Selecting Files

File Selection Modes

FS/2 provides three modes of multiple file selection, Extended, Enhanced Extended and Multiple selection modes. All modes allows selection of one or more contiguous files, that is, successive files in the file window, with a single swipe of the mouse.

Random selection of files is possible while in Extended or Enhanced Extended selection modes by holding down the Ctrl key while selecting discontinuous file(s). If a file is selected without holding down the Ctrl key, all other currently selected files are deselected.

Multiple selection mode also allows selection of one or more files in any random order. It is not necessary to hold the Ctrl key down while doing so. However, single clicking in the window will NOT deselect all files as in the Extended select case and care must be exercised in those cases where the action to follow is intended for only one file to ensure that there are no other selected files (which may not be in the window field of view).

The Enhanced Extended selection mode is very similar to Extended selection except it is possible to keyboard scroll and select random files with the Space bar similar to the Multiple selection mode.

The default selection mode is Extended. You may toggle between the selection modes by using the Selection type extended menu from the Windows Options menu. The Selection type may be set differently in each Files window.

While all file operations may be performed on a single file, operations on a list of two or more files are limited to a subset of file operations. The menu options grouped at the top of the Files menu are applicable to multiple file operations.

Swipe Selection of Files

If the setup notebook option Auto scroll file windows (page 2_2) is checked, the file windows will auto scroll when the cursor is moved close to the edges of the window, either horizontally in Text and Name views or vertically in Details and Icon view, with mouse button one down. This is facilitate swipe selection of files without having to stop and manually scroll the window.

Synchronized Selection of Files

If a file is selected with the Alt key down and a like named file exists in the inactive file window, both files are selected. If the active and inactive windows are both in Details view and there is scroll range available the file in the inactive window is scrolled to align with the selected file in the active window.

Selecting All Files

In any selection mode, all files may be selected or deselected by invoking the Select all or Deselect all options from the Files pull-down or pop-up menus, pushing the selected pushbutton on the Data Panel, or pressing the Ctrl+/ (select) and Ctrl+\ (deselect) key combinations.

Either the allocated size or number of all selected files is accumulated and totaled in the selected window of the Data Panel. LMB click in the Selected window to toggle the display between total number of files or allocated size.

There are three other quick select features in FS/2; one which selects all files with the same extension from the displayed file list, another restores a previously selected list and the third inverts an existing selected list.

Selecting All Files with Same Extension

To select all files with the same file extension in a file window, single select (click) any file with that extension. Then select the Select All *.ext menu item from the window's popup or pulldown menu. Files with other extensions may be added to the selected list by holding the Ctrl key down and adding that file to the list, then again selecting Select All *.ext menu item. From the keyboard, you may add the files with a simple forward slash "/" in lieu of selecting the menu item.

Restoring the Last Selected File List

To restore the last selected file list, use the keyboard command Alt+/ or select ReSelect from the pulldown Files menu. This option is only available when all files have been deselected.

Inverting the Selected File List

To invert the selected file list, use the keyboard command Alt+/ or select Invert Selected from the pulldown or popup menu. This option is only available when there are files selected.

Modifying the Selected File List

Once a file operation is selected from a menu, such as Copy or Move, the Files window is disabled to user input, preventing any possibility of accidental deselection of the selected file list. However, before the operation is commenced, it is possible to modify the selected list by holding down the modifier Ctrl key and selecting or deselecting the desired file(s).