Description

  Introduction
The aim of the following document is to introduce functions and behavior of Servant Salamander. The program itself was designed to be user-friendly, therefore advanced users should be able to use it without any learning. Yet we recommend even to them to go through the following text to get overview of program capabilities.

Contents
Appearance
System Command Line
Quick Search
Selecting of Files and Directories
Files and Directories Operations
Drag and Drop Operations and Context Menus
Viewing and Editing
Internal Viewer
Find Files
Hot Paths
User Menu
Restoring Network Connections
Comparing Directories
Changing Case of Names
Using Recycle Bin
Drive Information
Refresh Associations
Defined Hotkeys

Appearance
The main window of Servant Salamander is divided into three subwindows. Two panels with directory listings are side by side, and a system command line is at the bottom. Both panels are further divided into three subwindows - a directory line, a list of directories and files, and an information line. For better understanding see the screenshot of the main window.

The directory line contains the current directory name and the free space on the current drive or network volume. If the current drive or network volume doesn't support change notifications, automatic refresh of the list doesn't work, and the mark of exclamation is shown at the beginning of the directory line. The list of directories and files contains all directories and files from the current directory (including hidden and system directories and files). You can choose from two forms of this list - a brief form and a detailed form. The list in the brief form contains only names in columns (left panel in the main window screenshot). The list in the detailed form contains all information about each directory and file (right panel in the main window screenshot). The information line contains all information about the focused file or directory.

Before each name in the list is a small graphical symbol for better orientation. There are special symbols for directories, executable files, associated files, and other files. Servant Salamander can also show the default icons provided by the system instead of these simple symbols. See the screenshot with the system icons.

For customization of the appearance, see menus Left, Options, and Right and the page Panels in the Configuration dialog. The split-line between the panels can be positioned by mouse dragging. Double-click the left mouse button on the split-line to return it to the original position.

System Command Line
You can switch to the command line with Ctrl+Tab key, and with the same key or ESC key you can switch back to the panels. When the command line became active, you can type any system command, and then execute it with the Enter key. For inserting the focused file or directory name from the panel to this command, use Ctrl+Enter key. Similarly for inserting the full current path from the left or right panel, use Ctrl+[ or Ctrl+] key.

On the page General in the Configuration dialog, you can choose if the system command shell window should be closed after execution of the command. If you execute the command with Alt+Enter key, this setting for the command will be inverted.

The last thirty executed commands are stored in a command line history. Use Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down keys to list in this history. If the command line is active, and you need to switch to some directory or execute some file in the panel, use Shift+Enter key or Enter key if command line is empty (there is nothing to execute).

Quick Search
You can quickly find any desired name in the list of directories and files. Just start typing this name, and a first name with the typed prefix will be focused. You can extend this prefix with Right arrow key, and on the contrary you can clip this prefix with Left arrow key or Backspace key. To focus next or previous name with the same prefix, use Down or Up arrow key. To leave quick search mode, use ESC key.

Selecting of Files and Directories
There are many ways how files and directories can be selected using the keyboard. To select the focused file or directory, use Insert key. To select names by the mask, use Gray Plus key (numeric keypad). To unselect names by the mask, use Gray Minus key (numeric keypad). Masks can contain usual wild-card characters - '*' for zero or more characters and '?' for any single character. So the mask '*a?*' will match all names containing 'a' followed by at least one character. To invert the selection, use Gray Multiply key (numeric keypad). You can choose if you want to include directories into select/unselect operations on the page General in the Configuration dialog.

There are also many ways how to select files and directories using the mouse. The right mouse button is used for select operations and for displaying context menus. You can choose which of these actions will be primary on the page System in the Configuration dialog. The second action will be available on the right mouse button with Ctrl modifier key. To select or unselect one file or directory, click the right mouse button on it. To select or unselect group of files and directories, press the right mouse button on the first, drag it, and release it on the last. Or click the right mouse button on the first and then click the right mouse button on the last with pressed Shift key.

Files and Directories Operations
To rename the focused file or directory, use F2 key. To copy the selected files and directories, use F5 key. You can choose if you want to clear readonly file attribute when copying from CD-ROM on the page General in the Configuration dialog. To move the selected files and directories, use F6 key. To delete the selected files and directories, use F8 key or Delete key if the panel is focused (focus is not in the system command line). To change attributes of the selected files and directories, use Ctrl+F2 key. To create the directory, use F7 key. You can also compress and uncompress files and directories on NTFS volumes in Windows NT (no hotkey is defined; you will find commands in menu).

The current path from the second panel is automatically offered as a target directory for copy and move operations. In addition to the target directory, you can also specify the operation mask. Operation masks can contain special characters - '*' for the rest of the name or the extension and '?' for a single character. So the operation mask 'new_*.???' will generate names which begin with 'new_' followed with the rest of the original name (from the fifth character to the end), and end with '.' followed with three characters from the original extension. Operation masks are usually used for simpler operations like changing extensions in the group of files (you can use '*.html' for renaming .htm files to .html files, etc.).

Some file operations which work with many files and directories can take several minutes. Due to this fact, there is a possibility to minimize all windows of Servant Salamander during such operations. The operation progress is then displayed in the taskbar. You can choose if you want to be warned by the system beep when the operation finishes (on the page General in the Configuration dialog).

Drag and Drop Operations and Context Menus
You can drag and drop files and directories from Servant Salamander to other applications as well as back to Servant Salamander. Also you can drag and drop files and directories from other applications to Servant Salamander. We use standard cursor shapes, so you can easily distinguish among copying, moving, and creating shortcuts. To choose from these actions, use appropriate combinations of Shift and Ctrl modifier keys.

The right mouse button is used for selecting of files and directories and for displaying context menus. You can choose which of these actions will be primary on the page System in the Configuration dialog. The second action will be available on the right mouse button with Ctrl modifier key. The context menus are displayed for selected files and directories or for the focused file or directory if there is no selection. To open the context menus with keyboard, use Shift+F10 key.

Viewing and Editing
To call the viewer for the focused file, use F3 key. To call the alternate viewer for the focused file, use Alt+F3 key. To call the editor for the focused file, use F4 key. To call the editor for a new file, use Shift+F4 key. Which viewer and editor will be used can be selected on the page Viewer/Editor in the Configuration dialog. This page is also used for specifying if the passing of long file names to viewer and editor is possible (it is necessary to turn this off if you are using some MS-DOS viewer or editor).

Internal Viewer
You can call the internal viewer for the focused file either with F3 key or Alt+F3 key (it depends on viewer settings). You can choose from two types of view - a hex view (with F4 key in the viewer) and a text view (with F5 key in the viewer). Each row in the hex view type contains 16 bytes displayed in two ways - as hexadecimal numbers and as characters. Each row in the text view contains one line of text ended by some of the defined line ends. You can choose which line ends should be used, in the internal viewer's Configuration dialog. This dialog is also used for setting the tab characters' width. You can select a text by pressing, dragging and releasing of the left mouse button. Then you can copy it into the clipboard. To find some text, use F7 key. To find next or previous occurrence of the same text use F6 key or Shift+F6 key.

Find Files
The Find Files dialog can be opened with Alt+F7 key. You can set criteria for searching in this dialog. They include the search paths and masks, containing text, and advanced search criteria. Each found file will be from one of the search paths, will match the appropriate mask, will contain the selected text, and will suit advanced search criteria. Advanced search criteria can be set in the Advanced Find dialog (open it with the button Advanced). They include required file attributes (each file attribute has one checkbox with the following meaning - unchecked = must be cleared, checked = must be set, third state = don't care). They include also required file size (size must be smaller, greater, or equal to selected size) and required file last modification time (this time must be older, newer, or equal to selected time). Change only criteria which you want to use the rest will be in predefined not used state.

When you finished settings, you can start searching with the Start button. To stop searching, use ESC key or the Stop button. During and after searching, you can view, edit, and use user-menu commands for found files. You can also execute found files with Enter key or double-clicking the left mouse button. After searching you can focus the chosen found file in the active panel with Focus button.

The searching may take a long time, and so you can, like during file operations, minimize all windows of Servant Salamander. Operation results are then displayed in the taskbar. You can choose if you want to be warned by the system beep when searching finishes (on the page General in the Configuration dialog).

Hot Paths
Hot paths are used to access frequently visited directories quickly. There are twenty hotkeys for ten hot paths, ten for defining and ten for getting to the defined hot path. To define the current directory as the hot path, use Shift+Ctrl+number key, where number is 0 to 9. To get to the defined hot path, use Ctrl+number key. You can also define hot paths from the page Hot Paths in the Configuration dialog.

User Menu
The user menu is a list of user menu items. Each item contains an item title, a command, and item execution flags. The item title is used for displaying in the User Menu dialog. The command will be executed after choosing an item. Commands can contain predefined variables which will be expanded before execution. These variables are parts of a full name of the focused file:

  • %d - the drive (e.g. 'c:')
  • %p - the long path name (e.g. '\Program Files\Microsoft Internet\')
  • %h - the short path name (e.g. '\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\')
  • %f - the long file name (e.g. 'read this file.txt')
  • %s - the short file name (e.g. 'READTH~1.TXT')
  • %% - the character '%' (if you need to use the character '%')

    • The item flags are used for choosing a type of the execution. These types are a direct execution and an execution through the system shell (with and without closing the shell window after execution). The direct execution is good for windowed applications. The executing through the system shell is usable for console oriented applications with some interesting output and for execution queues (pipes, redirected input and output, etc.).

    You can define the user menu on the page User Menu in the Configuration dialog. This page is a little bit complicated. There are buttons for adding, modifying, and deleting of the user menu items. The focused item is parsed into the item name, the command, and the execution flags. After modifying these parsed data, you must use the button Modify to modify the user menu item. To change the order of the user menu items, use Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down keys in the listview control Menu Items.

    You can open the User Menu dialog with the list of the user menu items from the panels and from the Find Files dialog with F9 key.

    Restoring Network Connections
    If some network connection is not accessible during the logon operation, the system temporarily disables this connection. To restore such a network connection, just change the drive to the appropriate disabled network volume with Alt+F1 or Alt+F2 key. If the network volume became inaccessible during work, and you try to access it, it may take a long time to the system to recognize this error. If this occures, you can press ESC key to continue with the Servant Salamander (waiting for the system error runs in a separate thread).

    Comparing Directories
    The command Compare Directories is in the menu Commands. With this command you can compare contents of current directories in the left and the right panel. After comparing, files that are not present in the other panel and files that are newer or bigger will be selected in both panels.

    Changing Case of Names
    The command Change Case is in the menu Files. With this command you can change case of the selected directory and file names to lower, upper, and mixed case. This is usable when you need to transfer files and directories from a case-insensitive file system to a case-sensitive file system.

    Using Recycle Bin
    You can enable deleting files and directories through the system Recycle Bin. This allows you to recover deleted files and directories. You can use the system Recycle Bin for all files and directories or only for files that match at least one of specified masks. By specifying the masks you can distinguish between important files (e.g. your text documents and your source codes) and files which you can easily restore from other sources (e.g. executables, libraries, or system files). Whether use the system Recycle Bin or not can be set on the page System in the Configuration dialog.

    Drive Information
    You can get detailed information about the current drive or network volume with the command Drive Information from the menu Commands.

    Refresh Associations
    If the system associations are changed, you need to refresh cached associations in Servant Salamander. You can do this by restarting Servant Salamander or by the command Refresh Associations from the menu Commands.

    Defined Hotkeys
    There are defined many hotkeys in Servant Salamander. These can speed up your work with files and directories. You can find all functions also in menu together with associated hotkey.

    • Alt+F1 - change the drive in the left panel
    • Alt+F2 - change the drive in the right panel
    • Ctrl+A, ..., Ctrl+Z - change the drive in the focused panel to A:, ..., Z:
    • Insert - select the focused file or directory in the focused panel
    • Gray Plus - select files and directories in the focused panel
    • Gray Minus - unselect files and directories in the focused panel
    • Gray * - invert the selection in the focused panel
    • Gray / - open a new system shell window
    • F5 - copy the selected files and directories
    • F6 - move the selected files and directories
    • F7 - create the directory in the focused panel
    • F8 - delete the selected files and directories
    • Delete - only in the panels, delete the selected files and directories
    • F2 - rename the focused file or directory
    • Ctrl+F2 - change attributes of the selected files and directories
    • Ctrl+F7 - change case of the selected files and directories
    • Backspace - only in the panels, go to the parent directory in the focused panel
    • Ctrl+PageUp - go to the parent directory in the focused panel
    • Ctrl+\ - change the directory in the focused panel to root directory
    • Ctrl+Enter - insert the name of the focused file or directory to the system command line
    • Ctrl+[ - insert the full name of the current directory in the left panel to the system command line
    • Ctrl+] - insert the full name of the current directory in the right panel to the system command line
    • Ctrl+Up - only in the system command line, list up in the commands history
    • Ctrl+Down - only in the system command line, list down in the commands history
    • Shift+Enter - only in the system command line, same function as Enter in the panel
    • F9 - open the user menu
    • Alt+F7 - find files
    • Ctrl+F9 - refresh the list of directories and files in the focused panel
    • Alt+F10 - calculate space occupied by the selected files and directories
    • Shift+F10 - displays context menu for selected files and directories
    • Ctrl+F3 - sort files in the focused panel by name
    • Ctrl+F4 - sort files in the focused panel by extension
    • Ctrl+F5 - sort files in the focused panel by time
    • Ctrl+F6 - sort files in the focused panel by size
    • F3 - view the focused file
    • Alt+F3 - view the focused file by alternate viewer
    • F4 - edit the focused file
    • Shift+F4 - edit the new file
    • F11 - connect the network drive
    • F12 - disconnect the network drive
    • Shift+Ctrl+0, ..., Shift+Ctrl+9 - define hot-path number 0, ..., 9 to the current directory
    • Ctrl+0, ..., Ctrl+9 - change the directory in the focused panel to hot-path number 0, ..., 9
    You can e-mail me any comments and suggestions:     P.Solin@sh.cvut.cz
    For the most recent version of this document, go to Servant Salamader's pages

    Last updated in September 8, 1997