// TODO: This file is best viewed using a fixed-pitch font (e.g. Courier)
2xExplorer provides keyboard shortcuts for most of its commands, which is a major asset when it comes to efficient everyday use. The accelerator for a command will be usually found next to its menu item. For your convenience, accelerators are also shown in the tooltip texts of the various toolbar buttons, enclosed within brackets.
This file contains some useful 2xExplorer commands that do not appear in any menu or toolbar. They are only accessible via their keyboard equivalents that are listed below. The various commands are grouped in terms of relevance.
A. ITEM SELECTION ------------------------------------------------------
2xExplorer offers a wide range of commands for selecting (highlighting) items, which use various criteria to match files (e.g. according to a name pattern). Nevertheless, in some cases the easiest way to modify the selection state of a group of files/folders is to manually select or unselect them. You can do that either with the Insert key or with the mouse, as shown below. See the next section for methods of moving the focus cursor around the pane (and the important role of the <Ctrl> key for protecting a selection pattern).
ACCELERATOR DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND
Insert Toggle the selection state (select if unselected and vice-
versa) of the item under the (focus) cursor and move down
Shift + Click Extend the selection up to the clicked item
Ctrl + Click Select/Unselect an individual item, without affecting
the selection state of the remaining items
Using the mouse you can also select items by drag-drawing an enclosing rectangle ("lasso") as per the standard explorer.
B. CURSOR MOVEMENT -----------------------------------------------------
The focused item is central to 2xExplorer. In each pane there is only one focus, recognized by the dotted rectangle drawn round the item name/details. The focused item is not necessarily selected at the same time. 2xExplorer automatically sets the focus after carrying out some commands, as for instance after synchronisation <F9>. The focused item is always visible; in case it is automatically set 2xExplorer may need to scroll the pane contents to ensure this visibility.
Initially the focus is set to the first item listed in the folder, except if the folder was visited earlier, in which case the last focused item is restored. You can change the focus manually by clicking with the left mouse button or with any of the following keys:
ACCELERATOR DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND
Arrow keys Move the focus cursor to the respective arrow direction (*)
Home/End Move the focus cursor to the beginning/end of list (*)
PgUp/PgDn Move the focus cursor a "page" (screenful) up/down (*)
<letter> Move and select the first item whose name begins with
<letter>; can be used with more letters/substrings, too
Alt + Down Move the focus to the next item selected
Alt + Up Move the focus to the previous item selected
(*) IMPORTANT: Care should be exercised when using the arrow keys and the other cursor relocating keys (Home etc.) on their own, since any unqualified key-press will UNSELECT all items except the one that the cursor will eventually end upon---hence running the risk of destroying a selection pattern in a swift stroke, which is definitely not amusing at all. Unfortunately this is the standard behaviour of the Windows List Control and there is no simple way around this "problem". However, it is possible to move around using the arrow keys and protect the selection state at the same time, if the <CONTROL> key is simultaneously kept pressed. Technically this causes the relocation of the focus item only, i.e. the one that has a dotted rectangle drawn around it (the so called focus rectangle).
Finally, when the Synchronised Scrolling <Ctrl+Y> option is enabled, a change in the focused item in the active pane is mirrored in the inactive pane, too, if possible (i.e. if a file with the same name exists in the "other" pane it will be focused).
C. PANE ACTIVATION -----------------------------------------------------
Only one pane is active at any given time, the one whose title bar resembles a selected window. The active pane is important since all file operations like copy, delete, etc. are sourced from there. A pane can be activated by clicking anywhere on it (click on the title bar to protect any previous selection pattern). The two panes along with the folder history combo box in the toolbar can be considered as a "chain"; use the following keys to cycle round:
ACCELERATOR DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND
Tab Cycle between left/right panes
Left/Right Arrows behave like <Tab> when both panes are set in details view
Shift + Tab Jump to the folder history drop-down combo box
Esc/Tab (from within the folder combo box) Return to the active pane
D. FOLDER BROWSING -----------------------------------------------------
You are spoilt for choice when it comes to methods of changing the folder being browsed in the active pane. Except for those contained in the toolbar/drivebar and the various menus, the following methods are also available:
ACCELERATOR DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND
Return Browse for folder or execute the file under the cursor
Double-Click (equivalent to Return)
Alt + F1 Select drive for the left pane
Alt + F2 Select drive for the right pane
Ctrl+Shift+ Jump to the root directory of the logical disk <letter>
<letter> (e.g. <Ctrl+Shift+A> will take you to "A:\" etc.)
THE <ALT> MODIFIER. Unqualified, all the commands for changing folder (navigating) affect the active pane. However, holding down the <Alt> key instructs 2xExplorer to apply the command to the inactive pane instead. For example, whereas <Bksp> takes you to a folder one level up (parent), pressing <Alt+Bksp> will force the inactive pane to switch to ITS parent folder. This mechanism even works when one clicks on the toolbar or drivebar, double-clicks in (say) the FindFile results window, et cetera.
E. THE <CONTROL> KEY MODIFIER ------------------------------------------
Many commands throw up a dialog window to gather information for the operation to be. Some times this information can be infered from the context, making the dialog a plain nag, serving no purpose other than lowering down one's productivity rates <g>. In such occasions the <Ctrl> key can be used as a modifier to the standard command accelerator key, so as to dispense with the offending dialog, as shown below:
ACCELERATOR DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND
Ctrl + F5 Direct copy of selected items to the opposite pane
Ctrl + F6 Direct move of selected items to the opposite pane
Ctrl + Grey[+] Direct marking of items using the last selection pattern
Ctrl + Grey[-] Direct unmarking of items using the last pattern
Ctrl + F3 Use the internal viewer even when an external editor is
specified in the general program options
Ctrl + F4 Ditto for editing files
F. DRAGGING MODIFIERS --------------------------------------------------
At present right-dragging is not supported in 2xExplorer. However, users are not limited to the default drag-drop operation; by holding down the standard (as per explorer) keys it is possible to explicitly set the intended file operation, hence making the use for right-mouse-dragging redundant. Even if you forget which key is for what operation, the changing mouse cursor shapes will act as a visual reminder.
MODIFIER FORCED FILE OPERATION
Ctrl Copy items
Shift Move items
Ctrl+Shift Create links (shortcuts) to items
Right button Cancels the drag altogether (same as pressing Esc)
G. MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS ----------------------------------------------
And finally some commands that cannot be grouped in any intelligible context:
MODIFIER DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND
Esc Aborts some lengthy operations as gathering "Folder Data"
Alt + Return View/Change the shell properties of the selected item
Alt + Grey[-] Similar to the Mark "Like this one" command <Alt+G[+]>,
but for unselecting items
Shift + Del Delete the selected items immediately without transfer
to the Recycle bin (CAUTION:this action can't be undone)
Right click Shows a popup menu depending on context (what and where is
selected). Try it in many dialogs, too, for even greater
