Re: sort files list in find files

[Miven <mdooligan gmail com>]

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 05:00:04 -0700, <mc-request gnome org> wrote:


> I wonder if it's (or would be) possible to sort the filenames in the
> find files dialog? I presume it's about sorting the files list *before*
> processing to the in-file search, so that results can be presented as
> they are performing.

Speaking of find files, I just upgraded from my well hacked 4.6.1 to
4.8.10 last week. Awesome. The new dialogs are superb. Thank you devs.

Back to the question:

I get results as they happen. Does your system wait until everything is
done before displaying results?

I use find files on huge directory trees very often. Any sorting process
would slow down an already lengthy process I would imagine. Of course
I'm usually grepping for something.

If you are just finding files without looking through the content, then
I could see maybe wanting the results sorted (alphabetically?).

I believe find files just scrams through the dirs and files in whatever
order they present themselves from the disk in order to be a speedy as
possible.

As an addendum, if the files were sorted first, and then grepped, that
would mean the A's *always* get processed before the Z's, or some such
thing. I don't think I would like that very much.

What might be more useful to me is a button to sort the results *after*
the search had been completed. And even then, do you sort on the
pathname? Modify time? Inode? Owner? Choices, choices, options,
options...

One thing I might do to improve find file, is to show the patterns that
are being scanned for in the title of the results dialog. eg:

---------- Find File: '*.[ch]' Content: 'const char' ----------

because I often have more than one mc running on different terminals or
workspaces. I get a lengthy find files/grep going, then flip to another
workspace, poke around there, then check email, then check on dinner,
answer the phone, and when I get back I cannot remember what the heck
it was I was grepping for to begin with.

With the results dialog up, there is no indication of what it's looking
for, then I have to escape and do it again to see. On a lengthy grep,
this is very wasteful.

--
Peace and Cheer