» Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

 

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Topic: File ordering: Custom list verus Edit/Browse, In XP the two ordering differ< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
calberga
Ancient Board Spirit



Group: Awaiting Authorisation
Posts: 254
Joined: Oct. 2002
Posted: April 30 2006,17:40

Running on XP, with Beta 17.

I have just noticed that the files in the Edit/Browse tab are ordered with the single quotation mark, ', seeming to be ignored, while in the custom list (with only filenames included) the ordering does not ignore this.  

The question is, if I am doing a list operation with the filename not specified, which ordering is used?  Will the ordering match the list or the Edit/Browse order?

I was sure that I had seen a choice of "XP order", and something else, but on searching all the menus in Windows Explore I came up empty handed.  It's hiding SOMEWHERE, but where I don't know at the moment.  My impression was that the "XP order" would sort the files with (in some nebulous set of cases) the numbers 1, 2, 3, all preceeding 10, 11, ... 20, etc. which, as I indicated, sometimes works.  

I also search the various options in m/t s, without finding anything that seemed relevant.

I'm going to post this, and then off to Google.
Back to top
Profile PM 
calberga
Ancient Board Spirit



Group: Awaiting Authorisation
Posts: 254
Joined: Oct. 2002
Posted: April 30 2006,17:48

Follow up:

OK, I found the nub of the problem.  Look at:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827/

Also, it seems that this behaviour can be turned off using tweakUI.

So, the question is, should I turn off this behaviour (which I rather like in many cases), or should m/t S notice this and use the same ordering in the directory tree, rename/tag from list, and Edit/Browse as it uses in Create list?  This could prevent accidental munging of files when omiting the filename from a list operation (which I often do).
Back to top
Profile PM 
Magnus Brading
Almighty Author



Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 2751
Joined: Aug. 2002
Posted: May 01 2006,12:39

This sorting functionality in XP can indeed be turned off, yes. But sure, it can be useful, so I wouldn't recommend it. Rather, I'd recommend never performing list operations without filenames, except when absolutely necessary. This increases the risk of mistakes in either case.

The different sorting in some different types of controls in the GUI might in some cases necessitate quite a workaround to fix, since some of them don't allow control over the sorting algorithm, so sadly I cannot fix this right now, but possibly in future versions.

--------------
Software author and website owner
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
calberga
Ancient Board Spirit



Group: Awaiting Authorisation
Posts: 254
Joined: Oct. 2002
Posted: May 01 2006,14:26

Thanks for the reply.  It may be lack of imagination, but I frequently want to use a filename as the basis of some tags, but only after "hand massaging" it in a text editor.  In general, this involves changes which I haven't been able to frame as patterns.  The problem is, that in order to have a list file with both the file name and the modified file name one cannot use "replace all instances" of x by y in the editor, one must individually change every other instance (or sometimes the the 3rd and 4th in each line, or some other pattern), which is very tedious.

If you may recall, I once requested the ability to specify one file for the file names, and another file for the data, with the "tag/rename from file(s)" running down the two files in parallel.  Thus, one could replacate the file name list and modify the copy, then use the original as the file designator, and the modified copy at the source to be matched to the pattern.

I do have one program (WordPerfect) which is able to cut/copy/paste rectangular blocks of text, but it is a bit quirky, and involves adding padding (sorry for the jingle!;) and then removing it, as well as having to set to a mono-space font and remembering to save as ANSI text -- a error prone mess.

If you can recomend a text editor which can vertically split a file using the seperator sub-string, and then reassemble it I would be happy with the current method.  Without that file-name-less lists are the only reasonable way (IMHO).

Don't you hate people who want gilding on the palace?
Back to top
Profile PM 
calberga
Ancient Board Spirit



Group: Awaiting Authorisation
Posts: 254
Joined: Oct. 2002
Posted: May 01 2006,14:28

PS -- Happy May Day!
Back to top
Profile PM 
Magnus Brading
Almighty Author



Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 2751
Joined: Aug. 2002
Posted: May 02 2006,20:03

Hehe, I hope you had a good May Day too, in spite of your gilding tendencies. ;)

I don't quite follow your explanation in the previous post though, so please submit a complete example of what you want to do, and I'll take a look at it.

--------------
Software author and website owner
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
calberga
Ancient Board Spirit



Group: Awaiting Authorisation
Posts: 254
Joined: Oct. 2002
Posted: May 02 2006,20:13

I'll see if I can find an example which I haven't worked on yet (or wait until a new one comes along).
Back to top
Profile PM 
6 replies since April 30 2006,17:40 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]