[jindrich]

i've been praying for this since 10.0, yet no positive results whatsoever.

I dont konw how difficult this is to implement, but i guess it cannot be that hard; if i knew C++ or whatever they write into, i'd do it myself in a second.


Please Apple listen. "We like to have options" said Mr Jobs a few months ago when asked if motorola was going to be replaced.
I cannot understand why having the option to sort would hurt at all.

And it's crucial for switchers. It's so common in wintel world to view folders in "details" mode, and then be able to sort by Name, TYPE!!!!, date, size, date of mod....etc.
Panther needs this more than any cosmetic change in the finder.


Please sign, thank you very much
Have a nice day.

[mrfrost]

Originally posted by jindrich:

I dont konw how difficult this is to implement, but i guess it cannot be that hard; if i knew C++ or whatever they write into, i'd do it myself in a second.

[jindrich]

Originally posted by Mr_Frost:
quote:Originally posted by jindrich:

I dont konw how difficult this is to implement, but i guess it cannot be that hard; if i knew C++ or whatever they write into, i'd do it myself in a second.

Forgive my english. I meant it would be my first TO DO task, and i didnt waist a second to pospone its development.
I know some cobol, pascal, php etc, but i guess it's not the languages you use to write an OS.

[Developer]

Originally posted by jindrich:
It's so common in wintel world to view folders in "details" mode, and then be able to sort by Name, TYPE!!!!, date, size, date of mod....etc.

You can do that in list view.

[jindrich]

Originally posted by Developer:
You can do that in list view.

ok, but if you're on a mac you'll most likely use column view.
What i dont understand is why whenever i tell anyone the finder should have those options (and i know a lot of guys who are with me on this) most people think I'm just trolling.

I'll say it again: to be able to choose is a GOOD thing. Dont change it if you dont like it, but let the preferences have this useful sorting options (present in most other OSes).

And now that I'm at it, i think when you sort by type (in list view) "folders" should come first, on top, ALWAYS. Not at the *height* of what the particular os version -particular language- the system refers to the folders as an item (in the middle if its "folder" in english, *higher* in spanish whith "carpeta"... and so on)

And as there's the option of "open all folders in column view", whe should read " open all in -popdown-list-"

And where did the imgs preview go while browsing in icon view? (like in os9)


I'm not bitching, I'm trying to improve the best OS ever. Really.

[barney ntd]

I can't understand why some people go on about this. THIS IS WHAT LIST VIEW IS FOR! When you want to sort, change to list view. It doesn't take long: only one button to click.

More options are not always good. If they make the system more complicated, they make it harder to understand, and harder to use. Saying "if you don't want it, don't use it" doesn't solve anything: users often trigger options they don't understand by mistake, then think something is wrong with their computer.

The real problem with the idea of sorting in column view, is that there is no obvious way to show what the current sorting method is. One of the most basic rules of interface design is: "don't use modes unless it is absolutely clear at all times what mode you are in". Of course you could try to come up with a combination of column view and list view, but the result would probably be a total mess.

I don't think you are a troll, but I do think you haven't thought it through properly.

Barney.

P.S. I agree with you about folders in list view.

[KidRed]

I'd use list view is I wasn't so used to the preview pane. As a graphic designer I use preview pane a lot. But I'd also like some info on files without having to click on them as well. Some of you disagree, but List view is not a good answer/solution.

[OAW]

I agree with the original poster. I would like to see the ability to sort a column by something other than name. My thoughts on this are as follows:

1. I've considered whether or not Column View should simply be columns of List Views. That way the user could sort by any of the criteria available in list view. While I think this would give the greatest flexibility, I think it would be a usability nightmare and take up so much space that the number of columns that could be displayed would be severely limited.

2. Displaying only the rightmost column in List View would be better, but usability might still be a problem since a column would change from full list view to name only as a user navigates around. This might be work out OK, but I'd have to see it in action to decide.

3. What might work and require very little change to the existing column view is to allow limited sorting. Specifically, if the Finder had a Column View Sort preference of Name (default) as it currently does now and Kind only. What you definitely don't want to do is sort by something that you can't see. So since Column View currently displays only Name and an icon, I think it would be OK to sort alphabetically by name or sort alphabetically by Kind (icon) and then by name within that. Perhaps this appeals to me because this is how I typically sort my List Views, but I don't think I'm the only one who normally sorts like that. If one wanted to sort by any other criterion, then a switch to List View would be necessary.

What do you guys think?

OAW

[OwlBoy]

Originally posted by jindrich:
ok, but if you're on a mac you'll most likely use column view.

I use List, or icon view, column is annying to me.

-Owl

[Michel Fortin]

Originally posted by KidRed:
I'd use list view is I wasn't so used to the preview pane. As a graphic designer I use preview pane a lot. But I'd also like some info on files without having to click on them as well. Some of you disagree, but List view is not a good answer/solution.

Then you could show the file inspector floating window (cmd-opt-i), disclose it's Preview pane and navigate in your files list still seeing the preview, and any other info.

[Brass]

I agree that it would be a nice feature, but I don't think it's of great priority. I despise the Windows Explorer, but it does have the advantage of disclosure AND sorting in one view.

But is column view really that bad the way it works now? Use column view for navigating and List view for sorting by anything other than name. It's just one click to switch between the two.

open window
navigate
list view
re-sort
select item
column view
navigate

It's not that big a deal for me. And as others have said, implementing sort criteria in column view is not as easy as it might seem at first. Although it is programatically quite simple, there are some GUI issues which are difficult to overcome.

There are three possiblilities that I can think of:

1. Make every column a list view (or at lease the last column). Obviously this would be very cumbersome with each column needing to be very wide, or have it's own scrollbar, which would then be very confusing adjacent to the windows scrollbar.

2. Have a popup menu above each column (or perhaps just the last column) to change the sort criteria with for that column. The problem with a method like this is that only the name is being displayed, and the criteria being sorted on cannot even be seen anyway (eg, date modified is not visible in column view).

3. Similar to (2) above, have a universal preference for sorting columns in the Finder. This would have similar problems to (2) above.

[jindrich]

Originally posted by KidRed:
I'd use list view is I wasn't so used to the preview pane. As a graphic designer I use preview pane a lot. But I'd also like some info on files without having to click on them as well. Some of you disagree, but List view is not a good answer/solution.

ditto. direct stomp size preview (instead of a generic icon) for images is a must for graphic designers.

And as for implementing sorting in column view, i don´t see how it could be that confusing for the user: make it all or nothing (like it actually is).
Currently, all of the columns are sorted by name. Ok, then in the pref pane provide the option to sort -all columns- by somthing other than name (mainly type/kind).

Also, i know this is a Micro$ucks Windows feature, but i dont mind, because it's very useful: in the finder, besides the "next" and "previus" arrows, PLEASE implement an "UP" (in folder level) arrow. This would make List view so much more comprehensible, easy and LOGIC to use.

[barney ntd]

Originally posted by OAW:
3. What might work and require very little change to the existing column view is to allow limited sorting. Specifically, if the Finder had a Column View Sort preference of Name (default) as it currently does now and Kind only. What you definitely don't want to do is sort by something that you can't see. So since Column View currently displays only Name and an icon, I think it would be OK to sort alphabetically by name or sort alphabetically by Kind (icon) and then by name within that. Perhaps this appeals to me because this is how I typically sort my List Views, but I don't think I'm the only one who normally sorts like that. If one wanted to sort by any other criterion, then a switch to List View would be necessary.

What do you guys think?

OAW

This actually makes sense, and might work quite well. It could be a popup list in the toolbar. Anyone who wants this, try sending it to Apple feedback. You're more likely to get results from a clear, straightforward suggestion like this than from a general wish for "sorting in column view".

Barney.

[chabig]

And where did the imgs preview go while browsing in icon view?

It's still there. You just have to turn it on under View Options.