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Hi all,

NiftyLink is a 32 bit freeware program for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, that integrates with Windows Explorer, and provides additional functionality as portable add-on for Total Commander (version 7.50+). It allows creation and execution of special links to directories, files, and internet addresses. These links provide possibilities, that are not given with any standard Windows link (LNK file, junction, symbolic link, or hard link).

General

• NiftyLinks to directories and files can contain absolute paths or relative ones. Relative links are portable and work even on USB drives and e.g. inside of a Dropbox.
• Absolute paths can contain volume names instead of drive letters. This is especially useful for USB drives, because their drive letters can change.
• NiftyLinks can contain environment variables and pseudo environment variables (like inTotal Commander). The program itself provides the two environment variables %nifty_drive% and %nifty_path%.
• NiftyLinks can contain self-defined shortcuts.
• NiftyLinks to certain documents can point directly to a specific "page". The word "page" must not be taken literally: It can also be e.g. a slide of a presentation, or a record in a database. The only prerequisites are, that the corresponding program provides a function for this, and that the proper simulated keystrokes are given in the INI file.
  When you have a complete book in the form of a PDF file (not seldom these days), then you can e.g. create links to particular chapters or as bookmarks. This even works with protected PDF files.
• When you press the [Shift] key while double-clicking at a NiftyLink, then not the target file or the target directory will be opened, but its parent directory (in Total Commander in the current tab), and the target will be selected. Then you can rename, copy, delete or do other things with the target.
  (With a NiftyLink to an internet address, this is of course not possible.)
• NiftyLinks are small files that consist of plain text.
  ( New interpretation of WYSIWYG: What you see is where you go. )
• NiftyLinks work on any file system (FAT, NTFS) that is supported by Windows.

Additional features in Total Commander

• Extended dialog for creation of NiftyLinks.
• NiftyLinks to directories and archives can open them in the current tab or in a new tab – in the current or in the other panel of Total Commander.
• NiftyLinks are aware of installed packers and Total Commander's internal associations.
• NiftyLinks can point to directories that are provied by filesystem plugins.
• With the content plugin "Text Line", the content of NiftyLinks can be displayed as tooltip.

Thanks to ts-soft for his AutoWin library.

Download NiftyLink from my website.

For details how to use the program please see the documentation.
Bug reports, comments, suggestions, translations of the LNG file etc. will be much appreciated.

Enjoy!

Regards, Little John

Hi,

I've just released NiftyLink 1.00, the first non-beta version of the program.

Thanks again to Inf0Byt3 for Bytessence InstallMaker 5.31.

Regards, Little John

Last week version 1.01 was released, and now version 1.02.

fixed

• Some minor issues.

changed

• Installer slightly improved.
• By using ||, simulated keystrokes now can sometimes be made more robust. The program then waits until a new window is open (max. 60 seconds). The standard INI file has been changed accordingly.

new

• In the dialog for creating NiftyLinks, the help can also be accessed by pressing [F1].
• Romanian translation (thanks to Alexandru Trutia).
• Italian translation (thanks to TC forum member lio).

Regards, Little John

New version 1.03 released (d/l link is in the first post of this thread).

fixed

• The dialog for creating NiftyLinks was not displayed correctly, if the DPI setting of the operating system was higher than normal (> 96 DPI).
• In some cases directories were not opened in Windows Explorer.
• If in Total Commander the source panel contained a list of search results, when creating NiftyLinks the path of the target panel wasn't recognized correctly.

changed

• The program was renamed to "NiftyLink". Thus the first line of newly ceated link files now reads [NiftyLink]. However, existing "old" links are still handled correctly.
• Some internal deails.

new

• Predefined simulated keystrokes for Citavi 3.2 in the INI file.

Please don't forget to adapt your internal associations for *._x and *.fx files in Total Commander, because of the change of the program name. I'm sorry for any inconveniences.

Regards, Juergen