Copy to THIS/OTHER/Third Directory

zweistein · Post by **zweistein** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:47 am

I didn't find any bug in the latest beta so I have to nitpick...

I'm always looking for the "Copy to Third Directory" right-click menu entry on directory comparisons; why is it hidden between the Ctrl-C and Ctrl-Shift-C items and not next to the other two "Copy to ... directory" items?

And these "Copy to ... directory" items confuse me. The IMO ugly capitalization aside, the terms THIS and in particular OTHER don't seem to appear anywhere else in the program. On the toolbar, the same operation is more clearly labeled "Copy To Second" or "Copy To First", and the Edit menu is even more explicitly "Copy from First to Second Directory".

I think I know where the difference comes from. When you right click on a bunch of selected files in a pane, you're focused on that pane and you you want the context menu to reflect that. Whereas the toolbar and menu are common to both panes. But then, "Copy to THIS Directory" does not copy the selected files anywhere. It overwrites them with copies from the opposite directory.

Therefore, I vote for labeling the menu items "Copy to Second Directory" and "Copy from Second Directory" when right-clicking on the first pane, and "Copy to First Directory" and "Copy from First Directory" on the second pane.

Post by **psguru** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 4:23 pm

I'm always looking for the "Copy to Third Directory" right-click menu entry on directory comparisons; why is it hidden between the Ctrl-C and Ctrl-Shift-C items and not next to the other two "Copy to ... directory" items?

Because it's similar to "Copy to Clipboard" and to "Copy as Text". And you can add any keyboard shortcut so that it doesn't look odd between "Ctrl-C" and "Ctrl-Shift-C". The other two Copy commands are different: they are for copying items between comparison panes.

Therefore, I vote for labeling the menu items "Copy to Second Directory" and "Copy from Second Directory" when right-clicking on the first pane, and "Copy to First Directory" and "Copy from First Directory" on the second pane.

I disagree. No matter in what pane items are selected, "Copy to THIS Directory" and "Copy to OTHER Directory" pick items that are either selected or match the selected items (have the same item numbers in the list views). Otherwise your understanding

I think I know where the difference comes from. When you right click on a bunch of selected files in a pane, you're focused on that pane and you you want the context menu to reflect that. Whereas the toolbar and menu are common to both panes. But then, "Copy to THIS Directory" does not copy the selected files anywhere. It overwrites them with copies from the opposite directory.

is correct.

zweistein · Post by **zweistein** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:25 am

psguru wrote:it's similar to "Copy to Clipboard" and to "Copy as Text"

I have a hard time figuring out what similarity you mean. Surely it's not about the copy operation itself. Neither "Copy to Clipboard" nor "Copy as Text" actually copy files. They just write to file descriptions to the clipboard. Neither lends itself to copying selected files to a third directory since "Copy to Clipboard" doesn't know relative paths (as mandated by Windows I guess) and "Copy as Text" trades in, well, text. On the other hand, barring view updates, "Copy to OTHER Directory" does just the same copying as "Copy to Third Directory" for a preset destination.

So the similarity is in that they operate on the selected files, whereas Copy to THIS/OTHER operates on "slices" - selected files or their matching counterpart. Okay, but then still the two clipboard operations are brothers while "Copy to Third Directory" is a nephew.

And while the right click menu separates some operations on slices from those on selected files, it doesn't seem very consistent. Most operations (View/Edit, Copy to Clipboard ... Properties, Explorer Menu) operate on the selected file(s) but are in groups separated by other items. Compare Matched and Copy to THIS/OTHER directory work on "slices". Select All and Resize Columns works on the pane. I'm not sure about Save/Refresh Snapshot; since they're on top, I suppose they work on the selection rather than on the pane's directory.

Post by **psguru** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:31 pm

Neither "Copy to Clipboard" nor "Copy as Text" actually copy files.

This is not correct. "Copy to Clipboard" actually does copy files to the Clipboard. It is just like Copy operation in Windows Explorer.

And while the right click menu separates the operations on slices from those on selected files, it doesn't seem very consistent. Most operations (View/Edit, Copy to Clipboard ... Properties, Explorer Menu) operate on the selected file(s) but are groups separated by other items. Compare Matched and Copy to THIS/OTHER directory work on "slices". Select All and Resize Columns works on the pane.

I suppose we could argue about whether the order and separators in the right-click menu are logical or not but they do make sense to me. I wonder if this kind of argument could be made for any application.

I'm not sure about Save/Refresh Snapshot; since they're on top, I suppose they work on the selection rather than on the pane's directory.

No, they actually work on the entire directory.

zweistein · Post by **zweistein** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 7:39 am

"Copy to Clipboard" actually does copy files to the Clipboard.

Not on any operating system I know, which does not include XP. Just like the Copy operation in Windows Explorer, it records only the names of files on the clipboard. If you overwrite the original file before pasting, the pasted "copy" will have the updated contents.

Post by **psguru** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 4:01 pm

You are right, "Copy to Clipboard" copies only file names. What I meant is that when you paste, actual files will be pasted, not their names with other text information like in "Copy as Text" case.