JScript: `.SelectedItems()` returns null in dual pane (can't copy selected items via script)

[francois113]

Hi Gaku,

I'm trying to create a JScript keyboard shortcut in Tablacus Explorer to copy selected files from the active pane to the other pane in dual-pane mode.

Despite all configurations being correct, .SelectedItems() often returns null, or accessing .Count fails with TypeError. Here's what I verified:

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✅ Environment

• Tablacus Explorer v25.5.13

• Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (10.0.26100)

• Admin: ✅

• WebView2: ✅

• Dual pane active (verified via te.Ctrls(CTRL_FV).length === 2)

• Installed Add-ons:
  aboutblank 1.04
  addressbar 1.79
  back 1.18
  darkmode 1.19
  download 1.08
  extract 1.15
  filterbar 1.40
  forward 1.18
  innerbreadcrumbsaddressbar 1.55
  inputcontextmenu 1,01
  key 1.26
  mainmenu 1.16
  mouse 1.33
  multithread 1.29
  remember folder view settings 1.42
  segoeicons 1.04
  statusbar 1.20
  systemfolder 1.12
  tabplus 1.97
  titlebar 1.09
  toolbar 1.44
  treeview 1.48
  undoclosetab 1.18
  up 1.20

• Scripting mode: JScript

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🔧 Goal

Copy selected file(s) from the active pane to the inactive pane via shortcut Ctrl+→

🔁 What works

• Shortcuts are correctly triggered (tested via alert() and logging)
• te.Ctrl(CTRL_FV) and te.Ctrl(CTRL_FV | CTRL_NEXT) both return valid folder views
• Logging to D:\TmpFiles\temp.txt works
• Paths of both panes are valid and different
• One file is selected in active pane

❌ What fails

var FV = te.Ctrl(CTRL_FV);
var FV2 = te.Ctrl(CTRL_FV | CTRL_NEXT);
var Items = FV.SelectedItems(); // ← often null or fails

log.WriteLine("Items.Count: " + Items.Count);  // Causes TypeError

Error:

TypeError: Unable to get property 'Count' of undefined or null reference

---

🧪 Sample script that logs but fails to get selected items

var fso = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject");
var log = fso.OpenTextFile("D:\TmpFiles\temp.txt", 8, true);
var runCount = 28;
log.WriteLine("========== Run #: " + runCount + " ==========");

var FV_active = te.Ctrl(CTRL_FV);
var FV_other = te.Ctrl(CTRL_FV | CTRL_NEXT);

if (!FV_active || !FV_other || FV_active == FV_other) {
    log.WriteLine("Invalid folder views or same pane.");
    log.Close();
    return;
}

log.WriteLine("Source (active) pane: " + FV_active.FolderItem.Path);
log.WriteLine("Target (other) pane: " + FV_other.FolderItem.Path);

var Items = FV_active.SelectedItems();
if (!Items || typeof Items.Count !== "number" || Items.Count === 0) {
    log.WriteLine("❌ No valid items selected, or failed to get Items.");
    log.Close();
    return;
}

var destPath = FV_other.FolderItem.Path;
log.WriteLine("Copying selected item(s): " + Items.Count);

for (var i = 0; i < Items.Count; i++) {
    var item = Items.Item(i);
    var srcPath = item.Path;
    var fileName = fso.GetFileName(srcPath);
    var dest = fso.BuildPath(destPath, fileName);

    log.WriteLine("  Item[" + i + "]: " + srcPath);
    log.WriteLine("    IsFolder: " + item.IsFolder);
    log.WriteLine("    Dest path: " + dest);

    try {
        if (item.IsFolder) {
            fso.CopyFolder(srcPath, dest, true);
            log.WriteLine("    ✔ Folder copied.");
        } else {
            fso.CopyFile(srcPath, dest, true);
            log.WriteLine("    ✔ File copied.");
        }
    } catch (copyErr) {
        log.WriteLine("    ✖ FAILED: " + copyErr.message);
    }
}

log.Close();

---

✅ What would help

Can you confirm:

• Whether .SelectedItems() works in JScript in dual-pane setups?
• Is there a preferred way to reference selected files across panes reliably?
• Is there a known add-on dependency to make .SelectedItems() reliable?

Thanks again for this brilliant file manager — it’s been fantastic for years.

Best Regards,
François / France

[tablacus]

The fso object has already been initialized, so it should not be reassigned.

I'm not familiar with CTRL_NEXT. Could you let me know what you based it on?
To get another pane, please install the add-on "Switch pane" and use Sync.SwitchPane.NextFV(.

When writing a path in JScript/JavaScript, please escape backslashes by writing \\ instead of \.

When comparing two FolderView objects, determine equality by comparing their Id properties.

When using fso.OpenTextFile(, emojis can cause issues and should be avoided.

Type: JScript

var log = fso.OpenTextFile("D:\\TmpFiles\\temp.txt", 8, true);
var runCount = 28;
log.WriteLine("========== Run #: " + runCount + " ==========");

var FV_active = GetFolderView(Ctrl, pt);
var FV_other = Sync.SwitchPane.NextFV(FV_active);
if (!FV_active || !FV_other || FV_active.Id == FV_other.Id) {
    log.WriteLine("Invalid folder views or same pane.");
    log.Close();
    return;
}

log.WriteLine("Source (active) pane: " + FV_active.FolderItem.Path);
log.WriteLine("Target (other) pane: " + FV_other.FolderItem.Path);

var Items = FV_active.SelectedItems();
if (!Items || typeof Items.Count !== "number" || Items.Count === 0) {
    log.WriteLine(" No valid items selected, or failed to get Items.");
    log.Close();
    return;
}

var destPath = FV_other.FolderItem.Path;
log.WriteLine("Copying selected item(s): " + Items.Count);

for (var i = 0; i < Items.Count; i++) {
    var item = Items.Item(i);
    var srcPath = item.Path;
    var fileName = fso.GetFileName(srcPath);
    var dest = fso.BuildPath(destPath, fileName);

    log.WriteLine("  Item[" + i + "]: " + srcPath);
    log.WriteLine("    IsFolder: " + item.IsFolder);
    log.WriteLine("    Dest path: " + dest);

    try {
        if (item.IsFolder) {
            fso.CopyFolder(srcPath, dest, true);
            log.WriteLine("    Folder copied.");
        } else {
            fso.CopyFile(srcPath, dest, true);
            log.WriteLine("    File copied.");
        }
    } catch (copyErr) {
        log.WriteLine("    FAILED: " + copyErr.message);
    }
}

log.Close();

[francois113]

Hi Gaku, thank you again for your helpful response — the script is now working perfectly for both copying and moving files between panes!

---

🟩 Response to your question:

"I'm not familiar with CTRL_NEXT. Could you let me know what you based it on?"

Originally, I attempted to use the constant CTRL_NEXT like so:

var FV2 = te.Ctrl(CTRL_FV | CTRL_NEXT);

I assumed it might work like a predefined bitwise flag to reference the "next" or opposite pane in dual-pane mode.
However, I later realized — thanks to your input — that CTRL_NEXT is not defined in Tablacus Explorer and not supported.

After your suggestion, I switched to using this instead:

var FV_other = Sync.SwitchPane.NextFV(FV_active);

(with the Switch pane add-on enabled), and this resolved the problem. Thank you for pointing us in the right direction!

---

💡 **Feature Suggestion/Inquiry: Keyboard Shortcuts Add-on

🔹 I noticed and used the Key add-on for assigning script actions to keyboard shortcuts (which works great but little difficult for beginner js like me...).
Is there an official Keyboard Shortcuts addon?
🔹 I couldn’t find (?) any separate or extended Keyboard Shortcuts add-on offering a broader range of predefined operations (like move/copy/sync/tab management/etc.) with editable keybindings.
🔹 If not exisiting... Then would it be possible to consider creating a more complete Keyboard Shortcuts Manager add-on in the future?
This could:

• Offer many built-in actions (e.g. tab control, folder sync, refresh, etc.)
• Let users customize shortcut keys via GUI
• Possibly allow import/export of shortcut configs

I think this would make scripting and keyboard use much more accessible, especially for users not writing code directly.

Thank you again, Gaku, for your help and for maintaining Tablacus Explorer.
It’s a truly amazing and unique file manager! I like it!
I have used since 20+ years Beyond Compare (scooters) file manager... Tablacus will be a great complement... )

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Both scripts above are tested with Type: JScript and assume:

• Add-on "Switch Pane" is installed
• Backslashes (\) are escaped
• fso is not re-initialized (already available in Tablacus environment)

Maybe this helps others users too...

✅ Working Scripts (with comments)

📄 Copy selected items from active pane to the other:

// Get source and target panes using the SwitchPane addon
var FV_active = GetFolderView(Ctrl, pt);
var FV_other = Sync.SwitchPane.NextFV(FV_active);

// Exit if either pane is missing or they are the same
if (!FV_active || !FV_other || FV_active.Id == FV_other.Id) return;

// Get selected items in the active pane
var Items = FV_active.SelectedItems();
if (!Items || typeof Items.Count !== "number" || Items.Count === 0) return;

// Build the destination folder path
var destPath = FV_other.FolderItem.Path;

// Copy each selected item
for (var i = 0; i < Items.Count; i++) {
    var item = Items.Item(i);
    var srcPath = item.Path;
    var fileName = fso.GetFileName(srcPath);
    var dest = fso.BuildPath(destPath, fileName);

    try {
        if (item.IsFolder) {
            fso.CopyFolder(srcPath, dest, true);
        } else {
            fso.CopyFile(srcPath, dest, true);
        }
    } catch (e) {
        // Optional: log error or notify user
    }
}

📦 Move selected items from active pane to the other:

// Get source and target panes
var FV_active = GetFolderView(Ctrl, pt);
var FV_other = Sync.SwitchPane.NextFV(FV_active);
if (!FV_active || !FV_other || FV_active.Id == FV_other.Id) return;

// Get selected items
var Items = FV_active.SelectedItems();
if (!Items || typeof Items.Count !== "number" || Items.Count === 0) return;

// Destination folder path
var destPath = FV_other.FolderItem.Path;

// Move each selected item
for (var i = 0; i < Items.Count; i++) {
    var item = Items.Item(i);
    var srcPath = item.Path;
    var fileName = fso.GetFileName(srcPath);
    var dest = fso.BuildPath(destPath, fileName);

    try {
        if (item.IsFolder) {
            fso.MoveFolder(srcPath, dest);
        } else {
            fso.MoveFile(srcPath, dest);
        }
    } catch (e) {
        // Optional: log error or notify user
    }
}

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