feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

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mgroen
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feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *mgroen »

Here is a feature request for Search function:

when search is started please display current search time (a counter), and and estimation about remaining search time (a counter).

Sort of like when copying files.

This makes it easier to walk away from your computer while a search is performed.
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Dalai
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *Dalai »

mgroen wrote: 2020-02-13, 10:57 UTCwhen search is started please display current search time (a counter) [...]
Should be stimple enough.
[...] and and estimation about remaining search time (a counter).
Uh, how's that supposed to work? How should TC know such information? It doesn't create an internal list of directories it's going to search, i.e. TC doesn't know the amount of data (number of directories) it needs to search. If you don't know the whole amount of anything, you can't estimate how long a process is going to take. I'll give another example that's perhaps easier to grasp: If you don't know how far point A is from point B, you can't estimate how long it's going to take to move from point A to point B, even if you know your current speed. Furthermore, TC is in no way able to know how long plugins take for certain actions, i.e. this could lead to estimates that jump around far too much (thus are essentially useless).

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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *tuska »

mgroen wrote: 2020-02-13, 10:57 UTC This makes it easier to walk away from your computer while a search is performed.
If you do a search in TC with the support of 'Everything' you shouldn't go too far from your computer.
If so, then only in reverse gear, because it could be that the search result is displayed in TC after just a few steps. :)


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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *tuska »

2mgroen

You might be interested in:
HISTORY.TXT wrote: 16.10.19 Release Total Commander 9.50 beta 1
22.07.19 Added: Search with 'Everything': Show percent of the search results transferred to Total Commander and
                added to the result list (Everything reports the total number of found files) (32/64)
Example:
- Alt+Shift+F7 Search in separate process...
- Search for: ev:C:\Windows\*.*
- Click on button "Start search"
- In the status line of the "Find Files" window, the continuously changing percentage is displayed

Note:
The search in TC with 'Everything' integrated is done in real-time - 'Everything' is required.
However, TC needs a little time to prepare the search results in TC.

If you are interested, take a look at my signature above (Links clickable).
mgroen
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *mgroen »

Uh, how's that supposed to work? How should TC know such information? It doesn't create an internal list of directories it's going to search, i.e. TC doesn't know the amount of data (number of directories) it needs to search. If you don't know the whole amount of anything, you can't estimate how long a process is going to take. I'll give another example that's perhaps easier to grasp: If you don't know how far point A is from point B, you can't estimate how long it's going to take to move from point A to point B, even if you know your current speed. Furthermore, TC is in no way able to know how long plugins take for certain actions, i.e. this could lead to estimates that jump around far too much (thus are essentially useless).

Regards
Dalai
I understand your added nuance. In TC, I do not use Plugins for search actions. Perhaps it is possible to do implement this feature for search actions not done with any plugin? That is, only if TC is able to calculate total amount of files/folders it needs to search upforehand.
mgroen
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *mgroen »

tuska wrote: 2020-02-14, 14:43 UTC 2mgroen

You might be interested in:
HISTORY.TXT wrote: 16.10.19 Release Total Commander 9.50 beta 1
22.07.19 Added: Search with 'Everything': Show percent of the search results transferred to Total Commander and
                added to the result list (Everything reports the total number of found files) (32/64)
Example:
- Alt+Shift+F7 Search in separate process...
- Search for: ev:C:\Windows\*.*
- Click on button "Start search"
- In the status line of the "Find Files" window, the continuously changing percentage is displayed

Note:
The search in TC with 'Everything' integrated is done in real-time - 'Everything' is required.
However, TC needs a little time to prepare the search results in TC.

If you are interested, take a look at my signature above (Links clickable).
Thank you for your reply. I will take a look.
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Dalai
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *Dalai »

mgroen wrote: 2020-02-16, 11:13 UTCThat is, only if TC is able to calculate total amount of files/folders it needs to search upforehand.
Which would require TC to iterate through the directories twice, first to create a list of directories to search, and then to make the actual search. This would slow down the search compared to what we have right now. Not really what you or anybody else wants, is it?

[EDIT]
Typo
[/EDIT]


Regards
Dalai
Last edited by Dalai on 2020-02-16, 21:13 UTC, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *DrShark »

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-13, 13:33 UTC
mgroen wrote: 2020-02-13, 10:57 UTC[...] and and estimation about remaining search time (a counter).
Uh, how's that supposed to work? How should TC know such information?
It won't be accurate, but instead of estimated time TC can use number on first-level folders (subfolders) to show current progress of search.
Examples:
1. "Search in:" single location, c:\dir\, which has subdirs c:\dir\dir1\ and c:\dir\dir2\ with further subfiles and subdirs:
when TC will find everything in c:\dir\dir1\, it can show search progress as 50%.
3. "Search in:" has multiple locations, like c:\dir\dir1\;c:\dir\dir2
- when TC will find everything in c:\dir\dir1\, it can show search progress as 50%.
3. Search in search results, Branch view, "all selected", "previous search results", from list (@list.txt) etc. - number of files in search list is 100%, so TC can change progress percent after search in each file/folder in search list.
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *Dalai »

DrShark wrote: 2020-02-16, 16:01 UTCIt won't be accurate, but instead of estimated time TC can use number on first-level folders (subfolders) to show current progress of search.
Examples:
1. "Search in:" single location, c:\dir\, which has subdirs c:\dir\dir1\ and c:\dir\dir2\ with further subfiles and subdirs:
when TC will find everything in c:\dir\dir1\, it can show search progress as 50%.
But how is the search 50% finished if C:\dir\dir2 has hundreds of subdirs while C:\dir\dir1 contains only a couple? IMO that's the most common case: asymmetrical directory structures. And that's the thing: you can't make a timer or show a percentage that would be useful when you make assumptions that are too far off reality. That's like (the old) setups that take 1% of time to reach 99% of progress and 99% of time for the last 1% of progress - not useful at all.

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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *DrShark »

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-16, 16:33 UTCBut how is the search 50% finished if C:\dir\dir2 has hundreds of subdirs while C:\dir\dir1 contains only a couple? [...] That's like (the old) setups that take 1% of time to reach 99% of progress and 99% of time for the last 1% of progress - not useful at all.
That's what I mean by "won't be accurate". But in some cases this indeed will be useful, e.g. we use in Search in: @list.txt with many search locations. Currently TC shows only current location where search is going on at the moment in status, which tells user nothing about how far the search went, while percent as suggested above would at least give user some progress info.
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *mgroen »

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-16, 13:42 UTC
mgroen wrote: 2020-02-16, 11:13 UTCThat is, only if TC is able to calculate total amount of files/folders it needs to search upforehand.
Which would require TC to iterate through the directories twice, first to create a list of directories to search, and then to make the actual search. This would slow down the search compared to what we have right now. Now really what you or anybody else wants, is it?

Regards
Dalai
I see. Speed is better in this case. Maybe there is a different approach, say get total list of files at start of search and calculate/display progress on files instead of directories (see my next posting).
Last edited by mgroen on 2020-02-16, 20:58 UTC, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *mgroen »

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-16, 16:33 UTC
DrShark wrote: 2020-02-16, 16:01 UTCIt won't be accurate, but instead of estimated time TC can use number on first-level folders (subfolders) to show current progress of search.
Examples:
1. "Search in:" single location, c:\dir\, which has subdirs c:\dir\dir1\ and c:\dir\dir2\ with further subfiles and subdirs:
when TC will find everything in c:\dir\dir1\, it can show search progress as 50%.
But how is the search 50% finished if C:\dir\dir2 has hundreds of subdirs while C:\dir\dir1 contains only a couple? IMO that's the most common case: asymmetrical directory structures. And that's the thing: you can't make a timer or show a percentage that would be useful when you make assumptions that are too far off reality. That's like (the old) setups that take 1% of time to reach 99% of progress and 99% of time for the last 1% of progress - not useful at all.

Regards
Dalai
Personally, I would go for this:
In stead of going for dirs/folders I would go for files:
- get amount of total files in all dirs and subdirs within the folder(s) to be searched;
- (re)calculate progress and display after each search completed file;

I don't know if its possible get a quick a number of total files in TC, because searching needs to be remain fast. This features does should not cause much delay in the search progress.
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Re: feature request 1 for Search function: include timers

Post by *Dalai »

It doesn't matter what kind of information is determined before doing the actual search, be it directories or files, any of them will make the whole process slower. Besides, when building the list of files, you might already be done with the search, e.g. when search for a file "some.txt". In such a case, you won't need any timer or percentage or whatever.

When you actually care about finding files fast (or even in an instant), you should look into the Everything tool (by www.voidtools.com). I never used it myself, but Ghisler integrated communication with it in TC, so it should be worth it. When finding files is fast, there's no need for a timer or percentage.

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