File selection confusing and different to Windows Explorer

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tallyce
Guest

File selection confusing and different to Windows Explorer

Selection of files on either pane using a mouse behaves differently to the standard way Windows behaves. Because of this, often the wrong file is opened/copied.

Can the behaviour be made the same please?


SINGLE FILE SELECTION

In Windows Explorer:
- Clicking on a single file results in that file being highlighted

In WinSCP
- Clicking on a single file results in a line round the file but not it being highlighted.


MULTIPLE FILE SELECTION

In Windows Explorer, to select multiple files, the steps are:
1) Click on one file
2) Hold down Control
3) Click on the second file.
Both files are now selected.

In WinSCP, to select multiple files, the procedure is the same as the above BUT the first file is not then within those highlighted, and that file must be clicked on (with Control) again.

(If Control is held down before any file selection, Windows and WinSCP behave the same. But often one does not remember to hold down Control.)


DESELECTION OF FILES

In Windows Explorer, if any set of files (or a single file) is highlighted, clicking on a different file un-highlights those files which were highlighted.

In WinSCP, doing the same thing results in the set of files remaining highlighted, but the new file having only a line round it, but not acting as if it were a highlighted file. This behaviour is highly confusing. This means that to unselect files, one has to Control-highlight them, which can be an awkward task.

WinSCP's behaviour is also particularly confusing in this regard, because when one file is selected, and another is double-clicked on (indicating open OR transfer), the first file remains highlighted but it is the second, unhighlighted file which has the action taken, and the first file which remains highlighted afterwards, despite nothing having been done to it!


DIRECTORY REFRESH

In Windows Explorer, a directory refresh results in all highlighted files being unhighlighted, i.e. return to default.

In WinSCP, files remain highlighted. Again, unselecting a mistakenly selected file for instance, results in Control-select having to be used to deselect a file.


Congratulations on an otherwise excellent product!

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tallyce
Guest

Sorry, didn't see that hidden away..

Can I then suggest that
Preferences > Other general options [Preferences button] > Environment > Commander > Explorer-style selection

be defaulted to on? I'm sure most users presumably won't be coming from a Norton Commander background but instead expect Explorer-style behaviour.

By the way, what is the advantage of having "selection and focus to be different"?

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martin
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tallyce wrote:

Can I then suggest that
Preferences > Other general options [Preferences button] > Environment > Commander > Explorer-style selection

be defaulted to on? I'm sure most users presumably won't be coming from a Norton Commander background but instead expect Explorer-style behaviour.
I expect that the people with Explorer background would use Explorer-like interface. That's why the user can select the interface during setup already, so he/she does not have to see NC interface at all if he/she does not like this.

By the way, what is the advantage of having "selection and focus to be different"?
It makes selection with keyboard possible. Keyboard selection in Explorer is IMHO useless. NC interface is nice if you are used to control the computer with keyboard.

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