Introduction
I’ve been working on this for a while, and I have some good news and bad news to share.
The good news is that, with a little bit of help from the community, it’s now ready for public release. The bad news is that I just can’t make it public because people are asking me to distribute it under an open-source license (which I don’t want to do).
So, in order to address these issues, I have moved the code out of my own GitHub repository as well as allowing people who want to use it to do so under the CLA (Closed-source license) which allows other developers to build on top of it. They will be able to install and run the software on their own servers and should they choose they can then redistribute or monetize the software in any way they wish.
See here for more details: http://www.gofile-toolkit.com/download/file-transfer-utility/
1. Different file transfer utilities and their drawbacks
File browsers are one of the oldest types of web apps. For instance, I use a web browser to access my google drive, but I hate how it pops up in a browser window when you open a new file (just like every other browser) and that it takes precious seconds to load the file.
So, what can we do about this? We can use some tricks like:
- Use an AJAX library to make your files appear faster
- Use an image instead of plain text when saving images with different resolutions (so that you don’t need to copy and paste stuff)
- Keep the files in their local paths (so you don’t have to know the full path of your file)
So far so good, except for one thing: most file browsers are very limited in their functionality, and they also take away too much space from your computer. So, we want something better. Let’s see what we can do instead.
Our first idea was to create our own file browser (we already have an AJAX library). But then we decided that wasn’t enough: let’s improve on it even more and add a few extra features like:
Searching is super simple with this one-click feature; just click on the search bar at the top (image below) or type in your desired search term into the input field at the top right corner of the screen. You will get results for all files on your computer if you select “All Files” as shown in the image below; this means you can use it even if there are many files on your computer that have not been downloaded yet!
You can navigate between folders without having to enter them by selecting them as shown above; this simplifies navigation between folders and makes it easier to delete or move files from one folder to another, or back again. This is especially useful for larger folders with many subfolders since each new folder will be automatically added as a folder within its parent folder as long as it has at least one file in it.
The save button will be disabled for such folders directly after navigating out of them. Also note that if you select any folder other than “All Files”, nothing will happen. And no matter what happens, if you press the “File”, “More” or “Exit” button the next time around, everything will be restored according to its original state.
2. Introducing Send Anywhere – the free file transfer utility that doesn’t break your internet connection
Send Anywhere is a file browser application that allows you to easily and securely transfer files between your computer, laptop, mobile device, and other PCs over Wi-Fi. It supports both local and network file transfers of any size and format.
It’s simple, fast, and easy to use. Send Anywhere does not require registration or account creation, so you can use it without limits for as long as you like.
Install Send Anywhere on your computer, then connect to your Wi-Fi network from any computer that has the app installed.
Send a file from your computer to your mobile device or other devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network by opening the file manager in Send Anywhere on your device.
You can also transfer files between devices with no Wi-Fi connection or when using a data plan with limited downloading speeds (those plans typically include unlimited email).
Usage Tips:
- You need a secure connection (HTTPS) between computers on the same Wi-Fi network to use this app securely. You must have at least one computer on the network that is set as “Works With” (preferred) or “Stay On” (recommended). To set this up:
- Open ‘Send Anywhere’ from your device’s menu bar, then select ‘Set As Works With’. This will ensure only computers on the same Wi-Fi network can access Send Anywhere. If you do not see this setting in ‘Send Anywhere’, please choose ‘Do Not Allow Anyone To Use This App’ under ‘File Restrictions’, then restart Send Anywhere.’
- To set locally stored files as “Local Only”, open ‘Save As’ in ‘File Restrictions’, then select the default folder for Save As before storing a file in it.
- You may have different options for Local Only depending on which software you are using for files — some may be better than others!
- If using Send Anyway Pro, check out its Cloud Support page for additional usage tips! Note: We recently added more options for Local Only. The new options are “Not Even Get Me There”, “No Speed Limit For What I Can Do”, and “Wifi Only”. We hope these new options will help speed up transfers without sacrificing security or privacy! All previous options are still available!
Conclusion
This example highlights the importance of getting your product right: the user interface (UI). While the user interface is mostly invisible to the user, it can have a significant impact on their experience. For example, a UI can minimize a feature’s value to the user and therefore make them choose not to use it, or increase its value by making it easier or more convenient. There are various factors that could cause this effect:
- User expectations in terms of interface
- How much users know about a product
- Vendor expectations in terms of features and functionality
- How easy a product is to use
In general, there are three kinds of UI errors that you should avoid:
Error messages (e.g., “File doesn’t exist”) – Misbehave warning labels (e.g., “You can’t delete this file”) – Unclear prompts (e.g., “Can’t find the file”)
