How to preview epub files: proposal to use Sumatrapdf and Oracle's Viewer Technology

[Raindrops]

The preview panel does not show preview of epub files.
I searched the forum, and found an old thread (2015), but it didn't have a solution.
The link provided there does not work.

In the past, I used two different previewing solutions with FreeCommander:

1. Use Sumatrapdf

2. Use the Viewer Technology bundle, available from Oracle. It is capable of generating preview for 600+ file types.

IINW both of them cannot be used directly, and they need a wrapper.
Such wrappers are listed at TotalCommander website.

The TC website lists two different wrappers:
sLister to work with Sumatrapdf
uLister to work with Oracle's Viewer Technology

The sLister+Sumatrapdf combo offers better features for pdf and epub files, as compared to the uLister+VT combo.
Therefore the trick is to use the former for only two file types and use the latter for all other file types.

I have used these combos with FreeCommander for a very long time.
I can vouch that they work fine, and they are worth the effort.
But I am not a programmer. I cannot write scripts either.
Long ago I had struggled to put these combos together, and I cannot remember the step-by-step procedure now.

Can anyone help to put together these resources and make them work?
I do have some more pointers if anyone volunteers.

That will benefit a lot of users!

[NotNull]

You should have posted a link to the thread you found on the forum...

The link is indeed dead, but CBXShell can now be found on Github.

There is also DarkThumbs, which is basically an .msi wrapper for CBXShell. Use that instead.

Dont forget to run the CBXManager first to configure which file extensions should be previewed.

(Preview = cover; no textual contents)


For integration in FreeCommander, ask on their forums.

[Raindrops]

IINW CBXShell can handle only a few file types, and it can generate thumbnails.
That's why I didn't pursue that thread.

I know from personal experience that both Sumatrapdf and Oracle VT are full-fledged viewers.
You can read the entire document in the preview pane itself, and even play audio/video files with full controls.
They also offer many other features, such as search, zoom, copy text, etc.
That's why I mentioned them in this thread.

I also mentioned integration with FreeCommander just to confirm that the combos work beautifully in FC.
So I hope that an expert devotes some time to integrate those apps, so that Everything can display practically all file types in the preview panel!

FWIW here are the step-by-step installation procedures:
1. Steps for installing sLister+Sumatrapdf
2. Steps for installing uLister+Oracle VT

[NotNull]

Everything uses the same mechanism as Windows Explorer to preview files. To my best of knowledge, there is no preview handler for .epub files, other than the ones showing an image (thumbnail/cover).

A viewer (FreeCommander/Total Commander/..) is different from a preview handler.

If you can find a preview handler that shows the content of .epub files in Explorer, the previews will be shown in Everything too.


Sidenote: you can take a look at Quicklook. Pressing the spacebar when a a file is selected in Everything will open a viewer for that file format. Can't remember exactly, but I think epub is supported through a plug-in/add-on.

[Raindrops]

I now realize that I have mentioned "epub" in the title of this thread, whereas I always had all possible file types in mind. Mea culpa!

IINW the forum does not allow me to edit the title now, but please take the title as "preview of all common file types".

From your response, I realized that people use three different terms for such panels: "Viewer", "Quick viewer", and "Previewer".
Non-programmers like me can't tell the difference: All of them display the file under focus.

Therefore, the non-programmers may be pardoned for believing that if some plugin combo works in FC and TC, it should work here too.
But we mortals cannot work out the actual magic!

Hence I request a programmer to come to our rescue.

BTW if we use a totally independent software for quick viewing files, we have to operate Everything and that other app side by side.
That is a complex scenario. It is best to somehow enhance the existing Previewer panel of Everything.

[poa0]

FYI to @Raindrops (and anyone else who is still looking) here is a pretty nice solution:

https://github.com/AlexanderPro/Wlx2Explorer.

wlx2Explorer allows you to use Lister (Total Commander) plugins directly with File Explorer. By leveraging the Outside In Viewer Technology API via uLister, this will effectively extend all the functionality you previously enjoyed in TC in Window's native File Explorer as well. Since Everything's preview pane hosts the sme handlers, this should work there too.

Bonus: this doesn't require Total Commander to work.

Pretty sweet.

[Raindrops]

Hi

This sounds very promising!

Can you please share the steps needed to make this work?

For reference, here are the steps I listed to use uLister with FreeCommander:

FWIW here are the step-by-step installation procedures:
1. Steps for installing sLister+Sumatrapdf
2. Steps for installing uLister+Oracle VT

If you have cracked this, kindly share equivalent steps!

Thanks in advance!

[poa0]

Sure, but quick disclaimer: I am not the author of this app.

Author's guidance found on the Issues tab of the app's repository on GitHub:

You can use current and previous versions of Wlx2Explorer and Viewer Technology.
The main rule of thumb is that the bitness (32-bit/64-bit) has to match across all plugins as well as WlxExplorer. For 32-bit plugins you need to use 32-bit Wlx2Explorer and 32-bit Viewer Technology.
For 64-bit plugin use 64-bit Wlx2Explorer and Viewer Technology.
For 32-bit plugin please use the following steps:

1. Download Wlx2Explorer, the 32-bit or 64-bit version from the linked GitHub repository.
2. Download 32-bit ulister plugin (http://wincmd.ru/files/wlx_uLister_4.0.0.zip)and unzip it.
3. Download 32-bit Viewer Technology (https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/midd ... 97435.html) and unzip it.
4. Copy "redist" subfolder of Oracle Viewer to plugin folder.
5. Run Wlx2Explorer, and open Settings dialog from the System Tray.
7. Add the plugin on the corresponding tab. In this tab move up an item by arrow button to the top. Press OK to confirm.
8. Open Window Explorer. Select .doc, .zip or other Viewer Technology file and press Ctrl+Q keys.

Edit: Pay attention to the version numbers of the files you ultimately download. While these instructions are still relevant, there is a good chance that the versions linked are outdated / have since progressed.

[horst.epp]

For viewing EPUB files, the Oracle viewers are useless,
they don't contain a viewer for this file type.
So, only the TC SumatraPDF wlx/wlx64 viewer is applicable.

ULister and the Oracle viewers are fine for doc and docx formats
and many others of course.

[poa0]

Agreed, just choose Sumatra as Windows' default for opening PDF/epub files so that Sumatra's handler is used for previewing those extensions. Oracle/ulister do come in handy as a catch-all for other file formats for which a machine does not already have preview handlers installed though. I think the total supported is somewhere in the three to five hundred range at this point.

[Raindrops]

Author's guidance found on the Issues tab of the app's repository on GitHub:

I am not clear about the steps even after reading the author's tips.

For example, in case of FreeCommander or TotalCommander, it makes sense to talk about their respective plugin folders.
But when configuring these apps for Windows Explorer, there is no "plugins" folder.
So where do we extract the uLister, Oracle VT, etc?

Do we create a new "Plugins" folder first before unzipping the apps there?
If yes, then is a specific location required/recommended for this folder?
Or can we extract the apps anywhere we like, and yet Wlx2Explorer can be configured to link them together?

[horst.epp]

Author's guidance found on the Issues tab of the app's repository on GitHub:

I am not clear about the steps even after reading the author's tips.

For example, in case of FreeCommander or TotalCommander, it makes sense to talk about their respective plugin folders.
But when configuring these apps for Windows Explorer, there is no "plugins" folder.
So where do we extract the uLister, Oracle VT, etc?

Do we create a new "Plugins" folder first before unzipping the apps there?
If yes, then is a specific location required/recommended for this folder?
Or can we extract the apps anywhere we like, and yet Wlx2Explorer can be configured to link them together?

Just make a folder inside of your documents' folder, so the tools have write access.
Store all files into this folder.
The folder name is whatever you like.

[Raindrops]

For viewing EPUB files, the Oracle viewers are useless,
they don't contain a viewer for this file type.
So, only the TC SumatraPDF wlx/wlx64 viewer is applicable.

ULister and the Oracle viewers are fine for doc and docx formats
and many others of course.

Should I use the sLister+Sumatrapdf combination, or the wlx2Explorer+Sumatrapdf combination?

[Raindrops]

I tried the following:

1. I created a "Previewer" folder in my C:\Users\<userName>\Documents path
2. I unzipped the contents of wlx2Explorer archive in this folder.
3. I also placed the Sumatrapdf exe file in this folder
4. I put the sLister files also in this folder.

The overall content of this folder looks like this:

Previewer.png (10.8 KiB) Viewed 3294 times

5. Then I executed the wlx2Explorer.exe file.

Then checked out the previewer of Everything.
It cannot show epub files.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I doubt if sLister is needed here, since Wlx2Explorer is already present.
Please confirm!

Secondly, the Wlx2Explorer.ini file is completely blank.
What path should I set there?

[horst.epp]

The problem may be that SumatraPDF by default doesn't show .epub files.
In Total Commander, this is solved by the config for SLister, which sets all file types it should display.
I don't know how this can be solved using the Explorer add-on.
I never use Windows explorer for any file manipulation or previewing.

[NotNull]

Moved to Off-topic discussion forum as this is not related to Everything.

[tuska]

2poa0
Thank you for drawing attention to this possibility!

This information was decisive for me (points 5., 7., 8.):
Author's guidance found on the Issues tab of the app's repository on GitHub

2Raindrops
I am Total Commander (hobby user) and have tried it out of interest.

You could store the Total Commander plugins in this folder:
C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Plugins\
(Ideally separated per plugin to facilitate later updates/upgrades).

To preview .epub files in Windows Explorer, you need the "SumatraPDF" tool.

You could place SumatraPDF64.exe and/or SumatraPDF.exe in this folder:
C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Tools\SumatraPDF

Contents: 2 files
C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Tools\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe    (SumatraPDF64.exe has been renamed to SumatraPDF.exe!)
C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Tools\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF-settings.txt

Furthermore, either the Total Commander plugin "sLister 1.1.2" or the TC SumatraPDF Plugin 1.12 is required.

The sLister plugin can be placed here (unpacked!):
C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Plugins\sLister\

The path to the file "SumatraPDF.exe" must be specified in the file "slister.ini", e.g. as follows:

Code: Select all

[slister]
path64=C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Tools\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe

The file "SumatraPDF64.exe" must be renamed to "SumatraPDF.exe" in this case
because the plugin only accesses the file "SumatraPDF.exe"(!).

Then double-click on the file "C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Wlx2Explorer.exe".
An icon is now displayed in the systray (bottom right in the taskbar).

Right-click on this icon and select the menu item "Settings...".
Ctrl+Q is the default shortcut for displaying the preview in Windows Explorer.

Click on the "Plugin" tab.

On this tab, you can select the "sLister" plugin as follows:
- Click on the "Add" button
- Switch to the folder "C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Plugins\sLister\"
- Click on either the file "slister.wlx" for 32-bit or slister.wlx64 for 64-bit
  C:\Users\user\Documents\Previewer\Plugins\sLister\slister.wlx64 and the previously defined file extensions,
  such as PDF;DJVU;DJV;XPS;CBZ;CBR;EPUB should be displayed.
- Then click on the "OK" button
- The settings were saved in the "Wlx2Explorer.xml" file.
  More information can be found in this file, which can be viewed with a text editor.

If all definitions have been made correctly, it is now possible to display a preview for .epub files
in Windows Explorer(!) with Ctrl+Q --- Total Commander is NOT open at this time(!).

Here is a working test example from me (Total Commander user).
 

Wlx2Explorer – Total Commander lister plugin from File Explorer and Desktop.png (132.27 KiB) Viewed 3249 times

 
PS:
The same applies to the Total Commander uLister plugin:
After successful setup, more than 500 file formats can be displayed with Ctrl+Q in Windows Explorer.

- Here you can find step-by-step instructions in German --> GoogleTranslate DE > EN
- uLister Plugin
- Oracle Outside In Technology - 8.5.7
- Oracle Outside In Technology - 8.5.7 Supported Formats (July 2024)

Good succeed!

[Raindrops]

The problem may be that SumatraPDF by default doesn't show .epub files.
In Total Commander, this is solved by the config for SLister, which sets all file types it should display.

Well, in my system, Sumatrapdf is set as default app for epub file type.
Yet, I am unable to preview epub files in Everything.

So the question is, can we preview epub files in Everything using-
1. wlx2Explorer (or any other wrapper) and
2. Sumtrapdf or Oracle VT

If this is possible, we will have the fastest way to check out all types of files right in Everything!

[Raindrops]

2
...

Thanks a lot for this detailed guide!
I hope that I will be able to crack the problem this time.

[horst.epp]

The settings from Tuska works, all ULister formats can be viewed in Explorer.
The Explorer preview is not an integrated part on the right side, as it's done for official previewers.

But all this doesn't help to view files in Everything, it only works with Explorer

To get PDF preview in Explorer, Everything and other tools it's enough to install the free MS Power Toys
or better, free PDF-XChange viewer.

[Raindrops]

The settings from Tuska works, ...
But all this doesn't help to view files in Everything, it only works with Explorer

Well, it appears that Tuska has described a previewer solution for Explorer; and not Everything.

I do not need that solution, because I prefer FreeCommander over Explorer.
I use Sumatrapdf and Oracle VT to preview all types of files in FC.
They need sLister and uLister wrappers.
I have already shared the step-by-step procedure in this thread.

So, all in all my quest to preview all file types in Everything remains unmet.

To get PDF preview in Explorer, Everything and other tools it's enough to install the free MS Power Toys
or better, free PDF-XChange viewer.

That would enable preview of pdf files only. Not epub and other types of files!
I always thought that Everything can show pdf preview out of the box!
But probably it used Foxit pdf reader (I never had pdf xchange viewer).
A few months ago I replaced Foxit pdf reader with pdf xchange editor.
But the pdf preview has not stopped.
So, while I am still unclear how Everything shows the pdf file preview. But it works.

[tuska]

So, all in all my quest to preview all file types in Everything remains unmet.

  ● support TC content plugins (.wdx)

Maybe the author could include the TC Lister Plugins (.wlx) here?

[Raindrops]

So, wdx, or wlx?
Well, this is a design choice. The user is not concerned with this issue!
At the end of the day, we should be able to check out all file types in the quickviewer.

IINW some people make a distinction between "Viewer", "QuickViewer" and "previewer".
I am not sure if that applies here.
Also, what is the difference among these terms...

Regardless of that nuanced dinstinction, I would like to have the following functionality:

1. Be able to browse the file (as opposed to just viewing its thumbnail) in the QV panel.
2. Copy text from the QV panel
3. Search for any text right in the QV panel
4. Zoom in/out

[horst.epp]

So, wdx, or wlx?
Well, this is a design choice. The user is not concerned with this issue!
At the end of the day, we should be able to check out all file types in the quickviewer.

That's your wish, but Everything is mainly a search tool and supports file view if the OS supports it.

IINW some people make a distinction between "Viewer", "QuickViewer" and "previewer".
I am not sure if that applies here.
Also, what is the difference among these terms...

There is no real difference, the official name is previewer.

Regardless of that nuanced dinstinction, I would like to have the following functionality:

1. Be able to browse the file (as opposed to just viewing its thumbnail) in the QV panel.
2. Copy text from the QV panel
3. Search for any text right in the QV panel
4. Zoom in/out

All these functions have to be provided by the preview tool, whatever it is.

In the future, Everything may provide own previewers, but no one pays for the additional work.
The easiest way would be to support TC wlx viewers from Everything.
Many 3rd party tools and file managers do it already.

[Raindrops]

I agree!

BTW I use both Sumatrapdf and Oracle VT with FreeCommander (with sLister and uLister wrappers), and they provide all the functionality I listed.

So it would be great indeed if Everything supports wlx.

[tuska]

In the future, Everything may provide own previewers, but no one pays for the additional work.

The easiest way would be to support TC wlx viewers from Everything.
Many 3rd party tools and file managers do it already.

Total Commander Plugin Interface Documentation