Tail option for Raw View

[Stefan]

I would like to have an "[ ] Jump to end of file"-option for Info Panel's "Raw View"
Because if i look at log files i want to see mainly the end of the file.
With this feature i could browse files and see always the last lines of them

Extra fine would be an "[ ] Tail"-option
to refresh the view and scroll to the end again if the file is modified external.
This way i could stay on an file and get all changes in real time
(If this is to much work... then i think an "[ ] auto refresh every 60sec" would do it too?)

[admin]

The autorefresh is working already. All that's needed is the [ ] Tail option. Is [ ] Tail the usual name for this kind of thing?

[JustinF]

The autorefresh is working already. All that's needed is the [ ] Tail option. Is [ ] Tail the usual name for this kind of thing?

Tail is a very common term for this type of thing....the purpose is to follow the tail (end) of the file (usually a log file). *nix has the "tail" command that does just that, and there are many Windows utilities that do the same thing (mTail, baretail, etc.). If it is not too hard to implement I would also like to 2nd this request.

[Stefan]

Is [ ] Tail the usual name for this kind of thing?

I know it like this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_%28Unix%29

tail has a special command line option -f (follow) that allows a file to be monitored.
Instead of displaying the last few lines and exiting, tail displays the lines and then monitors the file.
As new lines are added to the file by another process, tail updates the display.
This is particularly useful for monitoring log files.

The following command will display the last 10 lines of messages
and append new lines to the display as new lines are added to messages:
tail -f /var/adm/messages

Yes, baretail too
http://www.baremetalsoft.com/

A free real-time log file monitoring tool.
* Real-time file viewing
* Follow tail mode (like tail -f on Unix)

SFK
http://stahlforce.com/dev/index.php?tool=sfk

sfk tail [head] [-lines=n] [-f[ollow] filename [filter options]
print and follow last lines of a file. "sfk tail" for more.

Thanks for considering and support.

[j_c_hallgren]

The autorefresh is working already. All that's needed is the [ ] Tail option. Is [ ] Tail the usual name for this kind of thing?

I also would find this option useful, as I have some log type files that I want to see "the end" of when I view them...

However, even though Tail is a name that is common, I think that a "jump to end of file" tooltip might be needed/useful for those users who aren't *nix acquainted.

[Stefan]

I think that a "jump to end of file" tooltip

Yes,

but that description is only an half of the truth.
maybe smtg like this fits better
[ ] Tail "Monitor end of file" or
[ ] Tail "Keep focus to end of file" or
[ ] Tail "Always auto scroll to end of file" ,
[ ] Tail "Keep end of file in focus"
[ ] EOF "auto scroll to end of file"

or?

[j_c_hallgren]

I think that a "jump to end of file" tooltip

but that description is only an half of the truth.
maybe smtg like this fits better:

or?

Now that I've seen how it's implemented, I'd suggest having it be "Tail (Show end of file)" or "Tail (Show file end)" which should fit in context menu and be enough to describe it for all.

Another issue: Changing the font is done immediately as is Select/Unselect and Show Options, but Tail isn't...why not?
Toggling it should jump to EOF and if turned off, go back to TOF.

[admin]

I think that a "jump to end of file" tooltip

but that description is only an half of the truth.
maybe smtg like this fits better:

or?

Now that I've seen how it's implemented, I'd suggest having it be "Tail (Show end of file)" or "Tail (Show file end)" which should fit in context menu and be enough to describe it for all.

Another issue: Changing the font is done immediately as is Select/Unselect and Show Options, but Tail isn't...why not?
Toggling it should jump to EOF and if turned off, go back to TOF.

I had thought about both points and decided the way I did.
1. Tail is a strong caption: once you know what it is it's perfect because it's short, distinctive, and memorable. The caption is not the place for explanations.
2. Yeah, maybe one could do that, but it would be an additional function to the toggle (which just controls what happens on opening a file). I generally prefer to keep the functionality clear. OTOH I have mixed behavior-toggle and action command in case of Auto-Refresh because here it's very likely what the user wants -- I might do this with Tail as well on the same grounds, let's see...)

[j_c_hallgren]

2. Yeah, maybe one could do that, but it would be an additional function to the toggle (which just controls what happens on opening a file). I generally prefer to keep the functionality clear. OTOH I have mixed behavior-toggle and action command in case of Auto-Refresh because here it's very likely what the user wants -- I might do this with Tail as well on the same grounds, let's see...)

I really hope you do...cause just using a touchpad/mouse, if you've just opened a file via Raw View and want to go to the bottom, you have to hold left button & drag the scroller down which is a lot more finger action than just clicking the orange and ticking Tail...and if you want to go back to top, same process...

While I agree that it's intended as a 'action on open', it could very easily also function as a 'go to top/bottom' control.

And even though the other items in menu I mentioned are display related and not that similar, to me controlling position of file display is a like function.

[admin]

2. Yeah, maybe one could do that, but it would be an additional function to the toggle (which just controls what happens on opening a file). I generally prefer to keep the functionality clear. OTOH I have mixed behavior-toggle and action command in case of Auto-Refresh because here it's very likely what the user wants -- I might do this with Tail as well on the same grounds, let's see...)

I really hope you do...cause just using a touchpad/mouse, if you've just opened a file via Raw View and want to go to the bottom, you have to hold left button & drag the scroller down which is a lot more finger action than just clicking the orange and ticking Tail...and if you want to go back to top, same process...

Press END and HOME...

[j_c_hallgren]

Press END and HOME...

And you know why it's not quite as simple as that, right?

The focus is still on the file in list so if you use these keys without changing focus which is more finger action, you now go to first/last file in list! Not what you wanted to do...plus these keys are quite far away from touchpad where my right index finger likes to stay as much as possible.

Whereas I can using just the TP quickly go to orange thing, tap it, tap Tail, and action is done...nice and easy!

[admin]

Press END and HOME...

And you know why it's not quite as simple as that, right?

The focus is still on the file in list so if you use these keys without changing focus which is more finger action, you now go to first/last file in list! Not what you wanted to do...plus these keys are quite far away from touchpad where my right index finger likes to stay as much as possible.

Whereas I can using just the TP quickly go to orange thing, tap it, tap Tail, and action is done...nice and easy!

You can also right-click the scroll bar: it has a context menu! (I hope in w2k as well)

[j_c_hallgren]

You can also right-click the scroll bar: it has a context menu! (I hope in w2k as well)

It does in Win Expl but not in XY which does nothing at all

Just for fun, I tried it in x2 --- it brings up normal context menu.
And...FreeCommander -- yes, I get the scroll menu here!

[admin]

You can also right-click the scroll bar: it has a context menu! (I hope in w2k as well)

It does in Win Expl but not in XY which does nothing at all

Just for fun, I tried it in x2 --- it brings up normal context menu.
And...FreeCommander -- yes, I get the scroll menu here!

This is clearly a w2k problem then since it works here.

[j_c_hallgren]

You can also right-click the scroll bar: it has a context menu! (I hope in w2k as well)

It does in Win Expl but not in XY which does nothing at all
Just for fun, I tried it in x2 --- it brings up normal context menu.
And...FreeCommander -- yes, I get the scroll menu here!

This is clearly a w2k problem then since it works here.

It may be but given that three other products manage to get a context menu to show, and two of them gets the scroll, including a freeware, it would seem to be related to the application also.

BTW, I also get the scroll context menu in Notepad and AceHTML editor...