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[Matt]

From Doof:

I have to say I agree with Nila on the everything-selected-by-default thing. That is very counterintuitive and a big disaster waiting to happen. File Properties should display something like "No Files Selected" when nothing is selected, and then let us select the files we want to edit (or select all).

I'd hate it if I opened up My Documents on my computer, hit Delete and watched everything disappear. The same should be true for MC.

And yes, I know this has gone back and forth a few times, but seriously... common sense dictates that nothing selected means nothing selected.

Well, if you select a folder in Explorer, all the files are selected by default.  I mean, hitting delete kills the whole folder.

Also, if you pick a tree folder (like a playlist), it's really nice to be able to edit the properties or view the statistics for all the songs without doing a "select all".

Is there some intuitive middle ground?  Keep in mind that answers can not include the word "option"

Thanks.

[Doof]

I agree with what you're saying about selecting a folder in Explorer. It is much like selecting a playlist of media view in MC.

However, if you click on a file in Explorer that you mean to delete, then accidentally click off of that file (thus deselecting it), hitting delete doesn't then delete every item in that folder. That would be ridiculous.

MC also doesn't let you delete every item in a view or playlist just by selecting the view or playlist. You have to select the items you want to select from within that view first. So why change this behavior? Why make MC inherently more dangerous?

In diving, we look at gear and ask two questions.

1. What problem is this designed to fix?
2. What problems does this introduce?

Using that... What problem does making none selected fix? All it does is remove a step in the editting process for only those times when you want to edit the same field for all files all at once.

What problems does it introduce? Well, for starters, it makes it possible to accidentally change all of your files to have the same artist, or mess up all of the track numbers, or assign them all the same cover art. And these problems are for more often to occur than the times I described above.

A follow up to the above two questions is often : What other "fixes" do I have to introduce to overcome the problems introduced?

In the case of MC9, the Undo feature was introduced. While it's certainly nice to have, it's a feature that wasn't really needed until this "fix" to a non-existant problem was introduced.

The way it is now also introduces some oddities into the interface. For instance... You can Select All and all items are ready to be editted. If you then Invert Selection, what's really changed? Nothing.

I guess, in my opinion, the added "conveinence" of not having to select everything doesn't outweigh the risks of accidentally screwing up your entire media library because you missed  on that one click and didn't end up selecting anything.

[NoCodeUK]

I will be quite honest I was very shocked to know this option even existed... I am very careful when I hit the delete key and I also selct all files to do anything.  Because this is standard windows behaviour this is what I have always done.  I wasn't even aware that if I didn't select the files the same thing would happen.  If I plan to make major edits to a batch of files I selct them all.  I would be mortified if I was in my media library view with nothing selected I clicked delete by istake and 3 years work disappeared down the drain.  Please Matt, don't wory about options simply make this the norm.  As I have said before I think it is imperative that programs try to follow "standard" windows behaviour as much as possible.  Whether or not we like this behaviour and believe me there are many parts of it I don't it has to be understood that this is what people expect.  Like in a web page people expect links to be blue and underlined, people expect programs to follow a pattern.  When they stray from the pattern that is when people become frustrated. I have used a lot of software in the past which has had a UI which is probably much more intuitive than the standard windows one but because it is different I very rarely continue to use that software and go back to a piece which probably isn't as good but more closely follows the rules...I would hate to think that is peoples view of MC as most of us know this is the best darn piece of media software that money can buy.

Anyways enough of my raving...I am sure a decision will be made and whatever that decision is I will continue to use MC daily for a myriad tasks.

Keep up the fantastic work,

Adam

[Ingo]

Well, if you select a folder in Explorer, all the files are selected by default.  I mean, hitting delete kills the whole folder.

nope, it doesn't (German XP Pro). this only happens when the focus is on the tree pane.... and then you have something that is selected: the folder shown on the right pane.
if you put the focus on the right pane and don't select anything and hit 'del', nothing happens.

Also, if you pick a tree folder (like a playlist), it's really nice to be able to edit the properties or view the statistics for all the songs without doing a "select all".

Is there some intuitive middle ground?

first, if in doubt, go the safe way: nothing selected only shows statistics and stuff, but can't change anything....

my second idea would be:
if the last focus was in the tree pane, make it change everything, if the last focus was in the listview, don't do anything.
I know, this sounds even more confusing, but this would require one more thing to be implemented:
two different kinds of non-focus-highlight.. one that's just as it is right now (solid, but dimed) and one that is just a frame around the highlighted item.
the solid one would indicate the last active focus. the frame would just be used when putting the focus back to that frame (like when using TAB).

just ideas.....

Keep in mind that answers can not include the word "option"

ok... looking up something in openoffice's thesaurus: how about making it a user's choice? ;-)

[Matt]

Just to be clear, Delete doesn't use "all on none".  It's only a bug that the meaningless dialog is popping up. (fixed next build)  Delete always uses the exact selection.

Secondly, we'll cave.  Next build will be back to "exact" selection for the properties pane.

We're also going to start asking for confirmation when changing a lot of files.

[Doof]

I like the idea that if you select a node, then Statistics updates, but nothing else. If you could do that, then I think that would be a good middle ground.

Nothing can be editted en masse without you choosing to do so, but you can still see stats just by selecting a node.

[nila]

Secondly, we'll cave.  Next build will be back to "exact" selection for the properties pane.

We're also going to start asking for confirmation when changing a lot of files.

Oh I do love you

Please dont forget to add a 'Cancel and Restore' button to updating properties so that you can cancel the update and it will roll back any changes it has made so far during that upgrade.

The confirmation when changing a lot of files is HUGELY welcomed.

Your a Gem

[Jaguu]

I support Doof with the statitstic issue, as in  the last build, you see no statistics at all, when selecting a node!

When I select an album/folder I would like to see how many tracks there are in. Other example aside from music:

I have folders of painters and each painting of his is an image file. By just selecting a painter I can check right away the number of paintings collected so far!