Bookmarks / Location profiles in toolbar dropdown

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donquixote
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Bookmarks / Location profiles in toolbar dropdown

Bookmarks are there to make my life easier and, most importantly, faster! Now, to jump to a bookmark or location profile in WinSCP, I first have to open the location profiles dialog, then click one of the bookmarks - not very convenient!

Why not have a dropdown with bookmarks / location profiles in a toolbar?

Another option would be a commandline argument to open a location profile. Then I could use ENSO launcher or another type of launcher to make WinSCP jump to a named location.

Aside of that, I think the interface for bookmarks management should be improved. Currently to see the list of profiles / bookmarks I first have to click "Add to bookmarks" in the menu. Feels strange to me! I don't want to add anything, just open the list. A simple menu item "manage bookmarks" would do the trick.

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martin
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Re: Bookmarks / Location profiles in toolbar dropdown

donquixote wrote:

Bookmarks are there to make my life easier and, most importantly, faster! Now, to jump to a bookmark or location profile in WinSCP, I first have to open the location profiles dialog, then click one of the bookmarks - not very convenient!

Why not have a dropdown with bookmarks / location profiles in a toolbar?
I do not see a difference, in both cases there are two clicks.

Another option would be a commandline argument to open a location profile. Then I could use ENSO launcher or another type of launcher to make WinSCP jump to a named location.
Do you want to start session in certain directory? Or cause existing instance of WinSCP to switch to different directory?

Aside of that, I think the interface for bookmarks management should be improved. Currently to see the list of profiles / bookmarks I first have to click "Add to bookmarks" in the menu. Feels strange to me! I don't want to add anything, just open the list. A simple menu item "manage bookmarks" would do the trick.
Please read documentation. If that does not help, come back.

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donquixote
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Re: Bookmarks / Location profiles in toolbar dropdown

martin wrote:

I do not see a difference, in both cases there are two clicks.
Open the dialog = Open the menu, go to View > Go To > Open Directory/Bookmark, then move the mouse to the bookmark I want, then click.

Strictly speaking this is two clicks, but in between there is a lot more mouse movement than would be with a toolbar dropdown. You can do a stopwatch test :)
Or you can read about Fitts' law for mouse movement.
Or explain to me what I have done wrong..

I could also do Ctrl-O + click the item, but I usually need two hands for Ctrl-O and then need to move one hand to the mouse..

Or I try to do it all by keyboard: Ctrl-O, then tab my way through that dialog, then enter - I tried that, but was not happy with it.

I think a dropdown (or a bookmarks menu in the menu bar) would be faster, feel more natural, and be more obvious for new users.

Local > Add to bookmarks
View > Go To > Open Directory/Bookmark
None of that feels like "manage bookmarks". It's mostly a matter of labeling, I think..

Do you want to start session in certain directory? Or cause existing instance of WinSCP to switch to different directory?
In this case I would want the existing instance to switch location. But, really, that's only for this one use case.
I don't insist on this commandline thing, I was just thinking how one could get a keyboard-only solution.

A very easy alternative would be to set the focus on the list of bookmarks, when you open the dialog with Ctrl-O. Right now the focus is on the "Remote directory" text field, which doesn't help much if you want to quickly jump to a bookmark.

It's all micro-optimization, but that's the entire point of bookmarks, isn't it?

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martin
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Re: Bookmarks / Location profiles in toolbar dropdown

donquixote wrote:

martin wrote:

I do not see a difference, in both cases there are two clicks.
Open the dialog = Open the menu, go to View > Go To > Open Directory/Bookmark, then move the mouse to the bookmark I want, then click.

Strictly speaking this is two clicks, but in between there is a lot more mouse movement than would be with a toolbar dropdown.
There a button for the command on toolbar.
Just next to path dropdown.

Local > Add to bookmarks
View > Go To > Open Directory/Bookmark
None of that feels like "manage bookmarks". It's mostly a matter of labeling, I think..
If I name the command "manager bookmarks", those looking for "open bookmark" would not find it. And I believe that most do look for "open bookmark".

I don't insist on this commandline thing, I was just thinking how one could get a keyboard-only solution.
Will think about it.

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donquixote
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There a button for the command on toolbar.
Just next to path dropdown.
Thanks!
For some reason I missed this button.
I still think a dropdown or submenu would be more convenient (it can work similar to a bookmarks menu in a web browser), but it's already much better knowing about this button :)

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