Which Lister is Open

Help & Support
1

How can I tell which Lister is open :question:

It bugs me not knowing if I am running the Default Lister or a copy.

I don't see any commands or icons for that.

Thanks;
Doc

2

I don't understand the question. The "Default Lister" is a configuration. If you save a lister as the Default Lister then it means you have saved that window's settings as the "Default Lister." When you open a/the Default Lister it uses those settings. You can open more than one and if you do there's no distinction between them. Once a lister is open it's just a lister (that might happen to be using the settings stored as "the Default Lister.")

3

So it's just a copy (or clone) of the default :question: That is what I thought as any changes made to the default seems to be also in the copy.

But, my question was how do I determine WHICH is open; the original default or a copy.

In other words is there any identifier assigned to each open Lister that would allow me to determine if it is a copy or the original :question:

Doc

4

There are no copies or originals. There is a template with which listers are created. You can think about it as class/object relationship in OO programming.

X.

5

Oh, and as usual, what do you try to accomplish?

X.

6

So the templates is the Defaut :question:
The Listers are the copies :question:

Sounds like semantics to me.

Doc

7

You're drawing distinctions where there are none, and over-complicating it just a tad. Xyzzy has the right of it in that there are no 'originals' or 'copies'... just 'lister windows'. All lister windows have to have 'settings' that dictate what the lister displays, how it displays it, etc etc. Aside from the 'Default Lister' there are also custom/user-defined lister 'Layouts' which store all of the same sort of info as the settings making up the 'Default Lister'.

So the 'Default Lister' could just as easily be called the 'Default Layout' or more descriptively and more towards addressing your need to understand the mechanics... 'Default Settings for a Lister'.

Whether or not those 'Default Lister' settings are what is being used to determine what is displayed when you open a lister depends on just 'how' you're launching a lister (i.e. clicking the program shortcut, dbl-clicking the desktop, dbl-clicking the tray icon, etc) as well as what each of those actions are defined to do in Prefs under the Launching Opus page...

FWIW: I believe launching a lister from a program shortcut ALWAYS uses the 'Default Lister' settings as long as the dopus process is already loaded. If clicking on a program shortcut is actually loading the dopus process (such as would be the case if you do NOT have Opus set to 'launch automatically on system startup' and have just rebooted and clicked on the shortcut, or if you've manually exited Opus or set it to shutdown 'when the last lister closes'...) then the lister settings used are those defined under the Startup sub-page in Prefs...

8

Hi Steje;

Thanks for the explanation.

Listers are new to me. I have used around 50 (or so) file managers over the years going all the way back to 1985. The only example of anything close to a Lister that I have seen in the past is a program opening multiple instances of itself which are simply clones of the original.

The Dual (or split screen) is usually all that I need and having additional clones open serves me not.

I would actually like to turn off the multiple Lister feature. Yes, I know I can set up Launching Listers to Default but that defeats being able to re-open the last Lister used.

I would like to see a checkbox to turn off all additional Listers as I find (for my own use) Listers to be very confusing. Many other programs allow the user to allow only one instance of program to load. Having multiple Listers open is like multiple instances (to me).

This whole thing of Listers is very confusing. Can you give me an example of why I would want (or need) to have more than one open at a time.

Thanks;
Doc

9

Which is exactly what Opus is doing. As several people have tried to explain. The only difference being that each lister is opened by the same initial Opus process...

Opus doesn't randomly open listers to annoy you - if you only want one open then don't open any more. There's no need to have a setting to prevent this...

I really don't see what's so confusing here Opus runs and sits in the tool tray, each window or lister is opened as required by the user. Some prefer one lister, some prefer one dual pane lister, some prefer multiple listers, others use a combination of the lot. Simple.

It occurs to me that people with small monitors might see less benefit from multiple listers than those with decent sizes. For an extreme example, see Leo's screenshots.

I don't see what else can be said to explain this to you - it's nearly time to lock this as it's taking up a lot of time for little gain.

10

Thanks steve;

I have a 24 inch widescreen monitor.

I agree, we have said all that needs to be said and now have a better idea about Listers.

Thanks;
Doc

11

Is the FAQ "Always re-use a single window instead of opening new windows" relevant?

12

Hi Bob;

Somewhat; but in my experience it usually means opening the Default Lister which means that each opening will revert back to the default folder location. What I need is to use the Default Lister only the first time after boot up and to use the last Lister opened after that so the last folder viewed will come up. I have the Listers set up this way and it does work OK like that.

Doc

13

There's an option which updates the Default Lister settings to use the current folder whenever you close the window.

14

I have used it before; works well but I need to have the default to always come up in a set location which also works well.

Thanks;
Doc

15

Not for me; this thread has helped me to get a better grip on Listers and has led me to take another look at the possibilities that they offer.

I want to thank everyone for their (almost) endless patience on this subject.

What may be “old hat” to the old timers with Opus is “new fangled” to the new users like me who have never in 28 years of using computers ever heard of Listers before. Even the term was foreign to me.

Threads like this do help a lot.

Doc

16

"Lister" just means the main type of Opus window (as opposed to other things like the Preferences window or the Customize window). When you see "lister" think "window with one or two file displays in it". Where a "file display" is a list of file details, or thumbnails or icons.

"Lister" isn't a general computing term, so everyone using Opus for the first time will be new to the word. (The word "lister" is also used in the Total Commander file manger to describe their viewers, but it's just an unfortunate coincidence that two file managers picked the same name for two different things.)

Listers are described at the start of the manual in the Directory Opus Components section:

17

Good information, Leo.

Thanks;
Doc

18

That's also why I referred to listers in my post as 'lister windows'... should have explained better from the get-go.

Anyhow, about:

[quote="DocLotus"]I would actually like to turn off the multiple Lister feature. Yes, I know I can set up Launching Listers to Default but that defeats being able to re-open the last Lister used.

Many other programs allow the user to allow only one instance of program to load. Having multiple Listers open is like multiple instances (to me).[/quote]
...and

[quote="DocLotus"]Hi Bob;

Somewhat; but in my experience it usually means opening the Default Lister which means that each opening will revert back to the default folder location. What I need is to use the Default Lister only the first time after boot up and to use the last Lister opened after that so the last folder viewed will come up. I have the Listers set up this way and it does work OK like that.[/quote]
...and

I have used it before; works well but I need to have the default to always come up in a set location which also works well.[/quote]
Be aware that you CAN do both...

Firstly, regarding the single instance thing; between the post Bob referred you to and your own particpation in the single-instance portion of your Wish List topic... you should have the info needed there.

Secondly, the Launching Opus page in Prefs shows how Opus can be configured to open Listers (Opus version of an individual Explorer 'window' :wink:) using different settings depending on the method used to open Opus. For instance, you can enable the option Leo was referring to in order to 'Update Default Lister automatically when closing a Lister' to give you the 'last Lister opened so the last folder viewed will come up' effect you talked about... which happens when the method you use to open the Lister (window :wink:) is configured to open a 'Default Lister'. As an example, consider the following:

  • the most usual method I open listers is by dbl-clicking the desktop (love doing it)
  • THIS is the method of opening an Opus window that I would want to configure to always show me the last folder I was using, so I would set Prefs->Launching Opus->From the Desktop to Open the Default Lister
  • on the other hand, if each time my PC started I wanted the first time I ran Opus to open a static 'default folder' then I would NOT use the (ever dynamically updating - thanks to the 'Update Default Lister... option) Default Lister... instead I would create a specific 'saved Layout' that opens to my preferred 'starting' folder.
  • actually 'using' this Layout would then be done in one or both of two ways... either by configuring the Launching Opus->From the Taskbar icon or Startup launch methods to open the 'saved Lister layout'

This means that YOU would use a different method of opening Opus after just starting your PC than you normally would throughout the course of the day or whatever...

Does any of that make sense?

19

Yes; Steje;

It is all starting to make sense to me (it just took awhile to sink in).

For a new user, there is sooooo much to learn that trying to take it all in over a shot time is making my head swim.

But, the good news is that along with the generous help of Forum members like yourself, Leo, Steve and others I am slowly getting there.

Being a long time power user I hate leaving any stone unturned; in other words, it drive me nuts not completely understanding something.

Opus is so amazingly powerful (compared to anything else that is out there) that I can't leave it alone. The more I work with it the more questions come up.

So, I hope you guys don’t think too badly of me for asking a million questions (Inquiring minds want to know).

I will of course start by looking at the various documents available. I have made an addition to the Help menu called Documents and Manuals to help me more quickly find information.

Otherwise, Thanks again;
Doc

20

:wink: Welcome to Opus - you've officially been sucked in. The wife is always asking me "what are you always doing on the computer so late at night?". Thinks I'm surfing porn... :open_mouth: