The Command Bar

What the command bar can do for you

The Command Bar provides a quick way to enter FileBoss commands directly by typing. And it keeps a record of the last significant commands entered so that you can simply select the command in the drop down list box and click the button at the right to execute the command. (You can also type or paste a command and then just press the Enter key to execute it.)

Using the command bar can really speed up some tasks as it can perform some actions without having to invoke a dialog, go to the appropriate field, enter the data and then click on the OK button. For instance if you want to select all files having the extensions bmp, jpeg and gif simply

• press F8 (To display and move the input focus to the Command Bar.)
• type select *.bmp ; *.jpeg ; *.gif and then
• press the Enter key.
  
• Press Shift+F8 at any time to execute whatever is in the Command Bar

How to Display the Command Bar

Press F8, select Window > Command Bar from the main menu or right-click on any toolbar and select Command Bar from the popup menu. All three methods will display the Command Bar if it is hidden. F8 will display the bar if hidden and will shift the input focus directly to the bar so you can just start typing.

Hint: Even if the Command Bar is visible just press F8 to move the input focus to the Command Bar so you can enter a command without having to use the mouse to get there first.

Chaining Commands

FileBoss commands can be chained together so that they are executed one after the other. To chain commands type " <> " between them.

For example consider the following Command Bar entry:

goto <md>\FileBoss Data <> show *.fbopts* <> select files

The three commands are separated by <>:

goto <md>\FileBoss Data

Tells FileBoss to display the folder <md>\FileBoss Data in the current Explore View (or create a new Explore view if necessary). (Note that <md> is a meta-folder representing the current user's My Documents folder.

show *.fbopts*

Tells FileBoss to set a filter so only files matching the following pattern are displayed.

select files

Tells FileBoss to select all visible files. (Note that step two can be skipped by making this command select *.fbopts*.)

There is no limit to the number of commands that can be chained other than the line can not be more than 32,000 characters long.

Available Commands

<pathname>
e.g. c:\FileBoss\Testimonials

If an Explore view is active the contents of <pathname> is displayed in it.  If another view is active a new Explore view is created and set to <pathname>.

This is exactly the same as entering the command view <pathname>

<pattern>, e.g. *.jpg | *.bmp

Sets a temporary filter of the view. The temporary filter will remain until it is changed with another command, turned off (filter off) or the View is closed. Unlike permanent filters, these temporary filters only apply to the View for which they were set.

If a view has a local filter it can be turned off and on using filter on and filter off.

This is exactly the same as entering filter <pattern>.

VIEW <pathname>

If an Explore view is present it is set to show the contents of <pathname>. If another type of view or no view is active a new Explore view is created and set to <pathname>.

This is exactly the same as just entering <pathname> on the command line all by itself.

To force the folder to be displayed in a new Explore view use the command explore <pathname>.

Compare to EXPLORE view.

ex:

explore C:\Windows

explore <pf>

explore <md>\My Docs

EXPlore ( cur | nav | <pathname> )
NEW ( cur | nav | <pathname> )

Creates a new Explore View and displays <pathname>. If <pathname> points to a file rather than a folder FileBoss will simply display the folder itself.

To display a different folder in a current Explore view use the VIEW command.

ex:

explore C:\Windows

explore cur

explore <pf>

explore <md>\My Docs

NEW FOLder or NEW DIR (<folder name>)
CREATE FOLder or CREATE DIR (<folder name>)

Creates a new folder below the current folder in the Navigation Window renaming it to <folder name> if specified. For Explore Views this is the folder displayed in the Contents window on the right.

ex:

create folder vacation pictures

new folder

FILTer or F ( <pattern> | on | off )

Temporarily filters what is displayed according to the specified pattern. These filters only apply to the current view and are not stored unlike the normal, persistent, global filters.

ex:

filter *.bmp | *.jpeg | *.gif | Pics*.doc

filter off

(Also see SHOW)

SHOW or S ( <pattern> | all | files | folders )

Shows specific types or groups of files

If a pattern is specified a temporary filter is set that filters what is displayed. Temporary filters only apply to the current view and are not stored unlike the normal, persistent, global filters.

ex:

show *.bmp | *.jpeg

show all

(Compare to HIDE)

HIDE (<pattern> | files | folders | selected | reverse | off )

Hides files and folders by type or by a pattern

Hides the specified files or changes the status of hidden files (reverse | off)

ex:

hide *.bak | *.tmp | ~*

hide files

hide folders

hide off (same as using the SHOW ALL)

FOLders (on | off | top | bottom )

Tells FileBoss where to display the folder entries in an Explore View's Contents window. This command correlates to the Explore | Display Folders At... main menu.

Applies to this and all Explore Views.

ex:

folders off

folder top

fol bottom

GOTO or GO to or G ( <pattern> | selected | error | folder )

Move to a specific file or type of file

Moves the highlight in the Contents window to the next entry that matches the pattern or specified type

ex:

goto *.jpeg

goto sel

SELect ( <patterns> | all | files | folders | reverse | off )

Selects the specified entries in the contents window.

If no argument is given the Select Files dialog is displayed.

ex:

sel *.bak | ~*

sel * | -*.bak | -*.tmp

sel files

sel none

sel  (will display the select dialog)

DESelect ( <patterns> | all | files | folders )

Deselects the specified entries in the contents window.

If no argument is given the Deselect Files dialog is displayed.

ex:

des *.bak | ~*

des files

des all

UP

Moves up one folder in the navigation tree.

Available only in Explore Views

BACK

Moves back one folder in the navigation tree.

Available only in Explore Views.

FORward

Moves forward one folder in the navigation tree.

Available only in Explore Views.

SEArch (cur | nav | sel | <fullpath>)

Search and a Create File Set

Opens the Create File Set (Search) dialog and sets the folder(s) to search to those specified.

ex:

search cur

search sel

search <md>  (the 'My Documents' folder)

search c:\Accounts

CLOSE

Closes the current view

Same as selecting File > Close from the main menu.

CLOSE ALL or CLOSEALL

Closes all open views.

Same as selecting Window > Close All Windows from the main menu.

Action Commands

The Actions commands are comparable to the commands found on the Actions main menu.

COPY

MOVE
REFresh
DUPlicate or STAMP

These invoke the same action dialogs as their equivalent items on the Actions menu, e.g. Actions > Copy To... on the main menu.

Requires that entries be selected first.

DUPlicate / STAMP

Makes copies of the selected items in the same folder as they are in first displaying a dialog where the names for the copies can be specified.

Requires that entries be selected first.

ex:

duplicate

stamp

REFresh

Copies selected files to a specified destination only if the destination files exist and are older than the source files (Requires selected files or folders)

ex:

refresh

COPY TREE or COPYTREE or TREE

Copies the structure of the selected folders to a destination you provide. While the structure is copied no files are copied.

ex:

copy folder

copy tree

DELete ( current | nav | selected )

Deletes the specified entry or entries.

ex:

Delete nav

Delete selected

RECycle ( current | nav | selected )

Send the specified entries to the Recycle Bin. If no argument is specified selected is assumed.

ex:

Recycle nav

Recycle selected

DROP or DROP ZONE or DZ

Displays or hides the List of Drop Targets.

ex:

drop zone

DOS ( cur | nav | <pathname> )

Opens a DOS window (cmd.exe or command.com) and sets the active directory to the specified path if given. If no argument is specified the DOS window is set to the active folder.

ex:

dos c:\program files\fileboss

dos <pf>\fileboss

dos cur
dos

OPEN or EXEcute or X or RUN ( cur | nav | <pathname> )

Opens the specified files or executes the specified programs as appropriate.

ex:

execute nav

execute sel

run regedit

execute c:\program files\fileboss

NEW ( cur | nav | <pathname> )

If no arguments are given opens new explore window to the last folder.

ex:

new c:\My Pictures

HELp or ? (command)

Displays full help for the command bar. For quick syntax help for a specific command the the command followed by a question mark.

HELP GUIDE or GUIDE or HELPG

Displays (or hides) the floating Help Guide for finding how to accomplish specific tasks in FileBoss.

Repeats the last significant Action command, e.g. Copy, Move, Rename, etc.

ex:

LAST

REN ( sequential | replace | transform | advanced | manual | again )

Rename Selected Entries

Displays the Rename Dialog. If one of the optional rename types is given the appropriate renaming page will be displayed, e.g. sequential, search and replace, transform or advanced. If the option is 'manual' the selected files will be displayed one by one for renaming.

ex:

ren seq

ren advanced

(Also see RENS, RENA, RENT, RENM, RENQ)

RENS / REN SEQ

Rename Selected Entries Sequentially

Displays the Rename Dialog for renaming the selected files with the Sequential panel open.

Same as REN REP.

ex:

rens

RENA / REN ADV

Displays the Rename Dialog for renaming the selected files with the Advanced panel open.

Same as REN ADV.

ex:

rena

RENT / REN TRANsform

Rename selected entries using transformations

Displays the Rename Dialog for renaming the selected files with the Transform panel open.

Same as REN TRANS.

ex:

rent

RENM / REN MANUAL

Presents each selected entry in the Rename box one by one where they can be manually given new names or skipped as appropriate.

Same as REN MANUAL.

ex:

renm

RENQ / REN SEQ

Displays the Rename Dialog for renaming the selected files with sequential numbers

Same as REN SEQ.

ex:

renq

CHAnge

Change Times and Attributes

Changes the file times and/or attributes of selected entries through a dialog interface

ex:

change

TOUch

Touches selected entries changing specified attributes and file times

ex:

touch