Quick search / filter near current path

[Lefteous]

The way the quick search / filter is currently displayed has some downsides:

• It's really far away from current path although this is the place where you can see where you are in the filesystem. It's also the place where the persistent filter is displayed.
• There is no indicator that a filter has been activated when the cursor has been set away from the search field. It looks like all objects are displayed. This can lead to dangerous assumptions and actions.
• Even if you remember that you filtered the list you don't see the search term

I suggest to display the quick search / filter as illustrated in this mockup. Of course that's just a first idea and one might think of alternatives and even more improvements.

BTW: Placing a search field in the upper right hand corner is quite common nowadays.

[img]http://fs2.directupload.net/images/150120/fbo4rwlc.png[/img]

[nsp]

The way the quick search / filter is currently displayed has some downsides:

• It's really far away from current path although this is the place where you can see where you are in the filesystem. It's also the place where the persistent filter is displayed.
• There is no indicator that a filter has been activated when the cursor has been set away from the search field. It looks like all objects are displayed. This can lead to dangerous assumptions and actions.
• Even if you remember that you filtered the list you don't see the search term

I suggest to display the quick search / filter as illustrated in this mockup. Of course that's just a first idea and one might think of alternatives and even more improvements.

[img]http://fs2.directupload.net/images/150120/fbo4rwlc.png[/img]

I agree that the position on the quick filter/search is not the best one specially if you use static filter.
but could it be just as an additional bar above the path or even beter quick filters/search on columns --Edited
In my case, when i applied a quick filter, i see a filter icon it at right on the status bar. (you probably do not enable it if you did not noticed)
--End of Edit

I have two ems linked to aliases that allows me to set "static" filter easily from the command bar # is an alias for em_filter (CD %A)
# >PredefinedFilter
# *.arj *.zip *.7z *.zpaq *.rar
....
and to reset current filter i use : ! is an alias for em_no_filter (CD *.*)
!
What i miss is the ability to edit the current filter in the path. and have a kind of coloring to show me that a static filter part is applied with a dedicated bgcolor.

[Lefteous]

2nsp

could it be just as an additional bar above the path

That's a variant I also thought of but I haven't tried in in a mockup so far.

In my case, when i applied a quick filter, i see a filter icon it at right on the status bar.

Well yes I know but this is absolutely invisible.

What i miss is the ability to edit the current filter in the path. and have a kind of coloring to show me that a static filter part is applied with a dedicated bgcolor.

Yes considering the permanent filter is definitely something worth thinking about.

[Samuel]

I really like the mockup.

[ghisler(Author)]

Hmm, that's even farther away from the actual file names - currently it's almost left-aligned to the file names (except when using brief view with mutiple columns). Also it's a bit like page search in Firefox, while yours is more like page search in Chrome. But there is no "Search" hint, so people may not know what it is for. And it would further reduce the space available to the current path.

[Lefteous]

2ghisler(Author)

that's even farther away from the actual file names - currently it's almost left-aligned to the file names

I don't think it ever helped that the field is more or less in the same line as the filenames. What do other users think? Is this just my perception?

Also it's a bit like page search in Firefox, while yours is more like page search in Chrome

It's more like the normal search in Firefox (not like the in-page search). The chrome in-page search approach looks also interesting.

there is no "Search" hint, so people may not know what it is for.

I actually haven't illustrated this state in my mockup but it's a very good idea to have a search hint in the "nothing entered" state.

And it would further reduce the space available to the current path.

This is of obviously true and is only real downside that I see. But in the end it could still be the best option.


Thanks for all the feedback. I will try some other things to see which works best.

[Sob]

I like my quick search/filter at the bottom.

But I do agree with points 2 and 3. Current icon indicating active filter is very easy to overlook and I sometimes do miss seeing filter text. Although it happens mostly when I leave TC or computer for a while and then come back to it. When I'm actively using it, I remember what I'm doing.

If I wanted to solve points 2 and 3 (mostly 3), I'd probably put dedicated bar (shown on demand, so it would not be there all the time if no filter was active) at the list bottom, same way as FF's page search (Ctrl+F one). Not that it would be the perfect solution, because of little wasted space (only small part of its width would be used effectively).
At the top next to path, it's often crowded there already, even without additional field. And it can't be too small, because if someone entered longer text and it had to scroll, it would be bad. I guess it really depends on window size. If someone uses fullscreen TC on FullHD, it wouldn't be a problem. Not so much with smaller windows.

[sqa_wizard]

And it would further reduce the space available to the current path.

Agreed

What about putting just the filter icon at the most right of current path and showing the value as a tooltip?
This way it eats up less space, but indicates an active filter
Editing could be done by a click on the filter icon as usual.

[sky66]

Option 1: Show "Quick Filter" after the current path.
http://i.imgur.com/B8tsoKi.jpg

Option 2: Show "Quick Filter" on the tabstop header (after Name).
http://i.imgur.com/X9S6eDI.jpg

[Stefan2]

Another idea:

Utilize the TC command line as search a field by prefixing the filter by something. like an '?' question-mark: ?*vacatio

Sow filter in Statusline: 0k / 8.895 k in 0 / 67 Datei(en), 0 / 8 Verzeichnis(sen) | *vacatio



 

[nsp]

Option 1: Show "Quick Filter" after the current path.
http://i.imgur.com/B8tsoKi.jpg

THis is what i would like for static filter !

Option 2: Show "Quick Filter" on the tabstop header (after Name).
http://i.imgur.com/X9S6eDI.jpg

I like a lot your mockup Option 2 for quick search/filter, and give the opportunity to extend the concept to other column

[MVV]

Option 1: Show "Quick Filter" after the current path.
http://i.imgur.com/B8tsoKi.jpg

Looks quite nice, this breadcrumb bar element is currently unused. However it conflicts with stable panel filter.

Option 2: Show "Quick Filter" on the tabstop header (after Name).

One may hide tabstop headers (like I always do in brief mode which I use mostly).

[ghisler(Author)]

The *.* behind the path is used for the permanent filter (show - custom). This filter can be used together with the quick search filter! Combining the two would lose quite a lot of functionality, e.g. when filtering by extension, and then searching for specific strings in the name.

[sky66]

Suggest to add more options in "Configuration - Quick Search"
User can select which one is better for him.
Refer to Image: http://i.imgur.com/03V8YxB.png

*Fixed at drive combobox bar
Refer to Image: http://i.imgur.com/HU2zOCR.png

*Fixed at folder tabs bar
Refer to Image: http://i.imgur.com/UI4fnrc.png

*Fixed at breadcrumb bar
*Movable with a pin
Refer to Image: http://i.imgur.com/k9t5psE.png

[Lefteous]

There are different strategies to find the 'best' location. My strategy was to use proximity of related elements - current path and filter in this case.
Just finding a location where there is space left doesn't really help especially because there are so many TC layout configurations.
An overlayed solution like in Google Chrome wouldn't work well because a list of files usually doesn't offer enough whitespace.

So showing this element all the time means it needs some space. But it doesn't need a lot of space. So introducing a new bar just for it is too much. So I see two ways:

1) Really just increase the visibility of the 'filter active' indicator. In my opinion color really helps here as illustrated above. The bottom-right corner of a file list is definitely a place which not really the hotspot of perception.
Maybe it should be noted that without statusbar there is no indicator at all.

Some first ideas
[img]http://fs1.directupload.net/images/150122/69yep4q7.png[/img]

1. Point to the number of outfiltered files. Somehow visually enforced.
2. Visually enforce the icon. Change position in long view closer to the other information. Could be used even in the (strange) short view case where no file is selected but attributes are displayed in the statusbar.
3. A combinatin of both. Visually a bit less obtrusive.
4. Just color the whole statusbar when filtering out items.


2) Introduce a new bar that contains more than just the filter. In the end the quick search/filter is just a special kind of search...