XY unusable slow with many files in a folder -- when extra info (MP3 tags, size...) is shown

[rpnfan]

I am on the latest XY version. But this has been a problem for me forever. When I have a folder with many files (thousands) it takes ages to load / display the files. This is in all cases when a column displays the size of a file (let alone a folder) or when a column displays for example the album tag of audio files.

I do not understand why XY becomes unusable then. I do not ask to display 27000 files at the same time. The window shows just 30 or however few lines. The information for those should be displayed instantly and XY must not bug down.

Of course when you scroll XY has to deal somehow with that. But it could just not show those columns, when they have not been cached yet. As soon as on stops scrolling it would need to quickly read the 30 visible files and the user would be happy.

Is that a problem or a setting I need to make? If the latter why is it not the default?

[rpnfan]

Is there a fix for that? Or am I the only one occasionally having folders with thousands of files? Or no one else is having similar problems?

[admin]

Sorting is one reason why it is necessary to get all data at once.

However, I agree that the current behavior could be made optional. I have added it to my list.

[rpnfan]

Yes, I am aware of sorting being a reason to need to read all files. I do not know if it possible to speed up the read-in process. But possibly a message displaying that generating the full list will take a specific time and the question to toggle reading in all files for the current view would be great indeed. Thanks for considering that! :-)

[jupe]

You can already toggle the columns getting filled by enabling "Skip Custom Columns" temporarily, just right click the column header,

[rpnfan]

"Skip Custom Columns" temporarily, just right click the column header,

Great, that helps. Thanks a lot! I did not understand this. Maybe the word 'exclude' custom column would be a little clearer. I need to test if that applies to the current or all custom columns (traveling now, so can not test right away).

[jupe]

It applies to all globally.

[rpnfan]

Sorting is one reason why it is necessary to get all data at once.
However, I agree that the current behavior could be made optional. I have added it to my list.

I just had a folder open with about 28000 files (MP3 and flac). One active column is to show the Album information. With the latest version (64 bit) it takes forever till XY becomes usable, when such a folder is opened. That is really frustrating. I just tested Directory Opus and enabled the column display of Album information there too. Please download a test version and try it for yourself. Even with the 28000 files the display is not taking forever, but takes a moment -- maybe 3 to 5 seconds -- and then displays everything nicely and is also able to sort according the album column. 28000 files is not such a high number for a modern computer with a very fast NVRAM SSD and indeed it seems to be possible to display the information much quicker.

I love XY in many ways, but on the other side it is very frustrating from time to time that XY seems to hang, when it takes forever to read in a folder. I hope that can be improved!

[admin]

The 2nd test is always way faster because the data is cached by then.

But of course, XY's claim to fame is being the fastest. So, it's on my list!

PS: What is "Album information"? There is no such property.

[rpnfan]

Great, looking forward to it. The new 64 bit version is a great basis for the future! :-) I am so glad this time the refactoring and code base to a new platform worked!