I just tried out Widget Print Directory, as well as Karen's Directory
Printer, and the directory print function of XYplorer. I found some
posts earlier on this subject and tracked down the referenced programs.
Some of the entries on Pricelessware either no longer functioned, or
weren't appropriate.
Widget Print Directory is OK, but Karen's Directory Printer is much more
flexible. Widget doesn't allow font selection or size, and it puts a an
unwanted symbol at every line beginning ("-->"). But it's OK.
Print control is a bit too minimal: The left margin is barely adequate
for standard punched holes; it can't be reset, nor does my current
printer driver allow printing to be squnched sideways.
The Ex****t function did nothing on my system -- this program is from
1999 and 2000! I'm using XP SP2. But you can save your directory as a
file nonetheless.
It's got user-entry headers and footers; Karen's doesn't, but has an
automated 3-line header, which is fine.
Karen's options are a bit tricky to figure out. There is an almost
dizzying plethora of options, but not how to format them. One
disappointment is the lack of any screen display before the output hits
your printer. Widget does give you a decent screen display of your files
and their data. Both programs allow you to delete enough options so that
you can limit the printout, or save, to just the directories
("folders"), which is what I needed to do.
Both programs allow saving a text file; Widget allows a save with
comma-separated values, which enables use in a database program. Both
programs need to be installed.
Xyplorer is a delightful file manager, but its print functions are too
crude for the real world. No manipulation or changes are possible, and
no headers and footers are offered. Forget about putting the printout in
a binder: text is flush-left to your printers left extreme. And that's
that.
But XYplorer puts out a nice ascii file, and you can get it
comma-separated, too. This is an extremely powerful and multifaceted
file manager -- as serious as they come. You can't work with two
side-by-side directories as in the original Norton Commander (or the
current Free Commander). Within its single directory, however, you've
tremendous power over your individual files and directories. But this
review concerns directory printers, so I'm not going to talk about
XYplorer's prowess any more. And XYplorer gives you a choice between an
installed version and a ****table version. Get it.
Richard
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