Shortcut Target Size Columns needs adjustments

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

[Coming out of this discussion: viewtopic.php?t=14264]


#1] Currently data in this Column of Target Size has format

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0000000000

which is hard to read. So please change it to

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0 000 000 000

at least; but preferably just make it succumb to the rules set by the user for showing of data in the Column of Size


#2] Currently data in this Column is aligned to the left side, which makes it hard to compare between items [assuming that user has his whole operating system with alignment set to right side / left-to-right text order]. So please change it to to right at least; but preferably just make it succumb to the rules set by the user for showing of data in the Column of Size


#3] When LNK is leading to an empty folder the value shown is

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0

and when LNK leads to a removed / non-existing element then it shows

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i.e. nothing. I would argue that instead of empty space it should show something like

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DEAD LINK

so that a user would know it is really a dead link and not a case of Everything for whatever reason not being able to access and / or report the target

[void]

Use format-size() to format sizes:

*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a:=format-size(get-property($shortcut-target:,"size"))

format-size()



Everything 1.5.0.1367a adds column alignment options.

Everything will try to automatically align numbers to the right.

To override the automatic alignment, please use:
a-align:left
-or-
a-align:right

For example:

*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right a:=formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"))
*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right a:=formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),1)
*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right a:=formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),2)

a-align:

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

I settled on using

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right a:=formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),3)

and unfortunately noticed an issue:

Everything Target Size Column sorting issue.jpg (168.7 KiB) Viewed 11507 times

i.e. when sorted by it this Column of Target Size Everything puts an LNK leading to 11 GB file between a one leading to 10 MB and a one leading to a 12 MB file


And also:
I wish for this Shortcut Target Size to utilize by default a common format of

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X.YY

even if fraction YY digits [after the dot would] be

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00

i.e. to show for example

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10.40

instead of

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10.4

And it more advanced version: to let the user decide how many digits are to be shown, just like in is possible in case of Column for Size, for which [as it is shown in the above screenshot] I decided to utilize format

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X.YYY

thus seeing for example

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1.006 kB

instead of

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1.01 kB

[nikov]

and unfortunately noticed an issue:...

I also noticed this issue, this not only happens for size property, this also happens for duration/length, date-time and maybe for many other properties as well.
But then I thought what if, someone really wants to sort by "code-point" instead of "context/meaning"? For them this might be a feature. Also, it maybe harder to make it context/meaning aware.
Then I also thought its workaround can be:
Adding two columns. One for sorting (column without the format) and another for displaying (column with the format).

And also:...

I don't know how much this is related to your format but this reminded about string format operator (%) or format() function or f-string of Python or some programming languages; not sure whether Everything already has this but it can be a nice addition.

[void]

I'm thinking an a-format:size search function be useful here..

For example:

*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size") a-format:size
Sorting by column a would be done as bytes and displayed using your size formatting options (Tools -> Options -> View).



As you mentioned, for now, you could use a secondary column to perform the sort:

*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right b:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size") a:=formatsize($b:,3) sort:b




There's printf() and TEXT() for formatting.

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

[...]
*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size") a-format:size
Sorting by column a would be done as bytes and displayed using your size formatting options (Tools -> Options -> View).

This does nothing, i.e. no items are shown and there is no Property Search being conducted

[...]
use a secondary column to perform the sort:

*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right b:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size") a:=formatsize($b:,3) sort:b

I do not get an additional Column


And I already had chosen

Tools > Options > View > Size standard > Metric
Tools > Options > View > Size format > Auto

[void]

This does nothing, i.e. no items are shown and there is no Property Search being conducted

a-format: has not been implemented yet.

I do not get an additional Column

No additional column is added.
However, your sort order should now be correct.

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

I am now on Everything 1.5.0.1371a x64 Portable and still using Bookmark

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a-align:right a:=formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),3)

which still

[...]
when sorted by it this Column of Target Size Everything puts an LNK leading to 11 GB file between a one leading to 10 MB and a one leading to a 12 MB file

And what about

[...]
wish for this Shortcut Target Size to utilize by default a common format of

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X.YY

[...]

Is it going to happen, at least in a foreseeable future?

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

Well?

[void]

Everything 1.5.0.1384a adds support for formatting custom columns.


Syntax:

a-format:<format-type>

For example:

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="Shortcut Target Size" a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size") a-format:size:mb

This will sort your results correctly by size in bytes and display the column A values as sizes in MB.



Supported column formats:

• size:auto
• size:bytes
• size:kb
• size:mb
• size:gb
• size
• duration
• length
• number
• attributes
• filetimeutc
• filetime
• datetime
• date
• time
• Any Text() format. For example:
  YYYY-MM-DD
  or
  #,###

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

Thank you for your help so far

I am using now version 1.5.0.1396a x64 Portable and Bookmark that has its Search set-up to Custom

*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a-align:right a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size") a-format:size

The remaining and new issues are:


I]

[...]
and when LNK leads to a removed / non-existing element then it shows

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i.e. nothing. I would argue that instead of empty space it should show something like

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DEAD LINK

so that a user would know it is really a dead link and not a case of Everything for whatever reason not being able to access and / or report the target

I would still argue that a dead link is an empty set and not a zero value. So please consider implementing for the Shortcut Target Size column one of these indications:

DEAD LINK

DEAD

DL

Or maybe even give users an option to decide what is to be shown:
● 0 value,
● one of these three descriptions
● an entirely customizable text; either through Advanced Options or as part of the

addcolumn

syntax
In my opinion DEAD LINK would be most informative- but it would take too much of precious horizontal space in order to be displayed


II]
If a link becomes dead when it is being displayed on the list of items in the main window via the above Bookmark, then its size reported by that custom made LNK Target Size column does not change. The field of Search Edit must be changed to something else and then re-changed back to this filtering expression; or [alternatively] the whole program must be re-opened [my configuration retains between sessions expressions in the Search Edit]


III]
When I came back to dealing with this feature / topic after upgrading my Everything, I tried to sort my LNK files by this custom LNK Target Size column. At first only those LNKs which were visible in the main window got sorted out. Because I then had to scroll down to apparently load up Target Sizes of following one- which was indicated by the fact that I could see the values being added gradually

Did those targeted size values really had to be checked first by Everything and added to my database file in order to succumb to sorting in that LNK Target Size column? If yes- then should not this be performed automatically in the background? Because: how is a user suppose to know that sorting will only affect some of items already present in the main window? And this matches the ill behavior from previous point i.e. LNK becoming a dead link during session but still showing a size value. So, no matter if this is an intended behavior or a glitch, the conclusion is that Everything is not not monitoring this parameter in real time


IV]
The parameter

a-align:right

does work for the data displayed in the custom made Column. But is there a similar one for controlling of its header? Right now I get this dichotomy:

custom column header is left aligned.jpg (52.81 KiB) Viewed 7072 times

V]
In order to open in some third party file-manager program the location of an LNK file, user must in main window right-click row of the chosen LNK, then look for the sub-menu bearing name of the location folder [which sub-menu will be located near the top of the main shell menu, in its second section], then unfold it and choose Open

I propose renaming it to Open Location for the purpose of becoming self-explanatory, which will be needed if it would ever become configurable at

Tools > Options > General > Context Menu > Open Location

In other words: I propose adding another optional Context Menu feature alike to those 18 already available

The reasoning behind it is not only giving users a quicker access, but also not forcing them to remember that Open Location is already available under the vague term Open and being somewhat hidden in a sub-menu. Because if they forget about its existence then they might futilely waste time on checking configurations and behaviors of

Tools > Options > General > Context Menu > Explore
Tools > Options > General > Context Menu > Explore Path
Tools > Options > General > Context Menu > Open Path

That is exactly what has happened to me: I thought that users, when wanting to access LNK file and not its target, were supposed to use Copy Path / Copy Full Path and then manually paste that data to some program with an address bar [because a similar issue I experienced in file-handler FreeCommander when adding for icons on Toolbars LNK files as executable paths]

[void]

Thank you for your feedback Thy Grand Voidinesss,

I would still argue that a dead link is an empty set and not a zero value. So please consider implementing for the Shortcut Target Size column one of these indications:

DEAD LINK

DEAD

DL

Please try the following:

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a-align:right a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),0):"DEADLINK"  

-remove a-format:size and call formatsize.

The next alpha update will format text correctly with a-format:size, so the following will work:

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"):"DEADLINK" a-format:size

If a link becomes dead when it is being displayed on the list of items in the main window via the above Bookmark, then its size reported by that custom made LNK Target Size column does not change. The field of Search Edit must be changed to something else and then re-changed back to this filtering expression; or [alternatively] the whole program must be re-opened [my configuration retains between sessions expressions in the Search Edit]

Press F5 to refresh the search.

When I came back to dealing with this feature / topic after upgrading my Everything, I tried to sort my LNK files by this custom LNK Target Size column. At first only those LNKs which were visible in the main window got sorted out. Because I then had to scroll down to apparently load up Target Sizes of following one- which was indicated by the fact that I could see the values being added gradually

Everything will gather ALL the values when you sort.
A progress bar is shown in the status bar on the right.
It may take several minutes to gather all the required information.

Did those targeted size values really had to be checked first by Everything and added to my database file in order to succumb to sorting in that LNK Target Size column? If yes- then should not this be performed automatically in the background? Because: how is a user suppose to know that sorting will only affect some of items already present in the main window? And this matches the ill behavior from previous point i.e. LNK becoming a dead link during session but still showing a size value. So, no matter if this is an intended behavior or a glitch, the conclusion is that Everything is not not monitoring this parameter in real time

Custom columns are only calculated once.
When sorting, custom columns are only calculated if they haven't already been calculated.
So sorting will not change already calculated custom columns.

Press F5 and resort by your custom column.

The parameter

a-align:right


does work for the data displayed in the custom made Column. But is there a similar one for controlling of its header? Right now I get this dichotomy:

The next alpha update will right align the column header.
The next alpha update will also right align the column header when using a-format:size -no need to specify a-align:right

In order to open in some third party file-manager program the location of an LNK file, user must in main window right-click row of the chosen LNK, then look for the sub-menu bearing name of the location folder [which sub-menu will be located near the top of the main shell menu, in its second section], then unfold it and choose Open

Use the Open Path context menu item. -It should be the second item.

Open Path can be enabled/disabled under Tools -> Options -> Context menu -> Open Path.
-It's enabled by default.

[void]

Everything 1.5.0.1401a will now right align columns when using a-format:size

Column labels are also now right aligned.

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

About I:

[...]
The next alpha update will format text correctly with a-format:size, so the following will work:

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"):"DEADLINK" a-format:size

Yes, in Everything 1.5.0.1400a x64 Portable I can use e.g.

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a-align:right a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),0):"▮deadlink▮" 

for a better visual indication

So this issue "I" is gone. Thank you


About II:

The

II]
If a link becomes dead when it is being displayed on the list of items in the main window via the above Bookmark, then its size reported by that custom made LNK Target Size column does not change
[...]

issue in my opinion should not be dealt with manual action of

Press F5 to refresh the search.

Because this is inconvenient and because if e.g. size of any file changes, then that change is automatically reflected in what Everything shows. So this is a dichotomous behavior thus users are forced to remember which Columns get updated as part of background processes and which one display data that might become silently outdated



About III:

Everything will gather ALL the values when you sort.
[...]
When sorting, custom columns are only calculated if they haven't already been calculated.
So sorting will not change already calculated custom columns.
[...]

But in relation to previous issue, I think that at least act of re-sorting could / should also automatically refresh the view - thus recalculate. Turning on of this modified behavior, if it ever gets implemented, could be made available as an Advanced option


About IV:

The next alpha update will right align the column header.
The next alpha update will also right align the column header when using a-format:size -no need to specify a-align:right

In my Everything 1.5.0.1400a x64 Portable if I will remove from that Bookmark of

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a-align:right a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),0):"▮deadlink▮" 

its

a-align:right

parameter and thus use

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),0):"▮deadlink▮" 

then the header of this LNK Target Size column becomes left-aligned. So automated alignment to the right side does not seem to work



About V:

Use the Open Path context menu item
[...]
can be enabled/disabled under Tools -> Options -> Context menu -> Open Path
[...]

OK this works - except for peculiar cases like file

C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-win32calc_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.19041.1_none_ffa02cb5b713eae9\Calculator.lnk

which has its Target set to

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%windir%\system32\win32calc.exe

because using on it the entry of Open Path navigates me to

C:\Windows\System32\

instead to

C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-win32calc_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.19041.1_none_ffa02cb5b713eae9\



VI]

Unfortunately I spotted another issue - a glitch. Here is how it can be reproduced:

1] Use that Bookmark

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a-align:right a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),0):"▮deadlink▮" 

2] For convenience of this test, sort items on the list by Date Modified

3] Create in whatever file manager in a monitored location some File-A

4] Create LNK to File-A

5] Go to Everything to see that it correctly show size value for the File-A in the row with its LNK file

6] Go back to file manager and delete File-A

7] Go back to Everything to and see that it correctly shows

▮deadlink▮

as size value for the File-A in the row with its LNK file. So far, so good

8] Go back to file manager and create in File-B

9] Create LNK to File-B

10] Go back to Everything and observe how it not correctly shows

▮deadlink▮

as size value for the File-B in the row with its LNK file. After few seconds this value might fix itself i.e. show correct size for File-B or it might get as such stuck forever, because even system reset might not fix this, despite File-B still being accessible without any issues in its original location, as it has never been deleted

[void]

About II:

issue in my opinion should not be dealt with manual action of

Press F5 to refresh the search.

Because this is inconvenient and because if e.g. size of any file changes, then that change is automatically reflected in what Everything shows. So this is a dichotomous behavior thus users are forced to remember which Columns get updated as part of background processes and which one display data that might become silently outdated

It's not feasible to track changes to lnk file targets.

About IV:

thus use

*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),0):"▮deadlink▮"

then the header of this LNK Target Size column becomes left-aligned. So automated alignment to the right side does not seem to work

Support for typed-variables is on my TODO list. (

getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")

flags

a

as a size)
For now, you will still need to specify

a-format:size

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*.lnk addcolumn:a a-label:="LNK Target Size" a-format:size a:=getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size")?formatsize(getproperty($shortcut-target:,"size"),0):"▮deadlink▮" 

About V:
because using on it the entry of Open Path navigates me to

C:\Windows\System32\

Please send a debug log:

• In Everything, From the Tools menu, under the Debug submenu, check Start Debug Logging.
• Open the path of the
  C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-win32calc_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.19041.1_none_ffa02cb5b713eae9\Calculator.lnk file
• From the Tools menu, under the Debug submenu, check Stop Debug Logging.
  ---This will open your %TEMP%\Everything Debug Log.txt in Notepad.
• Please reply with the log.

VI]

Unfortunately I spotted another issue - a glitch. Here is how it can be reproduced:

Everything doesn't track changes to lnk targets in realtime.
You will need to press F5 after any external change.

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

Unfortunately I spotted another issue - a glitch[...]

[...]
About V:
[...]
works - except for peculiar cases like
[...]

[...]
Please send a debug log

I just did

VI]

Everything doesn't track changes to lnk targets in realtime.
You will need to press F5 after any external change.

So this applies also for newly created just freshly added to the database items? My tutorial describes a scenario when a new file inherits value of older one that already was in database

[void]

Thank you for the logs.

exec: shellexecute file:C:\QQ\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe param:/T /L="C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-win32calc_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.19041.1_none_ffa02cb5b713eae9\Calculator.lnk"

Everything passes the correct lnk file to FreeCommander.exe, so it's FreeCommander opening the lnk target instead of the lnk file.

What is your

Tools -> Options -> Context Menu -> Open Path -> Command

setting?
-Please try

$parent(%1)

instead of

%1

.

So this applies also for newly created just freshly added to the database items? My tutorial describes a scenario when a new file inherits value of older one that already was in database

Applies to newly created files/folders.
Direct properties are gathered and updated.
However, indirect properties, like the size of the target from a lnk file are not updated.

New files/folders start with an empty property value.
They do not inherit values.

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

I was using

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$exec("C:\QQ\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe" /T /L="%1")

With setting of

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$exec("C:\QQ\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe" /T /L="$parent(%1")

nothing happens when I choose that Open Path entry for

C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-win32calc_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.19041.1_none_ffa02cb5b713eae9\Calculator.lnk

And thinking that you might have made a typo, I also tried out

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$exec("C:\QQ\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe" /T /L="$parent(%1"))

but the result is the sam i.e no action happens. So is this a fault of FreeCommander? I could test this out with a command for Double Commander, if you happen to know it (cause I will be transitioning from using FC to DC and already am getting familiar with it)



As for that newest issue VI

[...]
New files/folders start with an empty property value.
They do not inherit values.

Maybe so - but in my Everything they experience a glitch which makes them visually show

▮deadlink▮

when they apparently should not

[void]

Please try:

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$exec("C:\QQ\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe" /T /L="$parent(%1)")

Maybe so - but in my Everything they experience a glitch which makes them visually show
▮deadlink▮
when they apparently should not

New files/folders will start with an empty property value.
The empty property value will render as ▮deadlink▮

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

Please try:

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$exec("C:\QQ\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe" /T /L="$parent(%1)")

This seems to work

So this issue "V" is gone, thank you


As for the

New files/folders will start with an empty property value.
The empty property value will render as ▮deadlink▮

and the others, they are unresolvable

[void]

and the others, they are unresolvable

Are the correct results shown after pressing F5?

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

No, it does not

Refreshing, re-sorting, wiping the expression and re-applying it does not make the

▮deadlink▮

go away for LNK of File B. What works is clearing the expression entirely, because then it shows the real value. But then again it goes back to false when I use expression. In test done earlier it was fixing itself after a while, but now it does not seem to