[Oberon] Beginners only

[cglur at onwe.co.za]

>>   You didn't say WHY the lines should not be broken?  Any
>> particular reason you need just one line?
Yes. A one to one mapping is massively simpler (cognetively) than
a one to many.

Charles Angelich wrote:
> 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.
 .....

> 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?

After downloading (eg. ftp) where there's a possible doubt of 
error(s) like the *.zip(s) which still don't expand under (updated)
n-o (yet when moved to linux do), it's reassuring to be able to
confirm the right size. Size is perhaps the coursest check ?

Date is most usefull.
I have SmartDir.Tool , given to me (to test) some years back, which 
apparently hasn't been include in the standard distribution yet.
Another example of 'community fragmentation' .
I use it about 10 times a week; mostly for relocating files which I
know I've worked on recently, but have forgotten the name of.

On my Ver 2.3.2, there is a 'findPanel' which I never knew how
to use, which has a setable date-parameter.  Why this was dropped
from later versions I don't understand.  I can't believe that other users
don't need files located by date order!   Norton Commander, (cloned
to mc for linux - the best utility outside n-o) offers file listing ordered
by saved-time/reversed  - most usefull. 

Perhaps Charles can use some of his excess energy to refine the existing
code to give a listing ordered in reverse (most recent=first) date/time ?  
I'll do the testing. 


-- Chris Glur.

PS. Charles, your desire to have 'all instruments always visible' like a 
sports aircraft is inappropriate for computing.  A 500 page book has 
one pair of opposing pages visible at one time.  If your desk project 
has 3 envelopes, 2 books, 5 documents and a map, then you need to
move them around, from partly coverd to 'focused' as you work. 
That's life.    A work in progress is a dynamic entity -- until it hopefully
disapears on completion.

This ability to rapidly shuffle the documents around is intimately
related to the n-o interface.  You can't do it wearing boxing-gloves.