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Author Topic: A treatise on highlighting files....  (Read 1426 times)

JONCAT

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A treatise on highlighting files....
« on: January 30, 2006, 09:18:02 pm »

Maybe not a treatise but a few quick thoughts:

My father, uncle, & brother have all purchased MC & asked why they can't highlight files. I find this THE one most commonly asked question aimed at me when I am teaching others how to use MC's many functions, and I don't have a good answer for them as it is also a feature I too lament the dissapearance of.

Using the keyboard works but something so intuitive as using the mouse to highlight files does not, and it baffles me as to why.

Yes, if there lies space beneath a list of files, one may highlight away ...but I think a lot of new users are simply left frustrated, wondering, "What's wrong with this thing?"

Frusrated demo users = bad.

It doesn't feel right, and I wonder if others I also wishing that the highlight feature hadn't disppeared from the builds a ways back. I thought we used to be able to do it, nevertheless I perceive it as one of MC's autonomic functions that it needs to survive.

Dr. C

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hit_ny

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Re: A treatise on highlighting files....
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2006, 11:49:44 pm »

My father, uncle, & brother have all purchased MC & asked why they can't highlight files.
Can't highlight where ?

If not how does one do batch tag changes now ? Especially when not all files in the view are selected but only a subset.
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marko

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Re: A treatise on highlighting files....
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2006, 01:04:51 am »

I think this refers to the fact that we can no longer make a selection of files by dragging the mouse over them.

we must use things like select all, invert selection, ctrl+click, shift+click etc.

I missed it badly when we first lost it, and asked for its return. Mine was but a lone voice however, and I feel that at this late stage of the 11.1 game, that's just going to be the way it is now. To be honest with you, I don't find it to be that big a deal as there are plenty of other ways to achieve a selection. The one that is really conspicuous by its abscence is a quick way to arrive at a 'none selected' state. The quickest way I've found to get there is to select all then invert the selection, which works, but it would be nice to be able to get there in one step.

Marty3d

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Re: A treatise on highlighting files....
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2006, 03:21:43 am »

I'm so used to MC's pickiness when it comes to selecting/dragging files so I never use the magic rectangle to select files. In the past, When trying to select a single file and drag it to the tree, it mostly produced selection of a bunch of files.

But I can see the usefulness of it, but I think one of the problems is that there's no empty space to begin the rectangle, instead you're always select a file.

Perhaps one could add some tiny space in front of the files where you didn't select anything so it would be easier to create the selecting rectangle?
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JONCAT

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Re: A treatise on highlighting files....
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2006, 07:32:47 am »

"I'm so used to MC's pickiness when it comes to selecting/dragging files so I never use the magic rectangle to select files. In the past, When trying to select a single file and drag it to the tree, it mostly produced selection of a bunch of files."

I agree, and do the same, but we shouldn't be required to have or need a keyboard in order to highlight files; common sense to me (and others i.e. new users)

All one has to do to make space is shift the columns if there is no space to begin highlighting.

MC needs to have its roots grounded in common sense features that will allow new users to progress towards the more complicated functions.

I still think it's essential, even in light of the fact that we have all learned to "workaround" it (that should tell us something right there).

Dr. C
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JONCAT

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Re: A treatise on highlighting files....
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2006, 05:02:44 pm »

Still think this has to change, just a few times in the last few days...louging lazy lounging with special lady friend on the couch and have to get up to snag the keyboard because of this. It's totally ackward...please fix this guys.  :o

Dr. C
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Matt

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Re: A treatise on highlighting files....
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2006, 05:26:32 pm »

Marquee selection returned several builds ago.

Remember that marquee boxes can only be drawn over the first column if a list selects whole rows.  This is standard Windows.
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

JONCAT

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Re: A treatise on highlighting files....
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2006, 07:33:05 pm »

I'm in love........ ;D


You guys rock!

Dr. C
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