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microsoft / PowerToys

Windows system utilities to maximize productivity
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Community Feedback: Removing PT File Previewer in favor of Peek #26726

Open crutkas opened 1 year ago

crutkas commented 1 year ago

Description of the new feature / enhancement

We are thinking about phasing out the preview pane work in favor of Peek. Peek is designed in a way that allows us to iterate far faster than the File Explorer preview pane. Debugging / testing the preview pane extensions does add a lot of time. This adjustment will allow us to slim down PowerToys, iterate faster and simplify the code base

We'd love community feedback here as our plan of record will be to do the following:

  1. Add GCode and STL file format to Peek for 3d file support
  2. Mark File Explorer preview pane previewers as deprecated
  3. Remove the preview pane previewers in the September 2023 release

I want to directly call out Thumbnail generation code will stay in PowerToys. This is only for the Preview pane

Scenario when this would be used?

Simplifying the PT code base and better user experience via PowerToys Peek

Supporting information

No response

roxk commented 1 year ago

This is great as the new FE has a new details pane anyways. It's better to consolidate effort with the one experience we want to provide to users.

BlockyTheDev commented 1 year ago

I do not like the idea of removing the file preview in File Explorer. In some projects, when I'm working with a huge amount of small files (Markdown, Monaco Preview files), sometimes I just want to see what's inside without having to hit a few keys first. But these two preview file types are the only ones I regularly use for previewing (+ pdf I only use for thumbnails). I would be ok with the change if the Print key (detected as Apps/Menu) and the Alt Gr key (detected as Ctrl Alt) could be used as keys in the activation keybind and my second Ctrl' key (detected as normalCtrl`) would be detected as a different one. I want to have the keybinds I use very often all in the line of my space key.

If I should open an feature suggestion... for the key things just write.

I hope you can understand it (my English is not so good).

Aaron-Junker commented 1 year ago

I do not like the idea of removing the file preview in File Explorer. In some projects, when I'm working with a huge amount of small files (Markdown, Monaco Preview files), sometimes I just want to see what's inside without having to hit a few keys first. But these two preview file types are the only ones I regularly use for previewing (+ pdf I only use for thumbnails). I would be ok with the change if the Print key (detected as Apps/Menu) and the Alt Gr key (detected as Ctrl Alt) could be used as keys in the activation keybind and my second Ctrl' key (detected as normalCtrl`) would be detected as a different one. I want to have the keybinds I use very often all in the line of my space key.

If I should open an feature suggestion... for the key things just write.

I hope you can understand it (my English is not so good).

Yes, please open a new feature request with your ideas for the activation key.

bzzrak commented 1 year ago

Please no. The preview pane is better because it's always available when you need it, and it can be integrated in 3rd party apps like Total commander. Peek requires the entire powertoys thing to be running. Also Peek adds one more window that you have to manage when multitasking. If it must be removed, at least make it a one-off standalone package.

ParadoxV5 commented 1 year ago

The preview pane […] can be integrated in 3rd party apps like Total commander.

Would be neat if Peek also has an API for 3rd party additions [EDIT: see also #26422], although 3rd party devs’ awareness of PowerToys might be limited (namely compared to the Explorer preview) simply because Windows doesn’t pre-bundle PowerToys (despite heavy recommendations).

Peek requires the entire powertoys thing to be running. If it must be removed, at least make it a one-off standalone package.

That’s an inherent problem with toolkits like PowerToys … it’s basically a collection of bundleware if you view it from a certain perspective. [Update: filed this as #27729]

Also Peek adds one more window that you have to manage when multitasking.

What if – Explorer preview pane := Peek.docked (:?

TheJanzap commented 1 year ago

What if – Explorer preview pane := Peek.docked (:?

I would also support this. IMO it's much quicker to have a look at the preview pane than pressing a shortcut if you just need a small glance at a file. If the devs want to focus on Peek, that's fine, but please give us the option to place the peek preview in the explorer preview pane.

Jay-o-Way commented 1 year ago

and better user experience via PowerToys Peek

I just want to say that his is highly suggestive and not something I like to be reading. But maybe that's something they teach new employees at Microsoft?

On a different note. I agree with a few points mentioned above; the preview pane is built-in Explorer, so easily accessible and indeed so without the large PowerToys software to be running.

Aaron-Junker commented 1 year ago

On another note, the new file Explorer im the Windows Insider builds has a new details pane, which will be easily accessible by a button in the top right, whereas the preview pane will be more a feature, that is moving to the background.

@Jay-o-Way Peek allows you for example to copy things out of files. It also allows us to more easely make a good user interface.

Aaron-Junker commented 1 year ago

What if – Explorer preview pane := Peek.docked (:?

Although maybe not impossible that would be very difficult to do.

And how would it then differentiate from the preview pane?

Jay-o-Way commented 1 year ago

And how would it then differentiate from the preview pane

Supported file types?

ParadoxV5 commented 1 year ago

And how would it then differentiate from the preview pane?

(Possibly) different in a technical perspective. Perhaps the preview pane is nothing more than a widget, but the peek is a full-blown window. Docking the peek means borderlessly embedding it (in the preview pane or as an Explorer mod) or simply putting it next to the Explorer window.

bzzrak commented 1 year ago

@ParadoxV5 to your first comment -- all that would be just reinventing the wheel for no good reason whatsoever.

Nobody would ever use a 3rd party Peek API, certainly not the old-head file managers. Recreating the preview pane, when the one that has been in the OS for 15 years works fine, would be insane. And you'd still have to run Peek in advance no matter what you do, meanwhile the preview pane is always just an Alt+P away.

Aaron-Junker commented 1 year ago

Recreating the preview pane, when the one that has been in the OS for 15 years works fine, would be insane.

On the user side it mostly works fine, you're right, but on the developer side we have to make a lot of quirks to make it work with newer technology like webview2. All this while the preview pane technology is very poorly documented and it's difficult to debug. These are all problems we don't have with Peek. So just focusing on Peek would bring us faster developer times and helps us to iterate faster.

ParadoxV5 commented 1 year ago

On the user side it mostly works fine, you're right, but on the developer side we have to make a lot of quirks to make it work with newer technology like webview2. All this while the preview pane technology is very poorly documented and it's difficult to debug. These are all problems we don't have with Peek. So just focusing on Peek would bring us faster developer times and helps us to iterate faster.

Interesting insight. Devs (1st- or 3rd-party) would have much easier times if they can just work with Peek as an alternative/replacement of the preview pane. Even if docs fail, Peek source code is public after all, unlike Windows Explorer.

bzzrak commented 1 year ago

Well if you value ease of development over utility then remove it, I can't stop you. I'm just telling you that using the preview pane has several real advantages that Peek will never be able to replicate.

BlockyTheDev commented 1 year ago

I'm just telling you that using the preview pane has several real advantages that Peek will never be able to replicate.

As I wrote some time ago, I prefer to use the preview pane. I am a person who has folders with a lot of files and I regularly have to look at what they are about and which one I need. With the preview pane I can just select the first one, see what's inside in a small pane at the side (size dependent on the file explorer size) and then press the arrow down (, ..., ). With Peek I first need to select a file, press a annoying key shortcut, close the window if I don't need the content (, ..., ). In addition I know some people, which are only using PowerToys because of the Markdown and Monaco preview in the preview pane.

Svk1190 commented 1 year ago

I use the preview pane regularly, and this would be a loss for me. I would prefer the preview pane over peek, if a choice between the two needs to be made. The preview pane has a convenient docked location, in contrast to peek which places a window on top of current applications.

vanjac commented 1 year ago

A nice benefit of the standard previewers is that they work in other file managers and utilities besides Explorer. Eg. Everything can load preview handlers in its own preview pane. I think tools like that would be much less likely to implement Peek previews, especially if there was no way to embed them in another window.

pedrolamas commented 1 year ago

I'm glad you are keeping thumbnail generation around, as I have sent a PR to allow Peek to use those as main icon (and fallback to file icon when no thumbnail is available)! #27979

That PR also fixes the alpha channel transparency issue that Peek has been plagued since inception!

maddes8cht commented 1 year ago

There is one thing I like about file explorer preview that no other replacement solution offers: When the preview is active, I can scroll through the file list with the cursor keys and always see a preview immediately without having to press another key. No, peek can't do that. Peek, once open, can scroll through the files with the cursor keys. But this is not the same as scrolling through the file list in explorer - I just don't see the file list anymore, with all its information. With the File explorer preview I can also decide at any time to select a specific other file with a single mouse click - and then immediately have a preview, while with peek you have to call peek again first. In browsing files, the file explorer preview is unbeatable, and I don't want to lose it.

dvenus commented 1 year ago

What would be the possibility of adding the open file dialogs/widgets to peek? That way it could function as a standalone tool?

FroggieFrog commented 1 year ago

better user experience via PowerToys Peek

I disagree.

Workflow using preview pane:

  1. select file (with mouse or keyboard) in file explorer
  2. preview is shown in preview pane 🎉
  3. press "arrow down" key to select new/next file
  4. preview is shown in preview pane 🎉

Workflow using Peek:

  1. select file (with mouse or keyboard) in file explorer
  2. press hotkey for Peek (default I think is CTRL+Space)
  3. new window with preview is shown 🎉
  4. press ALT+F to close window or use mouse to close window
  5. press "arrow down" key to select new/next file
  6. press hotkey for Peek (default I think is CTRL+Space)
  7. new window with preview is shown 🎉

My conclusion is that 4 actions (preview pane) < 7 actions (Peek). In which way is Peek a better user experience?

Welding-Torch commented 1 year ago

I quote @FroggieFrog

Workflow using preview pane:

select file (with mouse or keyboard) in file explorer preview is shown in preview pane 🎉 press "arrow down" key to select new/next file preview is shown in preview pane 🎉

This is literally my daily workflow, every single day. It has been for years. I cannot emphasize how much time this preview saves me. I cannot imagine preview not being a part of file explorer. I sincerely request the devs to keep this in PowerToys.

As for peek, well, I say keep it. There are people who prefer peek and there are people who prefer preview. Both are good in their own way.

Panometric commented 1 year ago

I also think the functionality of getting a new preview with just moving the file selector is critical. Seems like this proposal is OK if a dockable peek that just stays open to save all the keystrokes can be conceived.

Podbrushkin commented 1 year ago

Peek is good, I like how it uses dark theme for .md files. But can I invoke it from terminal? I.e. peek.exe readme.md. There is a PowerToys\WinUI3Apps\PowerToys.Peek.UI.exe executable, but it doesn't react to anything.

crutkas commented 1 year ago

Peek is good, I like how it uses dark theme for .md files. But can I invoke it from terminal? I.e. peek.exe readme.md. There is a PowerToys\WinUI3Apps\PowerToys.Peek.UI.exe executable, but it doesn't react to anything.

good feedback, outside the scope of the Q as a File Explorer previewer wouldn't do this as well

nopeless commented 1 year ago

In my opinion, peek should truly rival preview pane only when it can update as soon as the user selects a different item. One use I use for preview pane is to just press ⬇️ repeatedly for viewing content, but peek currently doesn't have that (edit: you can use the arrows in the preview window as well)

htcfreek commented 1 year ago

I don't think that we should remove the preview handlers because Peek can use it too. If we do so, we definitely have to port them over to Peek.

ParadoxV5 commented 1 year ago

we definitely have to port them over to Peek.

28690

htcfreek commented 1 year ago

we definitely have to port them over to Peek.

28690

I know. But they have to exist as explorer preview handler. If we remove them in File Explorer then they won't be available in Peek too.

NewtonChutney commented 11 months ago

Actually other preview utils like QuickLook are based on the Windows preview pane previewers if I'm not wrong? So, you add to the ecosystem by keeping the previewers..

NewtonChutney commented 11 months ago

I'd rather Peek be based of of preview pane handlers, so other apps benefit too!

Nolram12345 commented 10 months ago

As someone who frequently has to browse large folders with MANY items, just having the preview pane instantly show the file without be having to press another key is immensely useful. Please keep the preview pane functionality.

branden1992 commented 10 months ago

Just if y'all could please go through all my software and network work system and get it back right.. thank y'all so much

trajano commented 10 months ago

I agree with @Nolram12345 I also modified my request to use space as a hotkey to include toggling the Preview.

But looking at both, I think it should ideally be a single code base but act as a toggle to have peek/preview as a pane or popup. Preview is useful for those that need to go through their image assets folder to see what is available if the file names are "garbled"

However I like the auto-play feature of peek which is useful for checking what audio assets are available

maisondasilva commented 9 months ago

Currently I only use activated for the .SVG I would like to continue seeing without having to press a button! If you could keep this with Peek it would be great!

Nolram12345 commented 5 months ago

This is still a huge mistake. Previewing files directly without needing another keypress is a key feature. I'm not sure what the above message is even meant to be, but it's certainly not truthful to how damaging removal of File Preview would be. An overhaul of File Preview would be much more useful than Peek.

vanjac commented 5 months ago

@Nolram12345 Above comment from @TaiTaiTai777 is just AI spam. They've been leaving comments all over this repo.

branden1992 commented 4 months ago

i want everything all original can you make this happen

billirhe commented 3 months ago

Ich bitte darum, die Vorschau im Vorschaufenster zu behalten. Bei Peek liegt das Fenster über meinen Dateien. Ich möchte aber einen Überblick über die Dateien haben und gleichzeitig die Vorschau sehen. So kann ich von einer Datei zu einer anderen springen und diese grob vergleichen.

pa-0 commented 1 month ago

How about as a sort of compromise / means of reducing the load on the development team, make a plugin system available for Peek as you do PowerToys Run. Maybe even adding WLX support, so we can use Total Commander plugins (there are a bunch) similar to the approach Double Commander has taken (open source pascal file explorer).