Main menu - File - View


After activating the main menu item "File → View" or the "F3" key the contents of the item (file or folder) highlighted in the active panel is displayed.

Folder

If a folder is highlighted and the main menu item "File → View" is activated, the FreeCommander viewer displays information about this folder.



File

If a file is highlighted and the main menu item "File → View" is activated, the contents of this file is displayed.

The representation of the file depends on the following FreeCommander settings:

Defined viewers

Under the main menu item "Tools → Settings → Programs" in the tab "Viewers", the user may define programs for displaying the contents of files, depending on their file extension. On activation of the menu item "File → View" or the "F3" key, the filters listed in these settings are analyzed sequentially from the top down. The highlighted file is opened by the viewer assigned to the first matching filter. Only checked rows are taken into account when matching a filter. If no viewer is defined or no filter matches the highlighted file, it will be shown by the FreeCommander viewer as configured in the menu item "Tools → Settings → View → Viewer".

FreeCommander viewer

If the file to be opened can not be opened using a defined viewer or a "Plugin" within FreeCommander's viewer, it is displayed using FreeCommander's viewer, according to the settings under the main menu item "Tools → Settings → View → Viewer".



In addition to the main menu item "File → View" external viewers can be called to show highlighted files with the main menu item "File → View external" or the shortcut "Shift+F3". External viewers can be defined under the menu item "Tools → Settings → Programs" in the tab "External Viewers".

FreeCommander viewer

If several items are selected in the active panel, the actions "File → Next file" and "File → Previous file" are applied only to these items.

The FreeCommander viewer settings can be edited at the following locations:

  • Under the main menu item "Tools → Settings → View → Viewer - button Viewer"".
  • In the FreeCommander viewer under the menu item "Options → Settings..." or the "F9" key.

All shortcuts described below can be changed under the menu item "Options → Settings" in the tab "Shortcuts".

FreeCommander viewer menu

The FreeCommander viewer offers the following main items:

FreeCommander viewer: menu item File


Previous file

After activating one of the following options, the previous item (file or folder) is shown.

  • Menu item "File → Previous file"
  • "Left arrow" key
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+Space"
  • Actions toolbar button

If several items were selected on opening the FreeCommander viewer, the previous selected item is shown. If only one item was selected, the previous item from the panel is shown. If no more item is to be found, the fist item is shown again.

Next file

After activating one of the following options, the next item (file or folder) is shown.

  • Menu item "File → Next file"
  • "Right arrow" key
  • "Space" key
  • Actions toolbar button

If several items were selected on opening the FreeCommander viewer, the next selected item is shown. If only one item was selected, the next item from the panel is shown. If no more item is to be found, the fist item is shown again.

Link to file list

After activating one of the following options, the menu item "File → Link to file list" is preceded by the icon . And the Actions toolbar button is changed to also.

  • Menu item "File → Link to file list"
  • Shortcut "Shift+Ctrl+L"
  • Actions toolbar button

With this the FreeCommander viewer shows, as soon as another item is highlighted in the panel, this newly highlighted item.

If one of the "Link to file list" options is activated again, the icon is changed back to and the highlighted item influences the shown item no longer.

Reload

After activating one of the following options, the currently shown file is reloaded. This is useful, if it was changed in the meantime (from another workstation).

  • Menu item "File → Reload"
  • Shortcut "F3"
  • Actions toolbar button 

Rename

After activating one of the following options:

  • Menu item "File → Rename"
  • Shortcut "F2"

the dialog "Rename" is opened with the following fields:

Original name

shows the present name and extension of the file.

New name

the new name of the file can be defined here. If "Use only one field" is checked the new file extension can be defined here additionally.

New extension

If "Use only one field" is not checked the new file extension can be defined here.

Edit

After activating one of the following options, the currently shown file is opened for editing.

  • Menu item "File → Edit"
  • Shortcut "F4"
  • Actions toolbar button

For determining the editor the combinations of editors and filters (listed under the main menu item "Tools → Settings → Programs" in the tab "Editors") are analyzed sequentially from the top down. The highlighted file is opened for editing by the editor assigned to the first matching filter.

Properties

After activating one of the following options, the Windows standard dialog "Properties of" is opened, where the properties of the currently shown file can be viewed and edited.

  • Menu item "File → Properties"
  • Shortcut "Alt+Enter"
  • Actions toolbar button

Context menu

After activating one of the following options, a context menu is shown.

  • Menu item "File → Context menu"
  • Shortcut "Shift+F10"
  • Right-clicking the file display

The context menu for the text view types (Text, Binary text, Hex, Unicode) contains the following menu items:

  • Copy
    Copies the selected characters to the clipboard (e.g. to paste them into another file).
  • Copy as hex
    This menu item is active only, if the view type "Hex" is active (the button is highlighted).
    Copies the selected characters as hexadecimal characters to the clipboard (e.g. to paste them into another file).
  • Copy link
    This menu item is active only, if the context menu is activated, while the cursor is in the text view over a link (e.g.  http://freecommander.com) or an email address.
  • Select line
    Selects all characters of the line the cursor is over.
  • Select all
    Selects all characters of the shown file.
  • Encoding
    Opens a pop up menu with various text encoding alternatives.

The content of the context menu, if other than text view types are active, depends on the viewer that is used.

Delete

After activating one of the following options, the currently shown file is deleted (on request). After deleting the viewer opens the next item from the active panel.

  • Menu item "File → Delete"
  • Shortcut "F8"
  • Actions toolbar button

Save as...

After activating one of the following options, the Windows standard dialog "Save as" is opened, where the currently shown file can be save (additionally) under a different name.

  • Menu item "File → Save as..."
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+S"

Print...

After activating the menu item "File → Print..." the Windows standard dialog "Print" is opened, where the currently shown file can be printed.

Close

After activating one of the following options, the FreeCommander viewer is closed.

  • Menu item "File → Exit"
  • Shortcut "Esc"
  • Window close button


FreeCommander viewer: menu item Edit


Copy

After activating one of the following options, the selected characters are copied to the clipboard (e.g. to paste them into another file).

  • Menu item "Edit → Copy"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+C"
  • Context menu item "Copy"

Copy as hex

This menu item is active only, if the view type "Hex" is active (the button is highlighted).

After activating one of the following options, the selected characters are copied as hexadecimal characters to the clipboard (e.g. to paste them into another file).

  • Menu item "Edit → Copy as hex"
  • Context menu item "Copy as hex"

View clipboard

After activating one of the following options, the clipboard contents is shown in the FreeCommander viewer.

  • Menu item "Edit → View clipboard"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+V"

Select all

After activating one of the following options, the entire contents of the shown item is selected.

  • Menu item "Edit → Select all"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+A"

Find

After activating one of the following options, the "find bar" is shown at the bottom of the viewer window.

  • Menu item "Edit → Find"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+F"
  • Actions toolbar button

The "find bar"offers the following possibilities for the text view types (Text, Binary text, Hex, Unicode):



  • Close "Find bar"
    After activating one of the following options, the "find bar" is closed.
    • Find bar Button
    • Menu item "Edit → Find"
    • Shortcut "Ctrl+F"
    • Actions toolbar button
    • "Esc" key, if the cursor is over the input field "Find"
  • Input field "Find"
    The string entered in this field is searched immediately, if a minimum of three characters is entered and the option "Search for regular expression" is not active. The first match is highlighted. If the search string is not found, the background color of the input field in set to red.
    After activating the input field button , a selection list appears with previous search terms. One of them can be selected to restart the search.
  • Find next
    After activating one of the following options, the next search match is highlighted.
    • Menu item "Edit → Find next"
    • Shortcut "F3"
    • Find bar button

If no more match is to be found, the behavior depends on the option "Show dialog after last search match" in the tab "Text advanced" of the menu item "Options → Settings". If the option is checked, the dialog "Search match not found - Restart search from the beginning of the file?  -  Yes  No" is shown after the last search match. Otherwise the search is restarted from the beginning.

  • Find previous
    After activating one of the following options, the previous search match is highlighted.
    • Menu item "Edit → Find previous"
    • Shortcut "Ctrl+F3"
    • Find bar button
  • Restart search from beginning
    After activating one of the following options, the search for the entered string is restarted from the beginning of the file.
    • Menu item "Edit → Restart search from beginning"
    • Find bar button
  • Search case sensitive
    Activating the find bar button switches the case sensitive of the search on/off. If the button is highlighted, the search considers lower and the upper case for the characters in the search field.
  • Search whole words
    Activating the find bar button switches the "Search whole words only" mode on/off. If the button is highlighted, the search considers the search string matches only, if they form a whole word. Otherwise the found string is shown as a match, if its only part of a word.
  • Search for hex string

Activating the find bar button switches the "Search for hex string" mode on/off. If the button is highlighted, the search string is considered as a hexadecimal string.

  • Search for regular expression
    Activating the find bar button switches the "Search for regular expression" mode on/off. If the button is highlighted, the search string is interpreted as a regular expression. This search has to be started with the "Enter" key. Examples for regular expressions are shown after activating the button under the main menu item "Folder → Filter → Set filter...", if the option "Regular expression is checked there.
  • Mark all search matches
    Activating the find bar button switches the "Mark all search matches" mode on/off. If the button is highlighted, all search matches are selected (the first match is highlighted). Otherwise only the first search match is highlighted.

Go to

After activating one of the following options, the "Go to" dialog is opened, that allows to show any position in the file.

  • Menu item "Edit →Go to"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+G"

A number can be entered in the field "Position". This number is interpreted according to the positioning type. The following types are offered:

  • Line number
    The positioning is to the entered line number.
  • Percents (%)
    The positioning is below the first percent of the file, entered in the input field.
  • Decimal offset 
    The positioning is to the decimal offset, entered in the input field. Example: if the decimal number "1000" is entered, the positioning is to the 1000th character.
  • Hex offset
    The positioning is to the hexadecimal offset, entered in the input field. Example: if the hexadecimal number "3E8" is entered, the positioning is to the 1000th character.


FreeCommander viewer: menu item View


Show file as 

The fist items under the menu item "View" allow to select the view type:


View type and menu item

Shortcut

Button and menu item
of inactive file type

Button and menu item
of active file type

Text

T

Binary text

B

Hex

H

Unicode

U

Rtf/Utf-8

R

Image

I

Image/Multimedia

M

Internet

O

Windows preview


Plugins

P


The view type can be switched by activation of:

  • One of the menu items listed above.
  • One of the shortcuts listed above
  • One of the action buttons listed above

Button and menu item of the active file type differ from the inactive file types. See table above.

View type Windows preview

If the view type "Windows preview" is active, the file is shown by the preview of Windows, like in the Windows-Explorer. This allows to view files such as MS Office files.

View type Plugins

If the view type "Plugins" is active, the file is shown by a plugin, if a plugin is defined (under the tab "Plugins" of the menu item "Options → Settings"), that is able to open files with the file extension of the file to be shown.

During the start of the FreeCommander viewer the file to display is opened by a plugin (independent of the view type) already, if:

  • the option "Plugins have higher priority than viewers" is checked under the the tab "Plugins" of the menu item "Options → Settings"
  • and a plugin is defined that is able to open files with the file extension of the file to be shown (under the menu item "Options → Settings" - tab "Plugins").

Zoom in

Activating one of the following options, enlarges the font size in text files and the images of image files.

  • Menu item "View → Zoom in"
  • Shortcut "+" key on the numeric keypad
  • Action button
  • Scrolling the mouse wheel up, ore slide up on the touch pad

Zoom out

Activating one of the following options, decreases the font size in text files and the images of image files.

  • Menu item "View → Zoom out"
  • Shortcut "-" key on the numeric keypad
  • Action button
  • Scrolling the mouse wheel down, ore slide down on the touch pad

Original size

After activating one of the following options, the file in shown in its original size again.

  • Menu item "View → Original size"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+x on the numeric keypad"
  • Action button

Text

If the cursor is over the menu item "Text" a sub menu with the following items is opened:

  • Font
    Activating the action bar button opens the standard dialog "Font", where the font (used to display the file) can be configured.
  • Word wrap
    Activating one of the following options, switches the "Word wrap" mode on/off.
    • Action button 
    • Menu item "View → Text → Word wrap"

If the "Word wrap" mode is on, the button and the menu item switch to

  • Non-printable characters
    Activating the menu item "View → Text → Non-printable characters" switches the "Show non-printable characters" mode on/off. If non-printable characters are shown, the button and the menu item switch to .
  • Line numbers
    Activating one of the following options, switches the "Show line numbers" mode on/off.
    • Action button 
    • Menu item "View → Text → Line numbers"

If the "Show line numbers" mode is on, the button and the menu item switch to
How line numbers are shown can be defined under the menu item "Options → Settings" in the tab "Text advanced".

  • Encoding...
    Activating the menu item "View → Text → Encoding..." opens a pop up menu with various text encoding alternatives:

       

Multimedia

If the cursor is over the menu item "Multimedia" a sub menu with the following items is opened:

  • Fit to window

Activating one of the following options, switches the "Fit to window" mode on/off.

    • Action button
    • Menu item "View → Multimedia → Fit to window"
    • Shortcut "Ctrl+x on the numeric keypad"

If the "Fit to window" mode is on, the image/multimedia file covers the entire size of the viewer window.

  • Rotate clockwise 90°
    Activating one of the following options, rotates the image/multimedia file 90 degrees clockwise.
    • Action button
    • Menu item "View → Multimedia → Rotate clockwise 90°"
    • Shortcut "Ctrl+→"
  • Rotate anti clockwise 90°

Activating one of the following options, rotates the image/multimedia file 90 degrees anti clockwise.

    • Action button
    • Menu item "View → Multimedia → Rotate anti clockwise 90°"
    • Shortcut "Ctrl+←"

Offline browsing

Activating the menu item "View → Offline browsing" switches the "Offline browsing" mode on/off. If the mode is on, the button and the menu item switch to and in .html files no hyperlinks to the internet are executed.

Show .lnk target

Activating one of the following options, switches the "Show .lnk target" mode on/off. 

  • Menu item "View → Multimedia → Show .lnk target"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+L"

If the mode is on, the button and the menu item switch to , the linked file is shown - otherwise the .lnk file.

Show converted file

Activating the menu item "View → Show converted file" switches the "Show converted file" mode on/off. If the mode is on, the button and the menu item switch to and the file is converted otherwise is shown e.g. as text.

Files can be converted, if under the menu item "Options → Settings" in the tab "Converter" a converter is assigned to the file extension of the file to be shown.

Show Exif/Metadata

Activating the menu item "View → Show Exif/Metadata" switches the "Show Exif/Metadata" mode on/off. If the mode is on, the button and the menu item switch to and the Exif/Metadata of the item is shown next to it.

If the option "Use exiftool.exe for showing metadata/exif" is checked in the dialog "Tools → Settings → View → Viewer → "Metadata/Exif" all exif/metadata (from all files/folders that contain exif/metadata) are read by exiftool and shown.

If the option is not checked, FreeCommander reads exif/metadata directly from image files.

Stay on top

Activating the menu item "View → Stay on top" switches the "Stay on top" mode on/off. If the mode is on (the menu item is preceded by ), the FreeCommander viewer window is always over the FreeCommander window.

Full screen

Activating one of the following options, switches the "Full screen" mode on/off. 

  • Menu item "View → Full screen"
  • Shortcut "Ctrl+F11"

If the mode is on, the button and the menu item switch to , the FreeCommander viewer always opens in the "Full screen" mode.

FreeCommander viewer: menu item Options



Settings

Activating one of the following options opens the dialog "Configure viewer", where the settings for the FreeCommander viewer can be defined.

  • Menu item "Options → Settings"
  • Shortcut "F9"
  • Action button
  • Main menu item "Tools → Settings → View → Viewer" - button "Viewer"

The settings are described in chapter "Tools → Settings → View → Viewer" - button "Viewer".

Define action toolbars...

Activating this menu item opens a window, where the action toolbars of the FreeCommander viewer can be defined.

Show icons in menu

Activating this menu item switches on/off, if the viewer menu items are preceded by an icon or not. If this option is on the menu item "Show icons in menu" is preceded by .

FreeCommander viewer: The context menu

Right clicking the shown file opens a context menu depending on the file type.

With pictures the context menu item "Show action toolbar" allows to show or hide an action toolbar below the file name toolbar. 

The functionality of the toolbar icons is described by button tooltips.