searching or going to file/folder by typing its initials

[vsrawat]

xe601 on w7

I am exploring a folder. I want to go to a file, so I press its first letter, say, o

1. It doesn't start searching from the current file location onwards. It always goes to the first file/folder starting with that letter, o, in the current folder.

I think that is not correct. It should go to next file (after current file) that starts with that letter, o,.

2. A tiny box opens at the left bottom, above the status bar, showing the letter(s) I have pressed.

There is no way to go to (search for) next file starting with those typed chars, described there. No keyboard shortcut, no icon to click upon. how to we use that pressed-key-tiny window? It just tells us what we have pressed so far. It doesn't help in any other in navigating or continuing our search.

there should be some method of navigation given around that box. (up down arrow take to the next previous file starting with that combo, so it should be mentioned somewhere).

then, only up down arrow work there. If we hit any other key, that character in buffer disappears and it goes back to normal folder navigation mode.

If we want to quickly go to first file or last file starting with that combo, we can't go by pressing page up, page down, home, end. While a character is in buffer and is displayed there, I guess all the cursor movement commands should take notice of that char(s) and navigate with respect to that only, so as to quickly reach to a file starting with those chars.
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3. say, I have pressed q, it goes to first file in the folder starting with q, and then I press q again, it goes to next file starting with q.

but if I had pressed o and press o again. oo appears in that box and it goes to file starting oo, it doesn't go to second file starting with only o. Same thing with other characters. mm, bb, ww,

Why is this difference in character behavior? same rule should be applicable for all characters. it became very confusing for me.

similarly, for any character we press second (after we press the first character), it goes to the first file in that folder starting with those two chars. this way we cant go to 3rd 4th so on files starting with single character that we had pressed.

4. we can have files having capital letters. though it doesn't make a difference in sorting of file names, and small and capital letters are treated as same.

still, if we have a capital letter in name and we press Shift O to go to a file starting with "Office2007", it gives error that fc can't file a drive O:, and goes to topmost leave of the folder tree (Computer). And if a drive with that letter exists, it goes to the root of that drive and its folder tree and top folder files appear in two panes. whoosh.

Why so? For navigation purposes, it is quite convenient if we can press a capital letter or small letter and we can reach that file having exactly that capital or small letter. So that Shift O or Shift M assignment for searching partition names should be changed and press of capital and small letters should be used for file navigation only.
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those letters that we have pressed remain there, till we press backspace enough times to remove them. Why not consider giving an X icon there (like the one you have given for "filter" cancellation) so that we can click on that icon to clear those character?

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So for all these reasons, I find that searching or going to file by typing its initial is confusing for me. Hope you would give a thought to it.
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I guess normal navigation between various panes, and this file/folder searching should be considered (and made) as totally separate modes and should have totally different key assignments. file searching by typing name is a very basic requirement of a disk explorer and fc should give a thought to facilitate it more.

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What exactly is this feature called? I didn't find it any menu or tool bar or settings. Where should I look?

Thanks.
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Rawat

[BGM]

I am exploring a folder. I want to go to a file, so I press its first letter, say, o

1. It doesn't start searching from the current file location onwards. It always goes to the first file/folder starting with that letter, o, in the current folder.

I think that is not correct. It should go to next file (after current file) that starts with that letter, o,.

+1 I agree. I think it should first search DOWN, then loop back to the top.

[BGM]

2. A tiny box opens at the left bottom, above the status bar, showing the letter(s) I have pressed.

There is no way to go to (search for) next file starting with those typed chars, described there. No keyboard shortcut, no icon to click upon. how to we use that pressed-key-tiny window? It just tells us what we have pressed so far. It doesn't help in any other in navigating or continuing our search.
...

then, only up down arrow work there. If we hit any other key, that character in buffer disappears and it goes back to normal folder navigation mode.
...

3. say, I have pressed q, it goes to first file in the folder starting with q, and then I press q again, it goes to next file starting with q.

but if I had pressed o and press o again. oo appears in that box and it goes to file starting oo, it doesn't go to second file starting with only o. Same thing with other characters. mm, bb, ww,
...

similarly, for any character we press second (after we press the first character), it goes to the first file in that folder starting with those two chars. this way we cant go to 3rd 4th so on files starting with single character that we had pressed.

If you push the backspace key, it will erase the last letter in the "tiny box".

I like the way windows explorer does it. If I type "oo" in rapid succession, it will jump to the first file starting with "oo". If push "x" it will jump to the next "x".

Personally, I think that the "tiny box" is superflous when we have the quick-filter. I opt for not using the "tiny box" and jumping to files the way Explorer does it.

[alf5000]

1. It doesn't start searching from the current file location onwards. It always goes to the first file/folder starting with that letter, o, in the current folder.I think that is not correct. It should go to next file (after current file) that starts with that letter, o,.

try this: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/14257223/Opera ... filter.png

It just tells us what we have pressed so far. It doesn't help in any other in navigating or continuing our search.

you can change your search string, which is a really useful thing

but if I had pressed o and press o again. oo appears in that box and it goes to file starting oo

only happens if there is a file/folder starting with oo, otherwise the second o takes you to the next file (pretty sophisticated behaviour, IMHO)

if we have a capital letter in name and we press Shift O to go to a file starting with "Office2007"

you're correct. I guess that's why it is called "quick search", for in-debth search I usually use Ctrl+f

letters that we have pressed remain there, till we press backspace enough times to remove them

try Esc and/or tweak the "Quick search field auto close time" to your needs (watch my link above)




hope it was of some help.

[BGM]

Alfso, thanks for the tip about the "search from top" - I never realized that before.

[vsrawat]

> "search from top" - I never realized that before.

in my settings, "search from top" is already unticked, but it always starts from top.

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Rawat

[vsrawat]

vsrawat wrote:
>> but if I had pressed o and press o again. oo appears in that box and it goes to file starting oo

> only happens if there is a file/folder starting with oo, otherwise the second o takes you to the next file (pretty sophisticated behaviour, IMHO)
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if it is long folder, I might not know whether there is a file starting with oo, or even with a single o.

two types of behaviors for a single command could confuse users.

through windows explorer, I am used to pressing a key twice in quick succession to reach that file, if pressed slowly it goes to next and next file, not to the file having double starting letter.

I guess a pressing time based decision to go for double, tripple starting letter file would be more convenient, than remembering difference behavior of a command.

Thanks.
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Rawat

[alf5000]

if it is long folder, I might not know whether there is a file starting with oo, or even with a single o.

that's what the small text-field is for - you can correct it easily lateron

two types of behaviors for a single command could confuse users.

isn't that exactly what MS Explorer does? --> fast click interprets as "oo" slow click is "o" (nowhere is a text-box to show me my search strings)