Size Column data is hard to read and could use some new GUI features

Discussion related to "Everything" 1.5 Alpha.
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Thy Grand Voidinesss
Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:01 pm

Size Column data is hard to read and could use some new GUI features

Post by Thy Grand Voidinesss »

To visually make my point, below is authentic data which I see when I use the default Filter named Everything and execute sorting order by descending Size:

Image
And that is without any of my 18TB archive drives being plugged in, thus without their data accounted for - and yet it is already hard to read

And to further fuel my argument: it is stated here https://www.voidtools.com/support/every ... ize_format, that if Value of >>0<< is applied to statusbar_size_format then the Status Bar will show size in a mode of >>Auto (Bytes/KB/MB/GB depending on size)<<

And so my question is: why users are unable to have such choice also for the Column of Size? I reckon that it is because the sorting feature has to stick to one unit of size in order to be able to execute the sort order correctly?


So what I propose in regards to this Size Column is to:
A) give users ability for choosing unit(s)
B) give users ability for choosing auto-unit mode
C) give users ability for choosing when exactly auto-unit is to kick in
D) give users ability for choosing when exactly auto-unit is to be stopped from being applied
E) give users ability to ditch or change separators between thousands, million and billions [and so on for future proofing]

I myself would choose auto-unit with a caveat of MB as the lowest unit - i.e. I would not see e.g. 100 KB but 0.10 MB, but I would not see 1,010 MB nor 1 010 MB or 1010 MB but 1.01 GB and I would still see 999.99 GB but then 1.00 TB as the next possible value. Others however might want to see 100 KB, then [following numbers from my example] 1-010-000 KB and then 999-999-000 KB and for whatever reason as the next possible value 1.00 TB. [Yes, I know: there is still needed 999 KB of data to fill in before reaching this change]
Last edited by Thy Grand Voidinesss on Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
void
Developer
Posts: 16897
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Size Column data is hard to read and could use some new GUI features

Post by void »

You can set the size column format from within the UI:
  • In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
  • Click the View tab on the left.
  • Select your Size standard.
  • Change Size format to: Auto, bytes, KB or MB.
    Auto = choose the best suffix based on the size.
  • Click OK.

More ini settings:
size_standard
size_auto_format
size_number_format
size_ceil
size_auto_ceil
size_bytes_abbreviation
size_kb_prefix
size_mb_prefix
size_auto_prefix

C) give users ability for choosing when exactly auto-unit is to kick in
D) give users ability for choosing when exactly auto-unit is to be stopped from being applied
E) give users ability to ditch or change separators between thousands, million and billions [and so on for future proofing]
I will consider adding options to do these.
Thank you for the suggestions.
Thy Grand Voidinesss
Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:01 pm

Re: Size Column data is hard to read and could use some new GUI features

Post by Thy Grand Voidinesss »

void wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 7:14 am [...]
More ini settings:
This is all great, thank you
void wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 7:14 am [...]
size_kb_prefix
size_mb_prefix
[...]
But I notice a lack of these particular options for GB, TB, PB and so on
therube
Posts: 5003
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: Size Column data is hard to read and could use some new GUI features

Post by therube »

Size Column data is hard to read
In what way is it hard to read?


Heh, & while we're here, Researchers Say They've Found A New, Better Way For Humans to Use Numbers.
void
Developer
Posts: 16897
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Size Column data is hard to read and could use some new GUI features

Post by void »

There is no byte suffix shown when using the size format of bytes.

Only Auto, KB and MB size formats show suffixes.

While you can set the size format to GB/TB with the Everything.ini, custom suffixes for these are not supported.
You can customize the localization strings for these if you really wanted to..



If you are using the Auto size format, please change the prefixes with size_auto_prefix

For example:
/size_auto_prefix=B;K;M;G;T;P
(bytes = B, KB = K, MB = M, etc..)
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