[Oberon] Re:direcotry display using "\d"

[Charles Angelich]

>Message: 3
>From: Stefan Salewski <Salewski at PHYSnet.Uni-Hamburg.de>
>Organization: Uni Hamburg
>To: oberon at inf.ethz.ch
>Subject: Re: [Oberon] Re: Oberon digest, Vol 1 #45 - 6 msgs
>Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 13:55:49 +0200
>Reply-To: oberon at inf.ethz.ch
>
>On 15.08.2002 08:42 Charles Angelich wrote:
>> As it displays now the dates don't line up and the sizes don't
>> line.  You didn't say WHY the lines should not be broken?  Any
>> particular reason you need just one line?
>>
>If the width of System.Log is large enough, then the output
>of System.Directory with option /D should occupy only one line 
>for an entry, just to use the available space optimal.

The direcory display of N-O Sys 3 is not easilly used to locate
a file by date or by size, only the filename is clearly visible.
Any attempt to compare dates or sizes is extremely difficult
without columnar tabbing.

>The Viewer of my System.Log (1280 x 1024 Monitor) is width 
>enough for filename, date and size on one single line.

Can you locate the dates easilly when reading this single jumbled
line of text?

>But I agree with you that dates and file-sizes should not follow
>direct after the filename, they should be ordered in columns.

N-O Sys 3 has a 32 character maximum filename size.  If you were
to allow 32 characters for the filename column and a TAB to the
next column (4 chars?) all of the other text would be offscreen
to the right for a 640x480 display size (35 chararcters).

>So your solution seems to be indeed an improvement, but it is 
>not optimal for wide displays.

I was trying to find a workable solution for all display sizes
that would make the display useful.  Not being able to easilly
locate dates or filesizes makes me wonder why I would even bother
to USE the "\d" switch?

Are you advocating NO backwards compatibility with earlier installs
simply because YOU have a 1280x1024 screen size?  This seems to
be creating a rift here between those who "have" and those who
"have not".

What happened to the "keep it simple but no simpler" philosophy I've
seen mentioned here earlier?



Charles Angelich

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