Sort By Selected (Highlighted)

therube · Post by **therube** » 16 May 2007, 16:25

Sort By Selected (Highlighted)

In addition to the "normal" panel sort orders; Name, Extension, Time, Size, Attribute, suggestion to be able to sort by Selected (highlighted) files.

(You've taught me about the Alt+Up/Down_arrow_key shortcut, but being able to group all selected files together would be beneficial.)

JohnFredC · Post by **JohnFredC** » 16 May 2007, 16:49

Now that's an interesting request.

Support.

Post by **Jan Rysavy** » 16 May 2007, 17:59

I implemented this sort mode some time ago, and... it was messy during (un)selecting names. Each time you hit Insert/Space key, the (un)selected item jumped away. Sometimes it jumped below the cursor so whole listing scrolled up. Simply, strange look and feel.

Now I'm using the Edit > Advanced > Hide Unselected Names command instead.

therube · Post by **therube** » 18 May 2007, 15:41

Ok.

Then how about, if you were to put that icon on your toolbar, making it a toggle. Maybe even with its' own shortcut key combo. (Now someone points out AutoIt.)

Or a triggle.

Triggle you ask?

A tri-way toggle

.

Each click alternates between Hide Selected, Hide Unselected, Show Hidden.

(Hmm, Ctrl+H seems to be available.)

JohnFredC · Post by **JohnFredC** » 21 May 2007, 13:09

Jan Rysavy wrote:I implemented this sort mode some time ago, and... it was messy during (un)selecting names. Each time you hit Insert/Space key, the (un)selected item jumped away. Sometimes it jumped below the cursor so whole listing scrolled up. Simply, strange look and feel.

I see what you mean... but having the selected files jump to the top of the file panel when selected certainly provides feedback.

Here is where innovative GUI thinking can come into play.

Suppose Salamander had an (optional, of course) horizontal splitter for each file panel, enabling users to divide each panel into top and bottom scrollable subpanels. Then an interface to defining the rules for membership in each subpanel would allow us to configure, say: folders top, files bottom (or vice versa) ...or selected items top, unselected bottom. I'm sure one could think of other useful rules.

If the rule for the divider was selected vs unselected, then pressing the spacebar on a file or folder would move it to the other subpanel. One could see at a glance all of the selected (or unselected files) and easily move them back and forth between the sets.

The left/right "commander" paradigm would still apply. Top and bottom "subpanels" would always show items from the same folder, so drag and drop etc between left and right file panels would not be affected...

Plus the coding required to support the splitter and separate subpanels in each file panel would provide the foundation for code to include other content for the subpanel, such as the FTP log, or a version of Quickview, or perhaps a filter or search form.