Delete File(s)

Files may be deleted with or without the intervening Delete File(s) dialog. This dialog is intended to serve as a confirmation that the user really wants to delete the selected files and gives the user the opportunity to back out of the operation. The Confirm File Delete option in the Settings Notebook, Page 2_1, turns this confirmation on or off.

The recommended method to initiate file deletions is to select Delete from the file window context menu (RMB click in window). The menu gives the user a visual reminder as to whether the File Delete dialog will be used by indicating Delete.... Otherwise, the Delete menu option is line bordered and selecting delete in this case immediately deletes the selected files. Using the window popup menu also insures that the user is well aware of which file window is active and for which the delete command applies.

A delete operation may also be initiated by selection from the Action Bar pulldown menu, the Toolbar, or pressing Ctrl+Del from the keyboard.

Delete File(s) Dialog

The Delete File(s) dialog appears positioned at its last used position. The dialog is movable and may be resized in length to enhance viewing long paths and filenames. It contains two data fields:

• The upper field contains the full file path and file name of the first file in the selected list.

• The lower field summarizes the additional files included in the delete operation.

A check box for control of the type of file delete (recoverable or permanently deleted) is provided. If the box is checked, the file(s) are permanently deleted. Otherwise, they are deleted to the DELETE directory on the drive if the environment variable SET DELDIR is enabled and set for the drive in the config.sys file.

A visual reminder that all selected files will be deleted is also presented in the dialog.

When the operation dialog is present, the source File Window is locked from further normal user input until the selected operation is complete or canceled. However, you can modify the selected file list by holding down the Ctrl key and using the left mouse button to deselect files from the list or select other files to be added to the list. This is a common feature of the Copy, Move, Delete, Zip and Unzip dialogs.

Pressing the Delete pushbutton in the dialog will initiate the delete operation. The deleted files are removed from the window as they are deleted and the window is refreshed at the end of the operation automatically. If a problem is encountered during the process, a Delete Error dialog is popped up for user information and direction.

Aborting the Operation

If more than one file is selected for the operation, a green pushbutton, labeled Press/Esc to Pause, will replace the File Filter pushbutton at the bottom of the file window once the operation starts. Clicking this pushbutton with the mouse, or pressing Esc on the keyboard, will pause the operation. The user then has the option to Abort or Continue using a split version of the same pushbutton. Because most operations are very fast, there is hardly time to pause operations involving only a few files.