reference:scripting_reference:scripting

Tab

The Tab object represents a folder tab in a Lister (even if the tab control isn't currently displayed, a Lister always has at least one open tab). You can obtain a collection of Tab objects from a Lister object. Tab objects are also used with the Command and Func objects, and if a command results in new tabs being opened, the Results object.

Property Name	Return Type	Description
all	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the files and folders currently displayed in this tab. Note: The first time a script accesses this property (and all the other properties that return an Items object), a snapshot is taken of all the appropriate items. If the script then makes changes to those items (e.g. by creating a new file, modifying the selection, etc), these changes will not be reflected by the collection. To re-synchronize the collection call the Update method on the object.
backlist	collection:Path	Returns a collection of Path objects that represents the paths in the "backward" history list for this tab (i.e. the folders you would get to by clicking the Back button).
color	string	Returns the tab's assigned color (if one has been assigned via, for example, the Go TABCOLOR command). The color is returned as a string in R,G,B format.
crumbpath	object:Path	Returns the current path from the tab's breadcrumb control (if it has one), including any ghost path.
dest	bool	Returns True if this tab is currently the destination, and False otherwise. Note that you cannot always assume a tab is the source if it is not the destination. Use the separate source property for that.
dirs	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the folders currently displayed in this tab.
dirty	bool	Returns True if the tab is marked as dirty, indicating its list of contents may be out of date. This can happen if the tab is in the background and the user has turned off the Preferences / Folder Tabs / Options / Process file changes in background tabs option.
displayed_label	string	Returns the currently displayed label of this tab.
filegroups	collection:FileGroup	Returns a collection of FileGroup objects that represents all the file groups in the tab (when the tab is grouped). You can use the format.group_by property to test if the tab is grouped or not.
files	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the files currently displayed in this tab.
format	object:Format	Returns a Format object representing the current folder format in this tab.
forwardlist	collection:Path	Returns a collection of Path objects that represents the paths in the "forward" history list for this tab (i.e. the folders you would get to by clicking the Forward button).
hidden	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the files and folders currently hidden from this tab.
hidden_dirs	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the folders currently hidden from this tab.
hidden_files	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the files currently hidden from this tab
highlighted	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the files and folders currently displayed in this tab that have one or more cells highlighted.
label	string	Returns the current assigned tab label. Note that this may be an empty string if no custom label has been assigned. The displayed_label property returns the currently displayed label in all cases.
linktab	object:Tab	If this tab is linked to another tab, returns a Tab object representing the linked tab. If this tab is not linked this property returns 0.
lister	object:Lister	Returns a Lister object representing the parent Lister that owns this tab.
lock	string	Returns the current lock state of the tab; one of "off", "on", "changes", "reuse".
navlock	bool	Returns True if this tab is linked in Navigation Lock mode. This property does not exist if the tab is not linked, so make sure you check the value of linktab first.
path	object:Path	Returns the current path shown in this tab.
quickfilter	object:QuickFilter	Returns a QuickFilter object providing information about the state of the quick filter in this tab.
right	bool	Returns True if this tab is currently on the right or bottom side of a dual-display Lister, and False otherwise.
selected	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the selected files and folders currently displayed in this tab. Note that if checkbox mode is turned on in the tab, this will be a collection of checked items rather than selected.
selected_dirs	object:Items	Returns an Items object that represents all the selected folders currently displayed in this tab.
selected_files	object:Items	Returns an Items objects that represents all the selected files currently displayed in this tab
selstats	object:TabStats	Returns a TabStats object that provides various information about the tab, including the number of files, number of selected files, total size of selected files, etc. The "selected" counts provided by this object take checkbox mode into account (that is, if checkbox mode is currently turned on, the counts will be for checked files rather than for selected files).
source	bool	Returns True if this tab is currently the source, and False otherwise. Note that you cannot always assume a tab is the destination if it is not the source. Use the separate dest property for that.
stats	object:TabStats	Returns a TabStats object that provides various information about the tab, including the number of files, number of selected files, total size of selected files, etc. Unlike selstats, this object does not take checkbox mode into account (so the "selected" counts will refer to selected rather than checked files).
vars	object:Vars	This Vars object represents all defined variables with tab scope (that are scoped to this tab).
visible	bool	Returns True if this tab is currently visible (i.e. it is the active tab in either file display), and False otherwise.

Method Name	Arguments	Return Type	Description
CloseFAYT	none	none	Call this method from a FAYT extension script to forcibly close the FAYT field.
Dlg	none	object:Dialog	Creates a new Dialog object, that lets you display dialogs and popup menus. The dialog's window property will be automatically assigned to this tab.
GetFocusItem	none	object:Item	Returns an Item object representing the file or folder which has focus in the tab. The focus item is typically indicated by an outline around its name, and is usually the last item which was clicked on, or the last item which was moved to with the keyboard. The focus item is often also selected, but not always; focus and selection are two different things. If no focus item exists, or if the focus item is a special file or folder, such as This PC, which cannot be represented by an Item object, then this method does not return an object. (In JScript, test if the result == null and in VBScript test if the result is nothing.)
Notify	<string:type> <string:msg> [<int:timeout>]	bool	Displays a notification message associated with this tab. Currently the only defined type is "status", which displays the message in the status bar. The msg string will be displayed in the status bar when the tab is active. The timeout value lets you specify an optional timeout (in milliseconds) after which the message will automatically be removed. If no timeout is specified the user needs to click the message to dismiss it.
Update	none	none	When a script accesses particular properties of a Tab object, a snapshot is taken of the tab's state. For example, if you ask for the selected_files property, the list of selected files is calculated and then stored in memory. This can speed things up, and also means you don't have to worry about the list changing under you as you work through it. If the script then makes changes to the tab (e.g. it selects files, creates a new folder, etc.), these changes will not be reflected by the cached snapshot(s) if you access the same properties on the same tab object again. To clear the cached snapshots and re-synchronize the object with the tab's current state, call the Tab.Update method.
UpdateFAYTSuggestions	array or Vector:string or object:Map	none	When you're implementing a FAYT extension script, you can call this method at any time to update the list of suggestions shown to the user. You can provide an array or Vector of strings, or a Map of string/string pairs. When providing a Map each key represents the text that will be inserted if selected by the user, and the value represents a hint or description that's shown in a separate column in the suggestion list. When providing an array or Vector of strings, you can provide the second column description by tab-separating it from the main value.