Feature request: Progressbar when calculating dir size.

[petergus]

When calculating dir size, somekind of progressbar would be great.

Or something that could tell me that calculating is in progress.

// Peter

[jb]

When calculating dir size, somekind of progressbar would be great.

Or something that could tell me that calculating is in progress.

When calculating dir size, TC shows the 'busy' mouse pointer (hourglass cursor is default) and updates the size of each directory as soon as the size is completely calculated. I think that is a good solution and there is not much more that can be done. Maybe there could be an extra message in the status bar saying for instance "Calculating sizes of subdirectories in current directory (press ESC to cancel)". But by the nature of the task it is not possible to show a classic progress bar because 100% are not known in advance.

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 07-06-2003 11:32:51 +0000 jb wrote:

j> When calculating dir size, TC shows the 'busy' mouse pointer
j> (hourglass cursor is default) and updates the size of each
j> directory as soon as the size is completely calculated.

Well, the case in point is "Ctrl"+"L", not "Alt"+"Shift"+"Enter"... And progressbar is really good idea in this case.[/face]

[jb]

Well, the case in point is "Ctrl"+"L", not "Alt"+"Shift"+"Enter"... And progressbar is really good idea in this case.

Firstly I prefer discussing in terms of command names instead of keyboard shortcuts because not all users are keyboard enthusiasts willing to learn a keyboard shortcut for any tiny function in any application and even if they do they may use different keyboard mappings. This topic seems to be about the commands cm_countdircontent (by default mapped to Alt+Shift+Enter) and cm_GetFileSpace (by default mapped to Ctrl+L). By the way both shortcuts are not displayed in TC's default menu.

Secondly I admit that I forgot cm_GetFileSpace. But nevertheless it is not clear whether Peter meant cm_GetFileSpace, after all he used the words "calculating dir size" and you know, words are the only thing we have here. If the case in point is really cm_GetFileSpace then I agree that the current situation is a bit unsatisfactory. But also in this case a classic progress bar is not possible because there is no clue in advance how many operations are 100%. The number of marked (selected) files and directories instead of the number of required operations would not be really helpful.

PS: A compromise solution could be to show just the increasing byte counter, periodically updated (every second for instance).

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 08-06-2003 13:34:09 +0000 jb wrote:

j> Firstly I prefer discussing in terms of command names instead of
j> keyboard shortcuts

Well, KBD shortcuts are OK personally for me.
BTW, there are several of them w/o internal command associated... What are you suppose to discuss in this case? %)

j> they may use different keyboard mappings

Well, there are default KBD shortcuts we can reference to ('cause they are default), so if one redefine them this is his (her) personal problem... One can find them in TFM (almost all %).

j> By the way both shortcuts are not displayed in TC's default menu.

_________transmission_from_WCMD_ENG.MNU___________

POPUP "&Files"
[^Y]
MENUITEM "Calculate &Occupied Space...", cm_GetFileSpace

_______________end_of_transmission________________

So what even so? There are Commander's KBD shortcuts, not displayed even in TC's Help, about a half of internal commands absent in default menu, as you mentioned above, and there are several un/hemidocumented commands/parameters... So we shouldn't discuss them? %)

j> Secondly I admit that I forgot cm_GetFileSpace.

Yes, I noticed that.

j> But nevertheless it is not clear whether Peter meant
j> cm_GetFileSpace

Well, I guess we should ask Peter what does he meant, but IMHO the key is "something that could tell me that calculating is in progress". Nothing can tell you that in case of internal command #503, but as you mentioned above, "TC ... updates the size of each directory as soon as the size is completely calculated" in case of internal command #2014, so IMHO it would be logical to suppose that Peter talking about internal command #503 (i.e. cm_GetFileSpace), don't you think? Of corse I can be wrong in my conclusions...

j> and you know, words are the only thing we have here

Yep, completely agree with you.

j> But also in this case a classic progress bar is not possible
j> because there is no clue in advance how many operations
j> are 100%.

Of course I agree with you but as for me some brutal approximation or even just modal window "Please wait, calculation in progress..." would be much better than present day situation.

Have a nice day :).[/face]

[jb]

Well, KBD shortcuts are OK personally for me.
BTW, there are several of them w/o internal command associated... What are you suppose to discuss in this case?

In this emergency case even I would refer to the keyboard shortcut. Nevertheless in the current topic the commands are the primary points and the keyboard shortcuts are just mapped to them. Furthermore the command names are usually quite self-explaining unlike the keyboard shortcuts. But of course you can happily continue referring to KBD shortcuts when you are actually talking about commands.
Vice versa there are internal commands without default keyboard shortcuts. So your KBD approach is as incomplete as mine.

There are Commander's KBD shortcuts, not displayed even in TC's Help, about a half of internal commands absent in default menu, as you mentioned above, and there are several un/hemidocumented commands/parameters... So we shouldn't discuss them?

As far as I know all TC commands are (semi-)documented in TOTALCMD.INC. If not they definitely should be documented at least there in the next version. So probably we can discuss them all without referring to keyboard shortcuts.

Well, I guess we should ask Peter what does he meant, but IMHO the key is "something that could tell me that calculating is in progress". Nothing can tell you that in case of internal command #503, but as you mentioned above, "TC ... updates the size of each directory as soon as the size is completely calculated" in case of internal command #2014, so IMHO it would be logical to suppose that Peter talking about internal command #503 (i.e. cm_GetFileSpace), don't you think? Of corse I can be wrong in my conclusions...

I just wrote that "it is not clear". After you kindly remembered me of cm_GetFileSpace I also thought that cm_GetFileSpace is more probable than cm_countdircontent. But fact is that the busy mouse pointer (hourglass) already shows that something is in progress and that the suggested progress bar is not possible. Peter, please tell us what you meant

Of course I agree with you but as for me some brutal approximation or even just modal window "Please wait, calculation in progress..." would be much better than present day situation.

In the part that you did not quote I already agreed that the present situation is not satisfactory. Furthermore I added a suggestion as PS (maybe after you started replying).

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 08-06-2003 17:53:09 +0000 jb wrote:

j> But of course you can happily continue referring to KBD
j> shortcuts when you are actually talking about commands.

Well, thank you for that kind permission, but actually I'll refer to anything I want to w/o any relation with anyone humble opinion about anything. This is the only thing I wanted to state in this case (just in case someone didn't understood it yet... %).

j> Vice versa there are internal commands without default
j> keyboard shortcuts.

Of course there are, I didn't said the opposite.

j> So your KBD approach is as incomplete as mine.

I didn't stated it is complete, furthermore, I didn't stated I have any "KBD approach". Actually the only thing I did was referring to two KBD shortcuts in that post. Period. See my statement in the beginning of current post for detales.

j> As far as I know all TC commands are (semi-)documented in
j> TOTALCMD.INC.

I didn't referred to INTERNAL commands, otherwise I'd said "several un/hemidocumented INTERNAL commands and parameters". That was about commands like ZIPFROMLIST and FTPOPEN - I just don't know how to call them correctly.
BTW I don't see any point in additional documentation of internal commands, 'cause their names "are usually quite self-explaining", as you noticed above and even more, comments avelable.

j> After you kindly remembered me of cm_GetFileSpace I also
j> thought that cm_GetFileSpace is more probable than
j> cm_countdircontent.

Well, it's very pleasant to finally reach common understanding in this case... Sorry, but I didn't get it from your previous post.

j> But fact is that the busy mouse pointer (hourglass) already
j> shows that something is in progress and that the suggested
j> progress bar is not possible.

The key word here is "something"... %)

j> In the part that you did not quote I already agreed that
j> the present situation is not satisfactory.

Objection, "a bit unsatisfactory". I'm sorry, but I see some difference between "not satisfactory" and "a bit unsatisfactory".

j> Furthermore I added a suggestion as PS (maybe after you
j> started replying).

Yep, it was after that.
Anyway, I guess our positions on this thread subject are close enough to declare that we have some common one. Well, now this thread miss only one thing - Christian's comment :))).[/face]

[jb]

I didn't referred to INTERNAL commands, otherwise I'd said "several un/hemidocumented INTERNAL commands and parameters". That was about commands like ZIPFROMLIST and FTPOPEN - I just don't know how to call them correctly.

Where can I learn more about non-internal commands? Wouldn't it be nice to have just TC commands (internal, non-internal and whatever) all listed in TOTALCMD.INC und all uniformly mappable to menu items, buttons, keyboard shortcuts and so on?

Anyway, I guess our positions on this thread subject are close enough to declare that we have some common one.

That's nicely worded!

[JackFoo]

Well, now this thread miss only one thing - Christian's comment :))).

Heh, I would rather he completed the regex thingy (don't want to jinx it), damn nice surprise. I hope he also has another one going (search in background) would be awesome and as long awaited as regex.

Cheers.

[petergus]

Secondly I admit that I forgot cm_GetFileSpace. But nevertheless it is not clear whether Peter meant cm_GetFileSpace, after all he used the words "calculating dir size" and you know, words are the only thing we have here. If the case in point is really cm_GetFileSpace then I agree that the current situation is a bit unsatisfactory. But also in this case a classic progress bar is not possible because there is no clue in advance how many operations are 100%. The number of marked (selected) files and directories instead of the number of required operations would not be really helpful.

I rarely use the cm_GetFileSpace function because it shows the size in byte. (by the way, why can't it show Byte/kb/Mb/GB??)

I was doing a foldercheck on a fileserver at work using cm_countdircontent, but after a couple of minutes TC freeze and nothing worked. So I used Windows built-in "dirsize calculator" that one increases size, number of file and folder, and I can see it increase in real-time.

It someting like that I want in TC. To limit listbox refresh parhaps with a couple of seconds between updates.

The folder was only about 700MB, and contained a couple of thousand files.


// Peter

[jb]

I was doing a foldercheck on a fileserver at work using cm_countdircontent, but after a couple of minutes TC freeze and nothing worked.

Do you mean that cm_countdircontent has a bug? If yes, is it reproducable? Or do you just want to demonstrate the need for a better activitiy indicator?

[Hacker]

Black Dog,
for me some brutal approximation or even just modal window "Please wait, calculation in progress..." would be much better than present day situation.

How about a blinking HDD LED?


petergus,
by the way, why can't it show Byte/kb/Mb/GB??

Mostly because it isn't implemented. I guess The Average User wants to see exact numbers when pressing Ctrl-L. Otherwise he might aswell press Space, Space. Not sure, though.

HTH
Roman

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 10-06-2003 13:15:51 +0000 Hacker wrote:

H> How about a blinking HDD LED? ;)

Why not a Power LED, Jedi? %)[/face]

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 08-06-2003 13:34:09 +0000 jb wrote:

j> Where can I learn more about non-internal commands?

I can't say they are non-internal by the point, actually this is some kind of internal commands, modified to process parameters. Christian just call them "commands": "With the command zipfromlist, you can create a zip file from a list of files". They are scattered through the help and I know only this two of them, but may be another ones exist.

j> Wouldn't it be nice to have just TC commands (internal, non-internal
j> and whatever) all listed in TOTALCMD.INC und all uniformly mappable
j> to menu items, buttons, keyboard shortcuts and so on?

Yes, it would. But I guess they should be mentioned all together in separate Help section.

j> That's nicely worded!

Yeah, when I'm good, I'm really good... %)[/face]

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 08-06-2003 21:56:43 +0000 JackFoo wrote:

J> don't want to jinx it

You really can? :)

J> damn nice surprise

Yeah... The more I knew about it, the more interesting it became...

J> I hope he also has another one going (search in background)

Christian experienced some problems with external packers DLLs in this case. For example he referred to old UNRAR.DLL versions multithreading problems. If you want, I can give you details (not more), but may be you'll start another thread for this?[/face]