Call for feature requests/suggestions: Xinorbis

[webfork]

The author of probably the most detailed drive analysis tool on the site (Xinorbis) has indicated he's interested in hearing what users would like to see happen to the program. Evidently only a handful of users have been driving changes and updates over the last few years, and the lack of involvement has contributed to a sense that nobody's interested.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please post.

[webfork]

Really? No one had any feature requests for a hard disk analysis tool? I'm surprised.

[joby_toss]

You know what I'd like to use Xinorbis for? Disk cataloging! Create a database of scanned folders/HDD's/CD's/DVD's etc. and be able to load and search it anytime. But I imagine this would be such a complex feature, that I didn't dare to ask.

[Midas]

I'm not -- nor have I ever been -- a Xinorbis user myself...

[Specular]

You know what I'd like to use Xinorbis for? Disk cataloging! Create a database of scanned folders/HDD's/CD's/DVD's etc. and be able to load and search it anytime. But I imagine this would be such a complex feature, that I didn't dare to ask.

Actually a nice idea, as one could track and search a collection of discs/disks. I'd imagine there might be other apps that could provide this functionality, but I haven't looked into it.

[NickR]

@joby @Specular

Hi
I've always felt the need for a simple DVD catalog too
and started to write one a few years ago but got distracted by work

The big effort is building the catalogue;
so the program was reading the DVD (path structure and filenames only),
prompting the user for a 'descriptor' or 'catalogue number', and quickly ejecting the DVD.

Then duplicating the structure and with 0 byte files on a high capacity
NTFS flash drive thus the catalogue is entirely held in the MFT

As I use the excellent MFT search program 'Everything' already
the searchable catalogue would simply be available through that.

Maybe I'll find it and finish it someday but if anyone else wants to use the idea be my guest

[MrFresh]

Hello,

I'm Paul, the developer of Xinorbis. I was really hoping this forum thread would turn in to a valuable resource of feature requests...

It's touch and go as to whether I'll do any future updates, I was hoping there would be enough of a response in here to fuel a years' worth of updates - sadly that's not the case (yet).

Xinorbis is download hundreds of thousands of times a year, but the feedback I get is limited to a few emails a *month* (at most).

The ability to catalogue DVDs, CDs, etc., is certainly a feature that could be added without too much effort. It doesn't current store the title/name of devices being scanned, but that's not impossible. Adding an interface to that data is a bit more work, but certainly something that sounds like it could be useful to more than just a few people.

Thanks, Paul!

[joby_toss]

Thank you very much for taking the time to join us here and especially for considering my feature request!

[MrFresh]

Thank you very much for taking the time to join us here and especially for considering my feature request!

No problem! I can't promise anything yet, I'm still not sure what to do about Xinorbis development. I love coding, and really want to update it forever - but not if no-one uses it!

[Midas]

Actually, after giving it some thought, I do have a couple of suggestions for Xinorbis:

• First one is for a development changelog, so users can gauge their need to update;

• Then, maybe with the planned new features (Unicode, etc.) it could pick up some visuals and functionality of my (now dead) preferred filesystem analyzer -- i.e., OverDisk, see http://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/ ... hp?t=16250.

• Lastly, what about a native 64 bits version?

Hope this gives you something to work with...

[pereba]

My thoughts...

1. You need to add scroolbars to left "sidebar", don't expect users collapsing the blocks to see the content.
2. Lets speed up the things, why Explore/Select button when you can present the system tree directly on first load? Not sure if you want this, cuz a re-design will be required. But you have my vote for something in this direction.
3. How user can contribute with a interface translate for a new language? Give user some basic info on main website and/or in app.
4. +1 for the changelog, I love to check the changes in new version.
5. Looking very strange the few popups on pressing scan button: http://ultraimg.com/images/2015-01-16_10-51-36.png it was at least five prompts. If not a bug, should be removed.
6. In main screen, should be a quick way (maybe context menu) to clear/erase/delete/clean scan history items.
7. Maybe you should offer an option to add Windows explorer context menu to open app to scan the path.

Okay, that's all for now after five minutes playing for the first time in this software. Later I'll give more feedback.

[MrFresh]

Thank you for the comments/suggestions. PLEASE keep them coming:

Firstly, I don't include a specific changelog file, but important changes are to be found in the readme.txt file. However, from now on I'll include a specific changelog file.

Unicode and 64-bit versions are planned, but I'm using a version of Delphi at the moment which doesn't support either. While I was in bed this morning I thought about rewriting it in C++ or C#, but I really don't think I have the time to do it right now...

Ok, now for pereba's comments:

1) Good idea. I'll get them in the next version.
2) That's something I have honestly never though of... good idea. Will surely make things quicker. I'm not sure it's that much of a redesign. This is one of the reasons I ask for suggestions, because a lot of the time there are things I can do (fairly quickly) that can make a massive impact to usability. I am so used to the current layout that I just don't notice where things are bad.
3) I'll add that.
4) See above
5) That's a bug. Is it still in the current version? It shouldn't be. (You're the first person to tell me)
6) Yes, good idea!
7) I never thought of that either, it can be done via the installer - but not the zip (portable).

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Paul

[webfork]

I came up with a few things that might be useful.

Questions

1. What does the "Open Web Reports" button do? Right now it just opens up an Explorer window on my C: drive?
2. I'm getting an odd error when I'm clicking on one of the bars in a History bar graph. What's up with that? http://i.imgur.com/IndPahV.png
3. I'm not seeing anything in the Help file about Just-in-time processing. What is that? Maybe more to the point, could you add something to the Help Menu or maybe a mouseover additional that explains it?

Other metrics I'd like to see

1. [Edit: nevermind this was already in there] Time tracking functionality (space and number of files of a given file type over time)
2. Quick filter: Group/individual file ignore - I have one HUGE file on my system that wrecks all the other nice data analysis statistics. Something to right-click on a file, folder, or grouping to quickly exclude that from analysis might be ideal.
3. Quick filter: type-to-search - similar to how Everything helps quickly narrow a list. So for example, under the Folder Properties -> Extensions tab, a window where a few character styped would help quickly narrow to all files that start with "ke" for kelvin.jpg, kettle.png, etc. or ".mp" that would show .mp1, mp2, .mp3, mp4, etc.till in progress.