Lazy Sort

Tom Jensen · Post by **Tom Jensen** » 08 Oct 2006 02:26

Hi, I've searched the config as well as menu options, and also the forums here, but cannot find an option for lazy sort. This is useful for when you're downloading to a folder with many files, but the exact name of the download isn't shown to you. With other file managers, including Windows' default, the newly added files can be found at the bottom of the list, whereas XYplorer immediately sorts and the new files are "lost" within the jumble of files. With lazy sort, the listing is only sorted on first access or with manual refresh, and new entries are placed at the bottom of the listing in the order added. This would be a very useful addition, and (I'm assuming) trivial to implement, as all that's needed is to not sort after adding files to a folder. Would suggest it as an addition to the program. Thank you.

Tom

jacky · Post by **jacky** » 08 Oct 2006 04:49

hmm.. not the same I know, but why not simply sort by created or last modified date then? You'll have the most recently added files on top/bottom of the list aswell then....

Cause I think the problem with your wish is that there's no real "lazy sort", as in there's no "sort" ! What I mean is, new files are simply not added where they should according to sort order (as in XY) but on the end of the list, but leave that folder and come back or refresh, it's not the case anymore, because it wasn't a "sort" of any kind.

In XY, it has to be ordered. Should it be by name, date, anything but has to be. Two exceptions are "Random" and "Unsorted", but you won't get what you want with that either as on NTFS it will be ordered still.

Tom Jensen · Post by **Tom Jensen** » 08 Oct 2006 05:43

The point with any file manager is to minimize the hassle of managing files. Needing to resort by a different criteria each time a new file is added, then resort it back by "name" is a hassle.

That said, this workaround doesn't work if the file retains a create/modified time stamp that's earlier than the current time.

>Cause I think the problem with your wish is that there's no real "lazy sort", as in there's no "sort" ! What I mean is, new files are simply not added where they should according to sort order (as in XY) but on the end of the list, but leave that folder and come back or refresh, it's not the case anymore, because it wasn't a "sort" of any kind.

That's correct. The "unsorted since last sort" state is temporary until you exit/re-enter the folder, or if you manually refresh the folder. That's why it's called a lazy sort. The point is that newly added files can be easily found in one location, especially when their names are not shown to you before they are downloaded into the folder.

Post by **admin** » 08 Oct 2006 08:17

"lazy sort" -- I like the idea, makes sense indeed. However, while it seems trivial to add it, it is not. So it won't happen before a few other things have happened.

lukescammell · Post by **lukescammell** » 10 Oct 2006 15:33

Just so long as it's a toggleable option, per tab, I welcome its inclusion

zridling · Post by **zridling** » 13 Oct 2006 08:20

Tom's lazy sort idea makes sense when downloading files — especially versions of files that are not uniquely named (yes, I hate those people) — because it makes it simple to click and drag them to a new folder for proper renaming.

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 13 Oct 2006 08:42

That behavior of Win Expl is one that I always HATED!

Say I'm in my XLS stuff folder and select a file...When I then update that file in Excel and save it, and then exit Excel, the file is way down at the bottom of the list!

So I have to resort it by date TWICE to get it back up to top where it "should" be as I almost always have folders sorted by descending date in details mode.

Post by **admin** » 13 Oct 2006 10:04

What about another idea: Select by age! A new (revolutionary

) selection filter!

BTW: I also plan Color Filters by Age... and while we are at it, why not even Visual Filters by Age...

Syntax roughly like this:
<3s = younger than 3 seconds
<21n = younger than 21 minutes
<2d = younger than 2 days
etc. ...

lukescammell · Post by **lukescammell** » 13 Oct 2006 13:20

I love the idea of that

Along with a quick toggle button/shortcut for the colour filters

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 13 Oct 2006 17:44

admin wrote:I also plan Color Filters by Age...
Syntax roughly like this:
<3s = younger than 3 seconds
<21n = younger than 21 minutes
<2d = younger than 2 days
etc. ...

I definitely like the idea, but wonder about how you'd handle multiple non-sorted filters with various overlapping criteria?
In the above three samples, if those were each assigned to specific colors and listed in that order, how would files that match either of first two not always fall into the third?

Also, would there be filters for the opposite way: "Older than"?
And combining them so one could make any files older than a week but less than a month in violet, let's say?

Post by **admin** » 13 Oct 2006 18:01

j_c_hallgren wrote:
admin wrote:I also plan Color Filters by Age...
Syntax roughly like this:
<3s = younger than 3 seconds
<21n = younger than 21 minutes
<2d = younger than 2 days
etc. ...
I definitely like the idea, but wonder about how you'd handle multiple non-sorted filters with various overlapping criteria?
In the above three samples, if those were each assigned to specific colors and listed in that order, how would files that match either of first two not always fall into the third?

Also, would there be filters for the opposite way: "Older than"?
And combining them so one could make any files older than a week but less than a month in violet, let's say?

Color filters are procesed from top to bottom. The first match wins.
Combining them... well, step by step...

Tom Jensen · Post by **Tom Jensen** » 30 Dec 2006 12:24

Please excuse if I'm reviving a dead subject, but...

@j_c_hallgren:

I'm using xplorer^2, and when you update an existing file and change its time stamp, the file does not pop down to the bottom of the list, but stays in the same place. Only files that are newly added to the folder get bottom status.

@admin:

Select by age would be ineffective if the newly added files retain their original timestamp (as is the case for most FTP, or when the file is being uncompressed from an archive).

Tom

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 30 Dec 2006 17:42

Tom, at least for me, don't worry about reviving "dead" subjects/threads! IMO, it's preferable to creating a new one as we can then see the prior history of comments...but sometimes I've created a new one cause I just couldn't find the old one!

That behavior of keeping a file in its current place, (if not resorting so it goes to top in my case) would be an improvement over the "put at bottom" that Win Expl does....

Tom Jensen · Post by **Tom Jensen** » 31 Dec 2006 03:54

For some reason some have made an association with newly added files with files having the latest time stamp, viz Jacky's suggestion of sorting by date, and the admin's idea of a select by date filter (which is unnecessary when there is already a sort by date). The association doesn't necessarily exist. I can copy/move files from another folder and the timestamp would not change. They can't be selected/sorted by date or any existing criteria.

While I defer to the author's claim that it isn't simple to code, the idea is very simple: to have all the newly introduced files in one location, at least temporarily, so you can have a chance to inspect/act upon them, before they are scattered throughout the folder using whatever sort criteria. This is a very common need and likewise common function. The Windows file manager does this as well.

Tom