Multi Commander > Support and Feedback
Proper column sizing in List view
Mathias (Author):
Doing it in List mode is even worse. If you have many files, and just 1 file is very long, all then columns are very width And Alternative is to use dynamic size of each column, but then you run into other issue.
I don't remember all. But the code for it is there but disabled at the moment (This is was trying to do dynamic size for all columns in list mode). mostly because I never use list mode my self. If I get some over i might enabled it and see a simpler version can be added.
ags:
Please, please consider improving the List mode in MC. Because now it is there but it is not useful at all.
So in List mode it is important to:
- calculate the proper column width, so the size of the columns would be equal to the size of the longest name in the list, plus its extension;
- ignore the header (the one with Name, Ext, Size, Date). In List mode the header is there only for sorting, not for width;
- show the most important properties of the file to the user. Since the size, the date and the time of the file are not shown in columns in the panel, thay have to be shown somewhere: under the table. Otherwise you leave the user to fly blind.
List mode exists to allow the user to navigate easily through files. Notably, to be able to use the left_arrow and right_arrow, keys that do not work in Details mode.
Please see the screenshots attached. I highlighted the most important parts in colors red, green, blue.
TC ignores the header (red) and calculates the column width after the longest name+ext (green) and shows useful properties of the selected object (blue). The result? The user can easily see the full length of the names, and also under the table there is the size, date and time of the selected file. All is good. All the other orthodox file managers do this.
MC makes the header (red) and the column (green) equal in width. This makes no sense, it defeats the whole purpose of List mode. The result? The user cannot see all the long names because thay are truncated, and has no simple way of seeing the size, date and time of the object under the cursor at a glance, because under the table MC shows statistics of the selected files, less important info. :-\
Mathias (Author):
So in List mode it is important to:
- calculate the proper column width, so the size of the columns would be equal to the size of the longest name in the list, plus its extension;
- ignore the header (the one with Name, Ext, Size, Date). In List mode the header is there only for sorting, not for width;
- show the most important properties of the file to the user. Since the size, the date and the time of the file are not shown in columns in the panel, thay have to be shown somewhere: under the table. Otherwise you leave the user to fly blind.
List mode exists to allow the user to navigate easily through files. Notably, to be able to use the left_arrow and right_arrow, keys that do not work in Details mode.
Please see the screenshots attached. I highlighted the most important parts in colors red, green, blue.
TC ignores the header (red) and calculates the column width after the longest name+ext (green) and shows useful properties of the selected object (blue). The result? The user can easily see the full length of the names, and also under the table there is the size, date and time of the selected file. All is good. All the other orthodox file managers do this.
MC makes the header (red) and the column (green) equal in width. This makes no sense, it defeats the whole purpose of List mode. The result? The user cannot see all the long names because thay are truncated, and has no simple way of seeing the size, date and time of the object under the cursor at a glance, because under the table MC shows statistics of the selected files, less important info. :-\
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There are changes planed in the future for the list view. But not so that filename column is totally automatic. I prefer to have the filename width be changable. If I got 200 files. 190 of them are around 15 char. but 10 of them have long 80char. Then I get a width that is WAY to long for most files.
I don't do changes in MC based on what TC does, MC is not trying to be a clone of TC. they are similar in many things. but I don't base features in MC on what TC do. If MC would be a clone of TC then there would be no point spending time developing MC.
ags:
--- Quote ---There are changes planed in the future for the list view. But not so that filename column is totally automatic. I prefer to have the filename width be changable. If I got 200 files. 190 of them are around 15 char. but 10 of them have long 80char. Then I get a width that is WAY to long for most files.
--- End quote ---
If I understand correctly, you want to make an implementation where each column in List mode is as wide as its longest file name. That would result in columns that are not all of the same width. I don't know how would that look, aesthetically. Also at different events, like window resize for example, or creation of new objects, everything would have to be recalculated. If there are many files, it might be slow.
--- Quote ---I don't do changes in MC based on what TC does, MC is not trying to be a clone of TC. they are similar in many things. but I don't base features in MC on what TC do. If MC would be a clone of TC then there would be no point spending time developing MC.
--- End quote ---
MC does not have to be a clone of TC. I did not imply that. But it is hard to ignore the fact that TC is very widely used and can stand as a reference. To clone, as you say, means to copy everything. On the other hand, what I was saying in my post was to observe what others have done right. And TC has done a lot of them right. All those TC users are more likely to find a comfortable home in MC if they find familiar things. It is common sense to think that most people want to reuse what they already know and then learn a little extra, than to learn everything from the ground up when they change a software.
In a world where long file names, modification date and time are very important, you cannot have a List mode that leaves the user without seeing any of them properly.
Mathias (Author):
--- Quote from: ags on January 20, 2025, 08:43:53 ---
--- Quote ---There are changes planed in the future for the list view. But not so that filename column is totally automatic. I prefer to have the filename width be changable. If I got 200 files. 190 of them are around 15 char. but 10 of them have long 80char. Then I get a width that is WAY to long for most files.
--- End quote ---
If I understand correctly, you want to make an implementation where each column in List mode is as wide as its longest file name. That would result in columns that are not all of the same width. I don't know how would that look, aesthetically. Also at different events, like window resize for example, or creation of new objects, everything would have to be recalculated. If there are many files, it might be slow.
--- End quote ---
Ehh What.. Noo, I'm not talking abourt future stuff. Im taking about why I do not want the auto size filename column that can't be changes like in TC, Currently in MC you can resize the filename width your self, And change that to work like TC. I think that would work worse instead of better
--- Quote from: ags on January 20, 2025, 08:43:53 ---
--- Quote ---I don't do changes in MC based on what TC does, MC is not trying to be a clone of TC. they are similar in many things. but I don't base features in MC on what TC do. If MC would be a clone of TC then there would be no point spending time developing MC.
--- End quote ---
MC does not have to be a clone of TC. I did not imply that. But it is hard to ignore the fact that TC is very widely used and can stand as a reference. To clone, as you say, means to copy everything. On the other hand, what I was saying in my post was to observe what others have done right. And TC has done a lot of them right. All those TC users are more likely to find a comfortable home in MC if they find familiar things. It is common sense to think that most people want to reuse what they already know and then learn a little extra, than to learn everything from the ground up when they change a software.
In a world where long file names, modification date and time are very important, you cannot have a List mode that leaves the user without seeing any of them properly.
--- End quote ---
Yes TC is used by many. MC is not. TC is commercial product, and must try to catch as many users as possible. I don't care about how many users I have. I developed MC mainly for my own needs, I don't make any money on MC. I have a day job.
MC is developed on my spare time, so I have to priorities what to spend time on. :)
I just get annoyed when people compare mc with other products. specially commercial.. The biggest reason MC is missing something is because I have not needed it. :)
But I do add stuff I never use my self. I got a long list of things to add and many of them are things I will never use my self. But it is more fun to add stuff I use my self. So things I use my self are higher priorities.
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