XCD - eXtended Change Directory instructions for Total Commander

(tested with Total Commander 6.03a)

Installation:

Copy xcd.exe to a directory that's in the 'PATH' (e.g. C:\WINDOWS\ or C:\WINDOWS\system32\).

Call:

XCD is invoked via Total Commander's command line. Simply type XCD and the "target_directory". (target_directory is the name of the directory you want to change into.)
xcd <target_directory>

In the appearing dialog all (or similar) directories of the same name are listed with complete path (or something similar if no directories of the exact name were found). Now select the directory and click [OK] or press Return.

Note: XCD uses the file "treeinfo.wc" for finding the target_directory which Total Commander puts in the root directory on each local drive. If this file is missing or is no longer current, XCD does not function correctly.

Treeinfo.wc can be updated with Total Commander or with xcd.

Update treeinfo.wc using Total Commander:

Run the "CD Tree" command (Alt+F10) to open the Directory Tree dialog box, then press F2 to re-scan the tree.

Update treeinfo.wc using xcd:

Change directory:

In the following table, is the name of the directory to be changed into. The parameter before indicates the initial position of the search in the directory tree.

The standard behavior of XCD when called without parameters before can be specified in the configuration dialog (function key [F12] or context menu in the XCD window). The initial position of the search is always indicated in the status line if the search is limited to a drive or a directory.

• target_directory knows substitute symbols ("*" or "?")
  e.g. contain 'xcd win*'
• target_directory can also contain multiple directories
  e.g. 'xcd winamp\plugins'
'xcd e: winamp\plug*' (to the WinAmpPlugin directory)
• the search function is , error tolerant,
  e.g. 'xcd windos' finds among other things c:\windows

The input line below the list of search results always shows the last search word entered. A new search can be started by entering a new search word.

Operation of the dialog box

(*) With SHIFT key pressed at the same time (or right mouse button) the behavior differs as follows: Change directory to the parent of the selected directory instead of changing into the selected directory. This can be specified as the default behavior in the configuration dialog.

Keyboard Instructions

The following keys allow you to temporarily change the search options within the open window. The search results are immediately updated. The search options used when XCD starts can be changed in the configuration dialog [F12].

Function keys used in XCD.

(Right-click in the XCD dialog box to open a menu of these function keys.)

(*) As long as no new search word is entered, all subdirectories of the starting directory are shown. Thus [F3] can show all the subdirectories of a directory and [F4] returns.

XCD Over A Network

XCD can also find directories over a network. The tree structure of directories shared in the network must have been scanned. If existing directories are not found, "treeinfo.net" is not up to date.

Configuration Dialog Box

Pressing F12 in the main window launches the configuration dialog box.

options

Search Options

reference: The first three options can be changed also temporarily in the main dialog.

• Search word automatically extended with *-Wildcards
  This option causes the search word to behave as if it's surrounded, front & back, with * wildcard characters. This causes directories to be found that contain the search word.

• Only in the current drive
  Only finds directories on the same drive from which XCD was called.

• No error tolerance permitted
  Normally XCD matches directories that deviate slightly from the search word if no exact matches were found. Thus, even with typing errors, the desired directory can be found. This behavior can be turned off here.

• Save settings when XCD terminates
  This option refers to the main window of XCD and the first three options. If this option is set, the first three options retain their settings with the next call of XCD.

Directory change options

• Directory Select Only:
  Instead of changing into the selected directory, change to the parent of the selected directory. The cursor remains on the directory.

  (Restriction: This function only works with directories with read authorization.)

• Single matches change directory immediately
  If only one matching directory is found, change to it immediately without showing the result window.

Window option

• Program window always in foreground:
  The XCD main window always remains in the foreground, even if it is not the active window.

History settings:

• Maximum number of search words
• Maximum number of directories

The number of entries refers only to the number stored when terminating XCD. As long as XCD is opened, all entries are accepted.

• Delete:
  Deletes both histories.

Settings for the Treeinfo.wc:

Personal Treeinfos

• Alternate location for personal Treeinfos
  Specifies an alternate location for the Treeinfo files if the root directory should not be written or if one wants to work with customized Treeinfos. If a Treeinfo is not found, a reference window appears.

• Use additional global Treeinfos, if no personal Treeinfos were found
  If this option is active and the personal Treeinfo is not found, then the global Treeinfo is used. If both Treeinfos are missing, the reference window appears.

Exclusion of directories and drives:

• Exception list for directories to omit from the treeinfo
  The entries specified in this list are abort conditions when reading the Treeinfo.wc. The entries are evaluated in RegExp syntax.

Examples:

Entry	meaning
temp	Exclude directories which contain "temp"
\\temp	Exclude directories which begin with "temp"
temp$	Exclude directories which end with "temp"
\\temp$	Exclude directories which are called "temp" exactly
\\temp\\	Exclude subdirectories after "temp"




• Maximum directory depth
  Specifies the maximum number of subdirectories that can be read into the treeinfo files. Directories which lie more deeply are not included in treeinfo. If here nothing (or 0) is entered, then this function is deactivated.

• Drives excluded by XCD
  Lists drive letters that XCD should ignore. Simply list the drive letters to be excluded one behind the other. This setting affects both reading the treeinfo and the directory search.

• Treeinfo.wc update button
  This button re-scans the directory structure and updates the treeinfo.wc file. The settings of the main dialog are used, so if the search is limited to a specific drive, only the treeinfo file for that drive is updated.

Explanations concerning the error tolerance

With active tolerance: When searching for matching directories, XCD allows deviation from the search word for each directory. That means: How many characters must be exchanged/added/omitted for the search word to agree. The directories with the smallest deviation are then listed.

With the tolerance keys the tolerance threshold can be further increased (up to max. 50%). Directories that differ by more than half are not considered.

To disable error tolerance, simply set the threshold to 0. Thus only exact matches are found (with higher search speed).

Explanation concerning the exception list (in the Treeinfo options)

The directories listed here are abort conditions when reading the directory structure. All directories must be entered as "regular expressions" (RegExp) therefore the double backslashes in the list. All directories on a drive are read successively and compared with the list entries and matching directories are skipped.

When reading the directory structure, each directory path is in this form: x:\dir1\dir2

x:\dir1\dir2 (notice no backslash at the end.)

The entry: \\dir2$&xnbsp; matches the path ($ stands for line end)
the entry: \\dir2\\ doesn't match the path (It does match this path: x:\dir1\dir2\dir3 )

that means:

• \\directory\\
  = directory will be read into the Treeinfo, but its subdirectories are omitted.
• \\directory$
  = directory and its subdirectories are omitted.

Further examples
d:.*\.bak$ = on drive D: no directories that end with ".BAK"