Files

• Files Menu
• Files Window Controls
• Files Window ViewsAuto Scroll
• Click and Sort
• Click and View
• File Associations
• Seek Files
• File Operations
  • Common Procedures
    • Setting the Target Path
  • Rename File
  • Renaming Multiple Files
    • Wildcard
    • Serial
    • Insert/Trim
    • Include/Exclude
    • Remove String
    • Replace Character
  • Comparing Files
  • Extended Attributes
  • Abort Buttons
    • Abort
    • Continue
    • Push Bar/ESC to Pause
  • Undelete

For help with the FS/2 application window, see General Overview.

The Files Windows

There are two identical Files windows in the FS/2 display. These Files windows are analogous to a WPS folder - except they have some unique features that make it very easy to modify the view and file sort and are closely integrated with other internal windows and program features. They may be filled with:

• Files of the selected directory, filtered by wildcard name, extension, date, size, attributes and negative name filters.
  
• Subdirectories of the selected directory.
  
• Files from multiple directories in a Multi-Directory view, unique to this program, which adds flexibility and power to their use.
  
• Files in the DELETE directory using real path and file names

The Files Windows are referred to herein as A or B. Files window A is always the left (or lower) Files window in the default windows arrangement for the five styles. Window option settings are independent for each window.

Setting the Window View

• Files may be displayed in one of four views:

• Details (default) - A file or directory list with optional columns titled:

• Icon - The file or directory icon.
• File Name (default) - The real file name.
• Title - The WPS title.
• Subject - The file subject set in the .SUBJECT extended attribute.
• Extended Attribute Size (EAS) - The total of a extended attributes for the file.
• File Size (default) - File size in bytes.
• Last Write (default) - Last write date, the date the file was last modified.
• Last Access - Last access date, the date the file was last opened.
• Date created - The date the file was created.
• Attributes (default) - The file attributes of read only, system, hidden, archived and directory.

• Text - A text display of flowed file names in columns.

• Name - A flowed display of file icons, with real file names and displayed in columns.

• Icon - A display of file icons, titled with with real file names and displayed in rows.

  To toggle between Details/Text views, LMB click the 'Text' button ( ) at the lower left of the window. To toggle Icon/Icon Flowed views, LMB click the 'Icon' button () at the lower right of the window.

  Column titles in Details view may be toggled on/off using a RMB click on the 'Text' button. To toggle between mini or normal sized icons, RMB click the 'Icon' button.

  Window views may also be set using the Window Options->Select View menu items. However, using the mouse and the 'Text' and 'Icon' buttons is much easier.

  The Files windows display real files (or directories) only, and by real file names. In Details view, a Titles column may be displayed. Titles are used by the WPS to identify both real files and abstract objects. Not all files will have a title, which is stored on disk as a .LONGNAME extended attribute. Extended Attributes are not normally included when scanning a directory for optimum performance and must be enabled by the user. However, the Details view EAS column, if displayed, will show the EA size for each file regardless of the exclusion of reading the subject or title EAs during a directory scan.

  The files list may be auto-scrolled when swipe-selecting files.

  The files list is sorted using the mouse as described in Click-and-Sort.

  To find a file is a large file list, use the file seek function.

  FS/2 does not display WPS abstract objects such as those generally found in the Desktop directory on the boot drive.

  Files Window Showing Directories

  Window Arrangement

  The two Files windows have five predefined arrangements (styles):

  
  Tiled Vertical
  
  Tiled Horizontal
  
  Cascaded
  
  Custom
  
  Twin
  

  A style may be easily selected using either the Windows menu, Alt+1 through Alt+5 from the keyboard, Ctrl F11/F12 or LMB/RMB on the Ring Button (lower left of Files windows) to toggle through the ring of styles.

  Any of the five styles may be user adjusted in size by dragging a window border. This will affect the selected style only and will be restored as adjusted until reset using one of the Windows menu reset options. A Lock Windows menu option may be used to prevent accidentally resizing of the internal windows. The Twin style should not be user adjusted as it is used for the Directory Compare function.

  Note: The internal windows cannot be moved by a mouse drag action. To move a window, the left and/or bottom border must be dragged to the new position.

  To reset the active window style back to the default arrangement, hit the Size button in the Data Panel (Ctrl+W). Use the Reset Ring function (Alt+Shift+W) to reset all window styles to the default position.

  If the right border of the Directories window is resized by a border drag, the new size is optionally set as the default size for the Directories window and its width is used thereafter when resetting one or all styles.

  The Cascaded style is recommended if using the Details view. It allows the largest area for display of files while retaining a 'drag-to-other-window' area in the background window and it is easy to click the other window to activate. Some users prefer the tiled variations as a result of experience with other file managers. These styles are primarily useful only when visually comparing the content of the two Files windows.

  Move, Size or Lock Windows

  A Files window cannot be moved by dragging it, or though a move menu command, but may be resized with the mouse and, if resized appropriately, its position may be effectively moved. Use the Setup->Lock Windows option to lock the internal windows from user adjustment. This is useful to prevent occasional, accidental drag of a window border with the mouse.

  Double clicking with the left mouse button in the title bar will expand the window to the horizontal size of the FS/2 display. Another double click will restore the window to normal size. The windows may be expanded or restored only; they will not minimize. They do not expand vertically when maximized, leaving the Toolbar and Data Panel viewable.

  Titlebar Controls and Clicks

  The window title bar shows the current directory and filter. Positioned at the left end of the titlebar is a folder or text file button that toggles the state of what the window displays, directories or files. There is no combination folders/files display. At the right end of the titlebar is the window maximize control. Mouse clicks in the titlebar have defined actions also:

  
  LMB click - Activates the window and causes the list to scroll to the cursored file. 
  
  

  The F7 and F8 keys may be used to activate the windows for input and to seek the cursored file.

  Other Windows Controls

  Each window has five pushbutton controls at the bottom which are used as follows;

  
  Ring - Toggles the window style to next/last style using LMB/RMB clicks.
  Text - Toggles the text views. Use RMB click to toggle the column titles on/off in Details view.
  Last Filter - Toggles the file filter between current and last. Displayed on the pushbutton is the total number of files and bytes for the directory displayed in the window.
  Icon - Toggles the icon views. Use RMB click to toggle icon size between mini and normal icons.
  Parent Directory - Switches to parent directory
  

  Context Menus

  The Window Options context pop up menu is accessed by a RMB click over the Last Filter pushbutton. This menu has options to configure the display.

  Files Window Options Menu

  A RMB click anywhere within the file list will pop up one of three context menus, dependent on what is currently displayed in the window:

  
  Files - This menu contains items to manipulate files.
  
  Subdirectories - This menu contains items to manipulate subdirectories of the selected tree directory.
  
  Undelete Files- This menu contains items to undelete files and other options related to the DELETE directory.
  

  Date/Time Format

  The comma, date and time formats used in FS/2 are those set by the system Locale object. If leading zeros are desired, check the Leading Zeros option on the Monetary page. Make sure use the Locale object menu option Action->Mark as Default after making any Locale changes.

  ---

  [Back: Directory Sychronization] [Next: Files Menu]