Requested Opening Files via Windows Shortcuts

[cllerman]

I have always been very pleased with the rich functionality of IrfanView, but there is one feature that I definitely miss -- the ability to open files via Windows shortcuts. I hope someone will educate me with a response if I have just missed learning about something that already exists in IV. Otherwise ...

I saw a post on these forums from a moderator confirming that the program is currently designed only to open images in one current directory, and that shortcuts are ignored because they point to a different directory. However, I would find that capability very useful, at least as a user-selectable option. I often work with multiple varying subsets of photo collections, and rather than make copies of the full files in different directories, it is convenient to create folders populated by selected lists of shortcuts to the originals.

I realize that any SAVED MODIFICATION of images opened via shortcuts can lead to confusion, and the same is true of any other program that can open files by shortcuts. Most programs follow the convention that a saved modification of a file opened through a shortcut affects the original file. Or, a slightly more sophisticated scheme would be to add a choice to the SaveAs dialog that asks the user to choose "Overwrite original file" vs. "Overwrite shortcut with full modified file".

Thank you for your consideration.

[ChuckE]

I am not really trying to dismiss your idea, but you are asking for quite a substantial change of the current functions of IrfanView.

And while your suggestion might really have merit, and worth in the overall product, it is one more of many other IMHO valuable feature requests.

For now, and only as a possible tool that might actually work as you are suggesting, I recommend you look at the free Google Picasa image viewer, manager and sorter.

[Sjef]

If you mean shortcuts as links to the original photo collections, I don't see why IrfanView would not be able to open them (of course in the original directory). You could use Total Commander for easily creating shortcuts to other directories groupwise. Just select the files and hit Ctrl»Shift»F5.

When saving a photo from IrfanView you could try Ctrl»S to Save (As) to the same directory as the original file or S to SaveAs to any other directory. Check both ‘Save’ options in Properties»Misc.1

[matera]

I don't see what the problem is, as stated. IV will open a file from a shortcut in the Open dialog. If "Load custom filetypes" is selected and "LNK" is added to the list, it will show the image in the thumbnail browser.

It doesn't seem to get "lost" either. I just played around with it, putting links to files from several directories (and drives) in one folder along with a "real" one. It browses just as if the images were in that folder. I can save a resized version of one in its own folder (Save, not Save as, with the dialog/warning in effect). This is intriguing. One could build virtual albums by creating folders with shortcuts. Who needs Picasa. The only thing IV can't do is create a shortcut, but with a good file manager such as Free Commander...

ETA: If the perceived difficulty has something to do with the lack of a "favorites" system, that is something else again.

[cllerman]

matera,

Thanks for calling attention to the mechanism of adding LNK to the list of custom file types. I had not known that this feature was already available. My perceived difficulty was not about favorites, but was about exactly the "virtual album" concept that you describe.

I do note that if you launch IV or open images by double-clicking a shortcut instead of an actual file, IV sets its "current directory" to the location of the actual file pointed to by the shortcut, not the location of the shortcut. What I mean by "current directory" is the directory used for PreviousFile-NextFile browsing, or for generating thumbnails. This is presumably why you described a collection of shortcuts "along with a real one" in your tests, because opening via the "real one" would give the fully desired browsing behavior in only the local directory. Otherwise, this behavior would limit the functionality of IV for browsing a virtual album consisting entirely of shortcuts.

Thanks also for your signature notes about spelling. Those are pet peeves of mine, too.

[matera]

You should see my mile-long sig in one writers' forum - LOL (and they love it)

I have to thank you for drawing my attention to the shortcut question. I have been missing out on some potential use of shortcuts. I hate photo "organizing" software that creates virtual albums but stores the information out of reach of the user. But I have had a thought growing at the back of my mind that I would like to have some way of looking at a certain group of images that are related in some way but scattered in many folders. Now I know exactly what I need.

I use a folder full of shortcuts as a home folder for certain other programs, so I can get to most commonly used places quickly. That is besides my other little conveniences. Now I will work out some nice extras for IrfanView.

[Sjef]

Viewing LNK files

Yes, something simular was going round in my mind too. I think I'll look into this matter too, to see what is possible here for streamlining some file handling.