enhancements which I would like to mention are the following:

• There is no built-in editor, but an interesting editor Notetab (also from Switzerland), more traditional Editpad or very simple free editor metapad (the latter can be configured to exit on Esc key) can be used.  It might be beneficial to provide a custom version of Notepad modified specifically for Total Commander (may be as a payable option to stimulate the development).
• Set of macro symbols in Start menu  are provided only for active panel. Total Commander uses a variant of MC-style notation recommended in the standard. It would be very beneficial to provide t the symmetrical set of macros passive panel (for example %f -- the current file on active panel, %-f  -- the current file  on passive panel).
• There might also be beneficial to provide shell window functionality. That might make Total Commander more attractive for system administrators who write some scripts, for example Perl scripts. 

An interesting feature of TC similar to Microsoft File Explorer is its ability to work with the Windows clipboard. It can copy files from and to any Windows applications, supporting clipboard (such as Windows Explorer):

• Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Ins - copy selected files to clipboard
• Ctrl+X, Shift+Del - cut selected files to clipboard
• Ctrl+V, Shift+Ins - paste files from clipboard
• Ctrl+Shift+Ins - copy full path of current file to clipboard

Also you can drag-and-drop file (or group of files) from and to TC. There is also unique capability to exchange information form the panel with the Windows clipboard. You can bind, for example, F12 and Shift+F12 to copy name(s)/full name(s) to the Windows clipboard. After that you paste them in any text application, including cmd.exe.

The keyboard binding capabilities are pretty useful too. For example you can bind Ctrl+J to some shell (cmd.exe or sh.exe).

Compatibility

Overall compatibility is good.  But in many places Total Commander slightly cut corners.

Panel operations

• Copy/Move "overwrite" dialog windows does not contains information about the side and date of creation of files. This is a serious weakness that hurts usability.  Currently the implementation violates OFM standard 2004.
• Information window does not show the information about the current file or directory, although path to file is shown in case you are in so called branch mode (flat view of directory with all its subdirs). Minor modification of this windows can increase its usability (I recommend to change the information window to the format similar to used in FAR: information about the group of selected files, if any; about the current file (with it's name) and information about the current directory.
• No support for command line windows view (via Ctrl-O) and the ability to resize the panels top provide larger command window to view the results of command execution
• Total commander implements a couple of useful extensions, which while not are in OFM standard are useful and might be better ways to accomplish things that those recommended in the standard:
  • If case command line is hidden, you can use fast search in vi-style (typing a letter bring you to the first file with this name).  Ctrl-Enter displays command line again.
  • There is a direct command to view a branch with all subdirectories as a flat file list. You do not need to panelize for this.
  • You can switch to vertical arrangement of two panels. This is more useful operation then extending one panel to the whole screen that was introduced in Norton Commander for windows. 
  • There is a "separate tree" option that provides an additional tree view for active panel.  It might be useful to provide a button that permits switching the tree to passive panel, not active panel: that can greatly simplifies targeting as we see from experience of Windows File Explorer users. 
• Like in MC there is a possibility to make target panel equal to source panel, but there is no possibility to make target FTP panel equal to source file panel (reverse path matching)
• Ctrl-U does not switch panels if one panel contains the tree view.

User Menu

• User menu which is aptly renamed to Start menu is a separate item on the toolbar. That's not a bad idea because of the importance of this feature for the advanced users.  Most important macros like name of the file in the current panel are supported, but there is not macros for passive panel yet.
• You can provide a short-cut key that can be different that classic F2-letter sequence in classic Norton Commander. This is a useful enhancement.

File Extensions

• Multiple file associations are supported in a limited way:  via Win95 mechanism for associations. A right click or Shift-F10 opens the context menu, which can be extended and in a very limited way supports multiple extensions.

Search function  

• Supports RegEx

• Panelize command was renamed to feed to the listbox.

• Some useful extensions (find files not containing the specified text, etc)

Editor

• Uses external editor (which is OK for GUI-based implementation). 

• Probably need to make an arrangement with NotePad developer (who is from the same country) about special "integration mode" with Total Commander that can feature convinieces like Esc and F10  for exit, etc.

Viewer

• Weak integration with the the built-in viewer (called "lister"). You cannot switch from the view to editing the file
• N (Next) and P (Prev) operations does not work in FTP mode.

Quick View panel -- satisfactory (no communication with the editor whatsoever as there is no built-in editor). Does not work in FTP mode.

File selection and manipulation. Ctrl-Num-  / Ctrl-Num+ are implemented for selecting and deselecting all files regarding the mask. There is a history for selection masks. Additional functions include:

NUM *                  Invert selection
NUM /                   Restore selection
CTRL+NUM +      Select all
CTRL+NUM -       Deselect all

Compare files / synchronize directories -- good, well thouth out implementation

History of  directories -- Excellent. The best I saw...

Directory hotlist (Ctrl-D) - Good but no special options for getting files from left or right panel history.

Quick search in panels -- Good

• Support both  regular and vi modes.
• Hotkey Ctrl-Alt -letter  is used in a regular mode or just letter in the mode with hidden command line (vi mode).

Quick CD panel (Alt-F10) - Excellent.

Arhive VFS - excellent:

supports  ZIP, ARJ, LZH, RAR, UC2, TAR, GZ, CAB, ACE archive handling + plugins

• Archives are handled like subdirectories. You can easily copy files to and from archives. The appropriate archiving program is automatically called. pkzip, arj, lha, rar, ace and uc2 are all supported.
• Built-in ZIP-compatible packer, supports long filenames! This packer is based on ZLIB by Info-Zip.
• Internal unpackers for ZIP, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, CAB, RAR and ACE formats.
• Additional packers can be added as plugins. See addons page.
• Pack large archives in the background (separate thread).
• Copy files directly from one archive to another.

Built-in FTP client  -- excellent (a very good compatibility, proxy support, FXP (server to server) and HTTP proxy support, a remote change attributes (CHMOD) function, uploading files as lowercase, etc)

An excellent implementation of client-server mode. You can use arbitrary TCP/IP port for communication between server and slave. Parallel port connection between two computers is also supported like in good old NC

Advanced and interesting implementation features

• Panels can have tabs with predefined directories which can server as a hotlist of favorites for the panel.
• You can define shortcuts in the directory menu. For example, to make the shortcut letter "E", you would make the title of the item "Drive &E", instead of "Drive E". This will make the item in the list and in the menu appear as "Drive E" (the letter E is underlined), which means that you can just press E to activate it. It's a good idea to try to map the left-hand keys first, since you will be pressing the D in Ctrl+D (which drops down the directory menu) with the left hand. "Ctrl+D,E" is a lot quicker to press than "Ctrl+D,I", since you have to press I with the right hand (or risk injuring your fingers).
   
• Direct implementation of XTree flat VFS:
  • Flat view of the directory (with all files in subdirectories). This is called branch view display mode and has a hotkey Ctrl+B.
  • ALT+Grey+ Select all files with the same extension
     
• Plugins for work with Linux Ext2 filesystems and some others. See  Total Commander - Plugins
   

• Support of mouse-based resorting interface: a mouse click on name, size and time headers in the panel changes the sorting order to this attribute. Second mouse click on the same button reverses the sorting order. One problem that I saw is that there is no history for the panels. If you click on the top information line that contains the name of the current directory, then a directory hotlist (favorites) is displayed and you have an option to add to the favorites.
   

• History of visited directories is implemented via Alt-(Down|Left|Right) hotkeys. Alt-Down hotkey you a menu with all the directories you visited in the current pane,  Alt+(Left|Right) navigates the history exactly as they do in other Windows applications, like IE. Even mouse buttons Back/Forth, if you have them, work properly (thanks for D.T. for pointing that out). 
   

• Quick search ( Ctrl-Alt-letter ) works via FTP.  support vi-mode in which command like is hidden and you can just enter letters for quick search. In this case the Left  or Ctrl-Enter buttons opens the command line (which I opted to hide normally) and switch the focus to it. You this mode is used it is possible to assign Ctrl+Alt keys to contain additional shortcuts like Ctrl+Alt+K for starting Kedit, Ctrl+Alt+P for PhotoShop and Ctrl+Alt+' for CharMap (thanks for D.T. for pointing that out). 
   

• An excellent implementation of client-server mode. You can use albitrary TCP-ip port for communication between server and slave. Parallel port connection between two computers is also supported like in good old NC
   
• NC5-style search VFS:
  1. Open the Find Files dialog by pressing Alt+F7.
  2. Fill the Search for field and press the Start search button (or just press Enter).
  3. Press Feed to listbox (Alt+L).
      
• Strong implementation of the archive VFS;
   
• Very good  FTP-based VFS (starting from v.3.5) has an option to put the start directory (like in FAR) and has several useful features that are, for example, absent in the FAR FTP VFS implementation ( handshake is visible, so it's easier to troubleshoot the connection. It has reasonable timeout behavior if the server is really slow (you can also abort the connection manually anytime with cancel button).
   
• History for selection masks;
   
• There is a possibility to map a network drive;
   
• The possibility to manipulate Windows file associations directly.
   
• Drag and drop operations for directories and files (as in classical Windows-style file managers);
   
• The drive button bar and the button bar for frequent operations (also classical Windows-style managers feature), but for some reason no separate histories of the panel with are pretty logical for GUI implementation.
   
• The possibility to create a favorite by dragging the directory to the toolbar (Netscape-style solution); also you can double-click of the upper panel bar with the right mouse button and it will present you with the possibility add the directory to favorites (or configure the panel view)
   
• When viewing the archive with the second panel in quick view mode TC shows the file README if it is available or binary representation if not. If archive contain only one text file this file is shown.
   
• The possibility to hide the same files during the directory comparison (a very useful extension);
   
• Shift-Enter is used to execute "command /c <command>", so that command window will not be closed, but there is no possibility to automatically position it under the current so that minimization switched to it.
   
• Position of the windows on the screen can be saved;
   
• Creation of shortcuts for the selected files/folders by dragging them to the top bar
   
• An interesting key binding in viewer: F3 is used as an alias for F7 (search). Traditionally  F3 (and F10) are used for "exit the viewer" function. But the most common operation in view mode is search to dble clicking on the file instantly gets you in this mode, which is a very good, intelling solution.  Still I think that it's better to provide "/" as an additional search hotkey in viewer. 
   
• Another nice tough is that viewer can operate with multiple files and there is next and prev operation defined. That means that viewer operation is perfectly applicable not only to a single file but to a set of selected files (although tabs would be much better solution in addition to Next and Prev operations provided in version 7)
   
• Additional possibilities for search are provides too  (search inside archives, find file not older that N days, history for search)
   
• Build-in viewer has the possibility to select strings and copy them to the clipboard, but there are no shortcuts for searching of the current file from passive panel and others that import information from the panel into search window.  Also there is not key that can overlay the viewer into left of right panel (repositioning of the viewer window).

Selected plugins

ExeFormat 0.6a by Sergey Urbanovich

This plugin can show information about executable file. Currently supported are MZ, NE, LE/LX, PE(PE32/PE32+).
68 KB - Updated: 25.09.2006

(PDF)filter 1.05.51  by Vladimir L. Olovyannikov

The (PDF)filter plugin allows converting arbitrary file from one format to text, picture (BMP or GIF), and HTML, via appropriate converter and display it within the TC's Lister.
Besides, it allows opening of a PDF file by Adobe Acrobat ActiveX control
(if Adobe Acrobat is installed) wuthin the Lister. Multiple instances of Lister windows using the
Adobe ActiveX control are supported as well. However, Adobe Acrobat itself is not mandatory to be installed in order to view PDFs.
From my point of view, the best PDF-TEXT or PDF-HTML converter which can be used with the plugin is XPDF along with pdftotext and pdftohtml.
A buglist to discuss the plugin, to provide bugreports as well as wishes/wishlist has been created at http://194.149.91.135/cgi-bin/bugzilla/
If youo wish to participate, please send an e-mail to volovyan@msn.com indicating your intention. The login for the buglist is pdfflt@pma.ru
Password: 12345678
Please note that pdfflt@pma.ru itself is a mailing list, therefore, as soon as you send a message, mentioned above, your e-mail will be added to that mailing list allowing you receiving posts by any users.
240 KB - Updated: 11.07.2006

SFTP 1.04 by Hans Petrich

Sftp Plugin for Total Commander. Makes possible to connect to FTP servers via SSH.
332 KB - Updated: 12.11.2003

Virtual Disk 1.30 Final - Total Commander by Konstantin Vlasov

This plugin allows to mount disk images as additional drives. It works only under systems Windows 2000 and Windows XP/2003 32/64-bit.
One can mount ISO- and some of BIN- and NRG-images of CD, and arbitrary image files that are recognised by Windows (FAT and NTFS), including IMG-files - floppy images. When an image is mounted, there is a new drive appears in the system. Its letter is specified earlier, and the new drive contains all the content of the image file. Three modes
are available:
  HDD - emulation of local hard disk drive.
  FDD - emulation of floppy drive.
  CD/DVD - CD-drive emulation (there is no difference between CD and DVD in the system).
Also there is the "Read only" modifier that allows to disable modifying of the image mounted. CD-drive emulation is always performed in Read-Only mode.

ATTENTION!!!
For the plugin to work it is needed to install the driver of the virtual drives (the "Install" command from the context menu of the file VD_Driver\vd_filedisk.inf).
In 64-bit Windows versions the driver installation must be performed from Windows Explorer only!

ISO 1.7.4 beta 1 - Total Commander by Sergey Oblomov

iso plugin for Total Commander (read CD-ROM images)

Open File shell For TC is a utility for Total Commander that opens specific executable for each file extension when pressing F4 to edit selected file. E.g. pressing F4 on text files will launch selected text editor, on graphic files - graphic editor, on office documents - word proccessor, etc.
Category: TC Utilities
509 KB - Updated: 15.07.2007

SynPlus 2.7.3 - Total Commander by Sergey Chernyh, Vitaly Lyapota

History

Total Commander - OldVersion.com

Windows Commander 1.12E (0.194 MB)
Windows Commander 1.50 (0.355 MB)
Windows Commander 1.61R (0.7 MB)
Windows Commander 2.11 (0.6 MB)
Windows Commander 3.03 (0.8 MB)
Windows Commander 4.51 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 5.00 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 5.10 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 5.11 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 3.53 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 4.01 (0.3 MB)
Windows Commander 4.03 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 4.50 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 4.52 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 4.53 (1 MB)
Windows Commander 4.54 (3 MB)
Windows Commander 5.00 (1 MB)
Total Commander 5.50 (1 MB)
Total Commander 5.51 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.00 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.01 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.01 Beta 2 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.02 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.02 Beta 3 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.02 Beta 3 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.02 Beta 3 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.03 (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.03a (1 MB)
Total Commander 6.50 (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.51 (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.52 (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.53 (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.54 (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.54a (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.55 (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.55 Beta 3 (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.55a (2 MB)
Total Commander 6.56 (2 MB)

Webliography

• Total Commander Home
• Guide to Efficient Use of Total Commander
• Total Commander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Most Powerful Windows Application

Plugins

• Total Commander - TOTALCMD.NET
• Total Commander - Plugins
• Plugins Total Commander

Blogs:

• GoogleSystem/the most-powerful-windows-application
• E-Musings On Web Stuff»Blog Archive » eMusings on Total Commander 7, BonkEncoder, NetMeter 1.1.x , more …
   

Last modified: April 24, 2008