XYplorer Beta Club

I won't remove it but I'm thinking about not filling it when it's hidden. This would mean about 5% more speed in browsing and searching. The tiny disadvantage would be: you cannot sort by Len while Len is hidden.

Given that I have it showing all the time, that change really wouldn't affect me...

I can't remember having used it more than once just to see what that column did, so I'm all for changing it if it means a speed increase.

I never quite understood why people care so much about the length of a filename (sorry for my ignorance ).
If you teach me some tricks that i am missing then i might use it. But otherwise its as dead as a Dodo for me.

serendipity wrote:I never quite understood why people care so much about the length of a filename (sorry for my ignorance ).

The reason that I leave it displayed is that it makes it easier to use on those occasions when I really need it...

And when do I need it?

When I'm cleaning up some temporary files and am unable to delete some because the total length is too long (>255), I can use this to locate them and then reduce the folder/file name via renames so that it's within limits.

I've also used it on rare occasion to help me locate a file that I couldn't remember name of, but I knew that it had a short name or a really long name, etc.

Thanks JC. Is that >255 len deleting issue a Win2K thing? Because i just deleted a 257 len file on my WinXP.
In any case, I voted for "never" because i dont see myself using it.

No problem with that change.
If I need it, I can still have it...

serendipity wrote:Thanks JC. Is that >255 len deleting issue a Win2K thing? Because i just deleted a 257 len file on my WinXP.

I'm not 100% sure if it was exactly >255 or maybe a bit more...but I've had files that refuse to delete because it gets a "Filename too long" type error...and by reducing it to 255 or less, I'm then able to delete it.

This most typically occurs with cache type files...such as from IE.

I think path > 255 characters can cause issue when used on CDs or such, too.

Anyways : I never show it, I never use it. If the only downside is that we cannot sort by Len while the column is hidden, then for about 5% more speed I'd say don't even question and stop filling it when hidden !

> 255 characters are not only for cd's.

Everything that is formatted in FAT12, FAT 16 and FAT 32 has this limitation just to give an example.

I would rather vote for a search file with a len greater then 255 (or better, an option to the user to fill in a number, but also a box to just choose 255).

Then you have just all the right files to shorten the names for putting them on cd/usb stick.

hmm, i also see this is for NTFS thesame??? maybe i'm not understanding it anymore but look at this under limitations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_systems

Greetings,

Steve

i will go for speed, coz it will affect everyone