XC

One of the core components of an operating system is to make file management accessible to individuals of all levels of experience. There are different commands to be issues in File Explorer. However, if you fancy working in a command line interface, then XC is an explorer which resembles and functions in a similar manner to the Command Prompt.

As far as the visual design is concerned, the application requires a little patience at first, since all elements are similar to the ones found in Command Prompt. However, navigation here is done on two panels, making it easy to transfer files between separate directories.

You need to get used to a new set of commands, which mostly rely on hotkeys to bring up different menus and selection screens. This means that even if you’re used to a command line navigation system, some time needs to be spend accommodation to new functions here. On the bright side, trigger keys are almost always in plain sight, so you know what and how to do next. Mouse interaction is of little to no consequence.

Note that the application also supports shell commands to save you the effort of opening up a different command window for dedicated functions. The built-in set of options however, relies less on writing.

You’re able to quickly jump to predefined directories through hotkeys, including the desktop, or program files folder. New directories can be created on the spot, and there’s also the possibility to go online. Search is included to easily locate items of interest, while edit operations can handle the basics. There’s a built-in function to split large files, or pack them into a ZIP archive.

Taking everything into consideration, we can state that XC might feel a little confusing at first, especially to your average computer user. It might not be able to replace the File Explorer in your daily activities, but it’s a fun way to handle files in a dual-pane navigation window in the form of a command line instance.