Date Color Filters

[admin]

Boolean operators would make it more complex for me and for the users. I currently do not intend to go this way.

Well, I had an inspiration... there will be AND!

[admin]

FYI, and to show the new syntax, the factory default color filters now are these (copied from List Management):

Code: Select all

+attr:junction>D500D5,
+attr:system>FF0000,FFFF80
+attr:encrypted>008000,
+attr:compressed>0000FF,
ageM: d //modified today>FFFFFF,74C622
attr:d>5E738C,
size:0>4199E0,E0E2ED
*.png;*.jpg;*.gif>933968,
*.exe;*.bat>D24257,
*.htm;*.html;*.mht;*.php>4287D2,
*.txt;*.ini>38A050,
*.zip;*.rar>CC6600,
*.dll;*.ocx>7800F0,
*.mp3>FF8000,

[phatmankerr]

Have never really used any colour filters or XYs general colourful options - but I find the relative date filters EXTREMELY useful - I also like the clever little trick with the slightly extended shape (so even when the filename is highlighted the filter is still visible).

However (sure you were waiting for this Don ) - the colour filters are not visible for tagged files (unless I only use the tag column - but then I tend to miss the tagged files) - accept there is not a lot you can do for full row tagging - but Name Column Tagging / filter visibility would be useful - any plans to work around this - maybe with banded colour application (slightly extending the colour application on the name column for each feature / filter)? (No rush - just an idea).

You would end up with a kind of rainbow effect at the end of the filename column (but provided there is a limit - say 3 bands I think this would be awesome).

Thanks

Andy

[TheQwerty]

Don, did I miss something or have you not implemented any variation of the "continue" switch, yet?

I thought it was:

Code: Select all

v9.70.0038 - 2010-11-19 20:36
    + Configuration | Color Filters: Now, in Details mode, the first
      matching filter *with* backcolor (if any) is displayed combined
      with the first matching filter *without* backcolor (if any).
      For example, if you have these filters defined and activated
      (copied from List Management to show the colors):
        ageM: < 3 h>FFFF00,6798E0
        name: *.txt>38A050,
      then every TXT file that's younger than 3 hours is displayed with
      the Name column colored "FFFF00,6798E0" (Text, Background) and
      all the other columns colored "38A050" (Text only). Yeah!

And was disappointed it was Details mode only, but then realized that's not the case. However, this seems to be broken here (also on a fresh copy):

20101122-111740 - Screenshot.png (14.55 KiB) Viewed 3157 times

Or am I mistaken in how this is to work?

Further, it seems to me that the autosize columns is a little too aggressive when combined with the color filter background and little filter type marker. As you can see in the above screen shot it's a bit cramped at the end of "New File-03.txt.bak" and distracting how busy that's become. It looks much better if I use View->Columns->Grow Name Column, but that's forgotten when combined with the Autosize Columns List setting.

It would be nice if one of the following was in place:

1. A little extra padding was applied internally when autosizing.
2. The use of Grow/Shrink Name column was more of a "global" action that was reused & applied when autosizing.
3. There was an INI tweak for the user to add a few more pixels to the minimum width.

And to share, I've added the following filters to the top of my list to create a bit of a "freshness" feature. It allows me to spot files modified in the last week and the darker the background the more recent the modifications:

Code: Select all

+ageM: < 1 h>,006000
+ageM: < 6 h>,207020
+ageM:<12 h>,408040
+ageM:<1 d>,60A060
+ageM:<2 d>,80C080
+ageM:<4 d>,A0E0A0
+ageM:<1 w>,C0FFC0

Looks like:

20101122-113939 - Screenshot.png (6.95 KiB) Viewed 3157 times

[admin]

Have never really used any colour filters or XYs general colourful options - but I find the relative date filters EXTREMELY useful - I also like the clever little trick with the slightly extended shape (so even when the filename is highlighted the filter is still visible).

However (sure you were waiting for this Don ) - the colour filters are not visible for tagged files (unless I only use the tag column - but then I tend to miss the tagged files) - accept there is not a lot you can do for full row tagging - but Name Column Tagging / filter visibility would be useful - any plans to work around this - maybe with banded colour application (slightly extending the colour application on the name column for each feature / filter)? (No rush - just an idea).

You would end up with a kind of rainbow effect at the end of the filename column (but provided there is a limit - say 3 bands I think this would be awesome).

Thanks

Andy

Yes, I already had this rainbow idea myself. Maybe later...

I'll see whether I can make colour filters visible for tagged files...

[admin]

Don, did I miss something or have you not implemented any variation of the "continue" switch, yet?...

Yes, sort of, but only useful in details mode because you need the non-Name columns to see the text color of the other matching filter.

There was a bug with the "name:" selector that caused the issue you noted.

I'll add 7 pixels to autosize.

[TheQwerty]

Yes, sort of, but only useful in details mode because you need the non-Name columns to see the text color of the other matching filter.

Erm... so will there be a 'continue' or another way to use separate filters for background and foreground colors in non-Details views?

[admin]

Yes, sort of, but only useful in details mode because you need the non-Name columns to see the text color of the other matching filter.

Erm... so will there be a 'continue' or another way to use separate filters for background and foreground colors in non-Details views?

Yes, needs a little meditation still...

[admin]

Yes, sort of, but only useful in details mode because you need the non-Name columns to see the text color of the other matching filter.

Erm... so will there be a 'continue' or another way to use separate filters for background and foreground colors in non-Details views?

Yes, needs a little meditation still...

OK, I did the following: You use the comment part of the color filter line to pass a certain switch, namely "m" for "merge (text color)".

The general syntax is (note the Pipe separator):

Code: Select all

color filter definition(s)//[switches]|free comment text"

Example:

Code: Select all

+ageM: d //m|modified today>FFFFFF,6798E0
+name:*.txt>38A050,

Any TXT file that was modified today will now be displayed with 38A050,6798E0 in all list views. What the m-switch actually does is: instead of taking this color filter's text color, look for the next matching color filter that has NO backcolor defined and take its text color.


I will not mention this in the documentation for now. It's experimental (but seems to work nicely).

[phatmankerr]

I'll see whether I can make colour filters visible for tagged files...

See this has been implemented - much appreciated Don

[admin]

Tip (undocumented feature) (copied from List Management to show the colors):

Code: Select all

attr:s//m|>,FFFF80

m in the comment part is the merge switch. This example will set a light yellow background color to all items with SYSTEM attribute, and use the text color of the next matching color filter that has only a text color defined. (This is what TheQwerty wished as "continue".)

[TheQwerty]

Feels a bit odd extending the comment like that but otherwise it works.
Looking forward to seeing it in action when I return to work tomorrow.

[TheQwerty]

The general syntax is (note the Pipe separator)

Ah ha - knew I was forgetting something when I was trying this!

Thus far it's working great here, and aside from my color selections needing some work it looks good.
Also, the extra padding when sizing columns is appreciated - the filter type decoration is now much less distracting.

Thanks!


Update to my freshness coloring; I wanted it to decay much quicker and I added more steps. It's a work in progress though since it clashes a bit with my previous text coloring.

Code: Select all

+ageM:<5 n //m|>,006000
+ageM:<10 n //m|>,207020
+ageM:<15 n //m|>,407040
+ageM:<30 n //m|>,509050
+ageM:<45 n //m|>,50A050
+ageM:<2 h //m|>,70A070
+ageM:<6 h //m|>,70C070
+ageM:<8 h //m|>,90C090
+ageM:<1 d //m|>,A0C0A0
+ageM:<2 d //m|>,A0E0A0
+ageM:<5 d //m|>,C0E0C0
+ageM:<7 d //m|>,C0FFC0

[admin]

Feels a bit odd extending the comment like that but otherwise it works.

Yes, odd. That's the reason I kept it inofficial for now. The advantage is that it's very easy to parse that way without the need to introduce yet another special char for switches...

[eil]

i've been playing with colour filters for some time, but never managed to make them work precisely as i wished, so each time it eventually ended with "will give it a try later". so i need some help or my head explodes this time.
i've tried both examples provided by TheQwerty to addopt them for my needs, but didn't succeed. i'm trying to make at least 3 filters for created files: in last 6 hours, more than last 6 hour(exclusive) but less than 24 hours, more than 24 hours(exclusive) but less than 48.
i only recently understood that "d" != "24 h", but just a "0.00-24.00" of some date(current for exm). yet, there is always a problem for me with one filter taking files of other