A Great and Lacking Java-based File Manager

For a long time my go-to file manager has been Double Commander. It is quick and powerful and I can configure it super minimal - even hiding the tabs. The search feature works so much better than the native Windows search tool, so when I'm on a 'dohs' box it is especially handy (Although lately I've been using grep within the GIT bash).

Every now and then I get bored and change it up. I've explored VIFM and other console-based file managers. They are cool and a lot of fun but I usually end up missing Double Commander's features.

I have recently returned to muCommander. Now that I've spent a lot of time working in Java it's cool to use a Java-based file manager. And I've grabbed the source code. I may see if I can get it to always hide the tab bar. I've returned to it purely for fun. Sadly it is lacking one major feature... searching. Yes the latest version has a file search dialog you can pull up, but it's more of a placeholder than an actual tool. I navigated to a temp directory and searched for 'category' which I knew was in an XML file in that directory. 0 results. Even the Windows search tool would have found that. I tried case insensitive (Even though the case was the same) and I tried the Regex option. Nothing - in fact it wouldn't even search with the Regex set. And when you launch the dialog the options are always set to their defaults, not what you set them to last - huuge headache. And shouldn't the search results show in a new tab versus commandeering your current tab? It is just unusable. I feel like searching should have been a goal early on in the project. How useful is a file manager if you can't search your files?

Also lacking... you can't create a new file (I couldn't figure out how at least). So to do so you have to pull up a different file manager - or text editor. If you have to leave a file manager to create... a file, you've failed.

If I have to rely on other file managers to do basic things then the file manager in question isn't a viable option.

I do like muCommander and would love to use it as my primary tool for dealing with files, but sadly after all these years it is still not ready to do basic file-related tasks. I'm going to poke around in the code and see if I can somehow make it usable enough for me.

I'm sure I'll have more to say about muCommander in the near future. Maybe I'll do like I did with Jreepad and create a 'murdered out' version.

Clipboard Project

I've been coding in Java (Late at night) for a few years now. Most of my projects are console applications or arcade-style video games. Being hobby efforts, they usually require very little intense research. If it makes my head hurt, I do something else. It is my free time after all.

As a consequence I haven't done much with Swing and GUI development. Nor have I done much with the clipboard. But now I have reason. I am unable to use my all-time favorite clipboard manager so I need to write one. I am amazed at how easy it has been so far. True, I've done an obscene amount of web searching, and there is some funk in Java I've uncovered.

The benefit is I get to add even more VIM nerdiness to my project than CopyQ has. Also I've coded it to store everything encrypted. I have it minimizing to the tray and clips can be edited or deleted.

Still to do...

- Add a global hot key to display the window.

- Add 'permanent' bookmarks that can be arranged into categories or similar.

- Debug why it randomly doesn't load the stored clips when launching the application.

- Maaybe pop the window up at the mouse.

- Add options to the application.