Indicate Filtering by a Background Color

DavidSalahi · Post by **DavidSalahi** » 2004 Jun 30, 17:13

It would be helpful to let the user know when a filter is applied by changing the background color of the affected pane. Currently, explorer2 does this to show which pane is active. It would also be nice to use another color to remind the user when some files are not being shown. The use of a color would be much more easily visible than the icon which currently appears when filtering is on at the bottom of the window.

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2004 Jun 30, 17:29

Being an advocate for using appearance to:
improve useability,
reduce errors,
increase speed of recognition,
etc. ...
(even though functionality is unchanged),
I certainly agree with your suggestion.

Post by **nikos** » 2004 Jun 30, 17:56

but let us not forget that too much color can give some unfortunate souls epileptic fits

It gives me a headache for sure!

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2004 Jun 30, 18:11

That's why these color schemes need to come with user preference settings.

Your current preferences may be similar to what mine once were -- before my once-photographic memory became compromised: back when I could remember all the details of all concurrent multiprocessing tasks, a minimalistic approach was sufficient, even ego-building for the ability to do so much with so little.

However, lately I need all the help I can get to keep my tasks and my settings straight (what's happening now?)

DavidSalahi · Post by **DavidSalahi** » 2004 Jun 30, 19:36

nikos wrote:

but let us not forget that too much color can give some unfortunate souls epileptic fits It gives me a headache for sure!

I agree that we wouldn't want to foist a garish color scheme on the unsuspecting user. As long as an option to customize the color is provided, as fgagnon suggests, that wouldn't be the case. One option could be "no color change" and the default color filter color could be a subtle neutral color.

Dave

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2004 Jun 30, 21:39

I think you should really consider throwing this in for the next release Nikos. Making it user configurable (with a sensible default setting

) would guarantee everyone can make his/her own choice about this (you should keep the icon in the status bar, to enable discarding colouring altogether).

Colouring will be very helpful!!

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 2004 Jul 01, 04:49

I too think a stronger indication of filtering should be there for the panes (other than the green funnel symbol which is tucked away in an inconspicuous corner).

However, the symbol has its own uses (see http://forum.zabkat.com/viewtopic.php?p=12 ... d640#12206); so don't get rid of it!

Post by **nikos** » 2004 Jul 01, 07:04

it's clear to me that this is a consiracy to turn x2 into a hippy

vserghi · Post by **vserghi** » 2004 Jul 06, 08:26

Instead of having the filter symbol in the bottom corner, or changing the colour of the panes/titlebars to show a filtered view, why not just put a filter icon next to the path on the pane that is filtered?

Keep the colour scheme mentioned in this post
http://forum.zabkat.com/viewtopic.php?t=17 ... c&start=15

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 2004 Jul 06, 08:40

When tabbbed interface is implemented, the funnel symbol in the corner will be totally useless. Then these newly proposed schemes (either shade a filtered tab or put a funnel symbol in header, next to the path) are both better.

Of these two, shading the pane deader (and later tab) is better since the funnel requires some space, which may be at a premium in tabs. (As the number of tabs goes up, lesser and lesser space is available.

cdailey · Post by **cdailey** » 2004 Jul 10, 03:37

Instead of background colors for matching & non-matching files, how about listing the non-matching files in grey text below the matching ones (in black) instead of hiding these? The non-matching list should be ordered the same way as the matching list.

Taking this a step further, matching & non-matching text color could be user customizable.

Thanks.

Post by **nikos** » 2004 Jul 10, 08:00

that wouldn't be a visual filter!
what you describe can be done already with alt+G mark command

cdailey · Post by **cdailey** » 2004 Jul 10, 14:27

Thanks - after I posted I thought there might already be a similar command.

goggin · Post by **goggin** » 2004 Jul 12, 18:35

narayan wrote:When tabbbed interface is implemented, ...

Yeah! Hurray! Yippee! A tabbed interface for me!

Sorry, got a bit carried away there...

I may have missed this if it was discussed before (I don't get here very often), but that's one of two features I've really missed from other file explorer programs I've used. I really, really use the tabbed interface if it's available as I almost always have to access 4-6 different folders in my work...and I prefer a tabbed interface for that rather than sepearate windows (same reason I use Mozilla instead of IE).

The other feature I would like, btw, is the topic of this thread...which is user selectable background colors to indicate when a filter is active.

Thanks!
--
dgg

PhD · Post by **PhD** » 2004 Dec 02, 20:47

Brand new registered user, I'd like to give my opinion about filtering mode visualisation.
I often forget that I'm in filtered mode, and the little icon can't help me, because of the size and position.
For me, the solution would be colored background, or specific font or text body (italic, bold, or else ?) .
Or maybe a background watermark could help ?