Salamatrix File-system panels

Virtual panels that feel native in Open Salamander

Bring a real virtual file system into the panels.

A Salamatrix extension can provide a browsable salamatrix: namespace instead of only adding commands or dialogs. Salamander opens it in the normal file panels, with native navigation, columns, icons, context actions, refresh, and dark-mode behavior.

Providers are declared by a schema-2 fileSystems manifest role and backed by the selected runtime. The framework owns panel integration; the extension supplies the item data and actions.

salamatrix: providerroots · paths · items · actions
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Salamatrix hostlisting · refresh · icons · localization
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Open Salamander panelsnative navigation and interaction
FS
panel API

What a file-system provider can do

Browse and navigate

Expose root items and hierarchical paths. A command can open a provider such as salamatrix:OpenSalamander.ProcessExplorer!processes directly in a panel.

Describe every item

Return names, folders, paths, icons, dark-mode icon variants and custom fields. Columns can be numeric, size-aware, or date/time formatted.

Refresh intelligently

Use periodic refresh, bounded refresh depth, and selected refresh paths so live data updates without rebuilding unrelated branches.

Act on selection

Declare default actions, separators, item prefixes and refresh behavior. Handlers can open properties, terminate a process, or perform device-management operations.

Localize the surface

Package locales can translate the provider name, roots, columns, item labels and action titles while the host keeps the same manifest contract.

Stay inside the host policy

Capabilities and security metadata make file-system, process, script, network and elevation requirements visible and enforceable at the package boundary.

Manifest shape

The provider is a normal manifest-backed extension. The fileSystems entry declares the public panel contract; the runtime entry point implements its list and action handlers.

{
  "schema": 2,
  "id": "OpenSalamander.ProcessExplorer",
  "runtime": "PowerShell",
  "entryPoint": "main.ps1",
  "capabilities": ["file-system", "process.read", "process.write"],
  "commands": [{
    "id": "OpenSalamander.ProcessExplorer.open",
    "path": "salamatrix:OpenSalamander.ProcessExplorer!processes",
    "menu": "none", "toolbar": true
  }],
  "fileSystems": [{
    "id": "processes", "name": "Running Processes",
    "listHandler": "listProcesses", "refreshIntervalMs": 5000,
    "columns": [{"id":"pid", "name":"PID", "numeric":true}],
    "actions": [{"id":"endTask", "title":"End task", "handler":"endTask"}]
  }]
}

The part before ! identifies the extension provider and the part after it identifies the declared file system. Navigation does not need to start a second copy of the framework; Salamatrix resolves the provider and dispatches listing or action requests through the worker boundary.

Bundled file-system extensions

Event Viewer

Browse Custom Views, Windows Logs, and Applications and Services Logs. The panel displays level, date/time, source, event ID, and task category, with Event Properties as the default action.

salamatrix:OpenSalamander.EventViewer!events

Process Explorer

Inspect running processes with PID, status, CPU, memory, and user columns. The five-second refresh keeps the view current; actions include End task, End process tree, Open file location, and Properties.

salamatrix:OpenSalamander.ProcessExplorer!processes

Hardware Monitor

Explore CPU, GPU, memory, motherboard, network, sensors, storage, and Device Manager data. It includes live sensor refresh and device actions such as update, disable, uninstall, scan, and properties.

salamatrix:OpenSalamander.HardwareMonitor!hardware-info

How this relates to other Salamatrix services

01Panel entryThe user opens a salamatrix: path from a command or toolbar.
02ListThe provider returns bounded items, folders, fields, icons, and navigation metadata.
03InteractSalamander handles selection and context menus; the worker receives declared actions.
04RefreshThe host applies the provider refresh policy and keeps the panel state native.

File-system panels complement, rather than replace, Salamatrix.Sides context access and Salamatrix.FileOperations. A script may inspect ordinary selected files through the Sides API, invoke interactive Salamander operations, or provide a dedicated virtual panel through fileSystems.

Implementation status: schema-2 file-system manifests, panel listing, hierarchical roots, typed columns, icons, localization, refresh policies, action dispatch, and the three bundled panel extensions are implemented in the current Salamatrix framework.

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