File selection highlighting

Discussion related to "Everything" 1.5 Alpha.
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NotNull
Posts: 5416
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

File selection highlighting

Post by NotNull »

When selecting a file/folder in the resultlist, it will highlight either it's name or the entire row, depending on the Full row select setting.

I do seem to remember an option to highlight the entire Name column of this file (vs.just the name).
Is/was there such a setting?
("No" is a perfectly fine answer; it is mostly a sanity-check)
therube
Posts: 4897
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by therube »

Not quite sure what you're meaning.
I've only ever used full row select.
So only what I've selected would be highlighted, not the name column.

With duplicates, you can turn on color highlighting such that dupes are colored together.
harryray2
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Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 9:56 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by harryray2 »

Do you mean the full row select in options>general>results?
NotNull
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Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by NotNull »

Something like this, instead of just the filename or the entire row:
(excuse my graphic skills)
2023-02-06 17_03_42-Everything (1.5a) 1.5.0.1336a (x64).png
2023-02-06 17_03_42-Everything (1.5a) 1.5.0.1336a (x64).png (35.25 KiB) Viewed 9900 times
therube
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by therube »

Oh, you are looking for the highlighting to extend across the entire Name column width,
rather then just to the length of the filename itself.
So you want 'smiley' & 'https' to be highlighted to the full column width, like 'xDell' is.
.
Everything full COLUMN highlight.png
Everything full COLUMN highlight.png (16.02 KiB) Viewed 9892 times
harryray2
Posts: 1088
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 9:56 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by harryray2 »

To quote Alan Partridge "Aha!".
See what you mean now.

I can't recall ever seeing an option for this. I may be wrong (I often am).
void
Developer
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Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by void »

Everything has never had an option to highlight the whole name column and only the name column.
NotNull
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Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by NotNull »

Thanks!
This one kept itching my brain ...
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by Raindrops »

Apart from the visual effect, it means that the entire column becomes sensitive to mouse action.

There are two practical uses of this, as explained below:
  • When the Full row select option is deselected, we can select multiple items by drawing a rectangle with the mouse on the Name column. Currently, the rectangle has to pass over a name for that item to be selected. But if the whole column is highlighted, it means that we don't have to do that.
  • When we have selected single-click open option (either from Everything or Folder options), we can select an item with hovering the mouse. That also requires us to hover the mouse on the name. If we hover the mouse on the empty part of the Name column, nothing happens. This also will change if the entire column becomes active.
Thus if the entire column becomes active, our selection methods will become much easier.
therube
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by therube »

it means that the entire column becomes sensitive to mouse action
Just to note, the Path column does have that option, which affects what happens where you double-click in the Path column (whether the Folder opens, or if the program name is "run").
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by Raindrops »

My point was limited to how the proposed idea can improve our selection method in the Name column.
(a) drawing a rectangle with mouse
(b) hovering the mouse.

To sum up, if the entire Name column is made active, then it would be much easier to select shorter item names that lie between longer item names.

---------
[OT]
I didn't have the Path column in mind, as my full row selection option is turned off.
I have set the Folder options to set single-click operation (hover to select, single-click to launch).

I had assumed that the Path column does not react to user inputs: It only shows the path.

But based on your input, I tried out double-clicking in the Path column in two different places:
1. On the path text itself: Opens the folder in File Explorer and places the focus on the item (same as pressing CTRL+Enter)
2. On the blank area on the right side of the path text: Nothing happens.

Is there a program option to change that?
NotNull
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Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by NotNull »

Raindrops wrote: Sat Feb 11, 2023 4:52 am Is there a program option to change that?
Yes, paste the following in the search bar and press ENTER:

Code: Select all

/path_hit_text_only=0
The result will be shown in the statusbar for a few seconds.


To restore the default setting, use /path_hit_text_only=1
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by Raindrops »

I wonder why there's no property called /name_hit_text_only.

(I am assuming here that it will also define that the blank part of the column is also selectable with hover and trectangle methods...)
void
Developer
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Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by void »

Everything 1.5.0.1338a adds an experimental full name select option.

When enabled, items can be selected by clicking anywhere in the name column. (instead of clicking on just the name text)





To enable full name select:
  • Disable full row select first:
    • In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
    • Click the Results tab on the left.
    • Uncheck Full row select.
    • Click OK.
  • Copy and paste the following into your Everything search box:
    /full_name_select=1
  • Press ENTER in your Everything search box.
  • If successful, full_name_select=1 is shown in the status bar for a few seconds.


Full row select will override full name select.



full_name_select



Please let me know if you find it useful.
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by Raindrops »

Works like a charm!

Subconsciously I've always looked for this feature- Thanks a lot!

BTW this should be provided as sub-option under the full-row select option (because of its dependency).
When the full-row select option is selected, it should be grayed out.

Thus, this option would be available to the user only when the full-row select checkbox is cleared.
void
Developer
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Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by void »

Thank you for the feedback.

full-name-select is too experimental to add an option to the UI at this stage.
I will consider adding an option under full-row-select in the future.

Thank you for the suggestion.
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by Raindrops »

full-name-select is too experimental
So that means some glitches are expected.
What exactly should we look out for, as alpha testers?
void
Developer
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Re: File selection highlighting

Post by void »

Any crashes or unexpected behavior.
NotNull
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Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by NotNull »

Just reporting:

slow double-clicking a file (to start an in-line rename) outside the name itself does not start an in-line rename.
void
Developer
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Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by void »

To me, this is a good thing.
It forces the user to click on the text to prevent unwanted renames.

Full row select does the same thing.
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by Raindrops »

In my case, I have selected single click open globally (using Folder options).
So I can only use F2 for renaming the item.
Therefore this behavior is not encountered by such users.
NotNull
Posts: 5416
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: File selection highlighting

Post by NotNull »

void wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:18 am To me, this is a good thing.
To me too.
Reported because this is a case where filename is not equal to cell.
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