Designing a new Finder

[IIO]

Then the 2 Finders can be running at the same time.
Just a theory.

watch out for situations with loops and buffer underruns.

eventually just forbid two copies to run at the same time.

[Protools5LEGuy]

... and MacTron´s Finder

¿?
 

You did an Finder that could "Quit", and were called MacTron's Finder IIRC

[it0uchpods]

Hi all,
This seems like a cool project, I'll suggest the name Finder++? With 2 pluses? UniFinder is also nice.

I personally use 9.2.2 on my TiBook (Onyx), so I'd be willing to help test, and maybe contribute if I can.

J

[OS923]

I'm trying to define everything in plugins that are linked to the same library as UniFinder.
This library UniFinderLib goes into the extensions folder.
You can replace the plugins by writing your own plugins using the SDK.
UniFinder is merely a program which loads plugins and dispatches events and manages threads.
The easier things like drawing or sorting are done by plugins.
The plugins are open source.

I tried this for the first time in 2000 but I wasn't good enough and I also made the mistake of trying to do everything in 3D with QuickDraw 3D.

I wrote several programs that will be integrated in UniFinder:
Make a list of the full paths of all aliases and their targets.
This can later be used to repair all aliases.
I tried it and it was flawless.
I can also rearrange the CodeWarrior editor windows without opening the files in the IDE at the speed of about 200 files per second.

At this moment I'm rewriting the part of PowerPlant that I use for OS 9.2.3.
It's ridiculously much work.

[DieHard]

I wrote several programs that will be integrated in UniFinder:

If you have time, can you elaborate on 1 or 2 or these programs and their purposes...

[IIO]

Make a list of the full paths of all aliases and their targets.

this is very cool, but can´t most search programs do that, too? (filebuddy?)

[OS923]

I had also another idea for aliases but I didn't try it yet.
Save a unique number in the Info comment of every target and save the same number in the corresponding aliases.
These numbers can be used to repair the aliases.
This has the advantage that I don't have to change those files and I don't have to record anything and the numbers are copied when you move the files to different disks.
What do you think of it?

[Apfel]

Better Finder
Die Hard Finder
Dream Finder
Ersatz Finder
Finder King
Finder Not Dead
Finder to the max
Finder255
Long Unicode Finder
Real Finder
Surrogate
Undead Finder

I'm in favor of "Long Unicode Finder" because it describes best what it does.

What about "Findr" instead of anything longer? I think most of us are interested in displaying more options, gaining some space loosing the "e" from "Finder". "Find" could be fine too, but "Findr" seem easy to recognize versus Apple's Finder and MacTron´s Finder

At this moment it's called UniFinder because this is practical.
All Unicode classes start with Uni (UniString, UniWDEF and so on).

What about LUFinder. Allthough "all Unicode classes start with Uni" is a good argument fo UniFinder. I also like Findr in favour of saving space.

"Findest", german means "you (1st person singular) find", would describe only a slow portion of what the Finder does, just like using "find" would do. ("Find" would also be confusing like a meaning a "search" button).

---
RE: copying multiple files, how is this actually handled, when you start several folders at once or you start a second etc., while one is still being copied? I guess the heads of the HDD will jump back and forth instead of first writing one file complete and then start copying the next, right? The last option would probably result in a less fragmented HDD, right?

[IIO]

in macos 9 it is handled like this: the paths are collected and written into a queue, then the files are copied one by one (as if the user would copy them one by one), and each file is copied from the beginning the the end.

unlike OSX, in which: the paths are collected and written into a queue, then it is made sure that the target volume has enough space, then the files content are copied all at once, and (as far as i can vaguely describe it) the chunks of the content are copied in a random order (i believe the order is based upon what the HD finds the fastest, at least in <10.9/HFS) and when everything is there, the data is finall made files again.

this is why OSX is sometimes 2x faster for copying files and there is virtually no limit of how many files you can copy (while OS9 finder can crash when you copy thousands of files at once)

[IIO]

These numbers can be used to repair the aliases.

What do you think of it?

the idea sounds right and i am hardly able to find something which would be contradictionary.

there are a few things which come to mind, which might interfere:

 - "get info" is already used by some other apps, for example photoshop&co like to leave some info there, which is then also used by some other apps to display the info to the user later.

 - transferring files over a network can remove the "get info"

 - rebuilding the desktop database or repairing volumes can remove the "get info" stuff, at least when the user chooses to do so.

but none of them would make the function completly useless. you normally dont create aliases to pictures files and if your volume is damaged you couldnt care less about the get info comments.

[OS923]

in macos 9 it is handled like this: the paths are collected and written into a queue, then the files are copied one by one (as if the user would copy them one by one), and each file is copied from the beginning the the end.

unlike OSX, in which: the paths are collected and written into a queue, then it is made sure that the target volume has enough space, then the files content are copied all at once, and (as far as i can vaguely describe it) the chunks of the content are copied in a random order (i believe the order is based upon what the HD finds the fastest, at least in <10.9/HFS) and when everything is there, the data is finall made files again.

this is why OSX is sometimes 2x faster for copying files and there is virtually no limit of how many files you can copy (while OS9 finder can crash when you copy thousands of files at once)

I can define file copy in an open source plugin. If you want to do it your way or like in Windows, then you define that in your own plugin.

I can imagine that you prefer a Trash like in Windows, so the Trash should as well be defined in a plugin.

[IIO]

of course in this case it is almost an obligation to include one option which is called "copy files exactly like apples finder would do".

[OS923]

I published intermediate problems and solutions on this page:
https://www.gangstalking.eu/problems/index.htm

[OS923]

I found the solution for drawing on the desktop.

I looked into the PandoStickers 2.0.2 extension. It draws on the desktop by patching FillCRect and FillCRgn. (This works only if you remove the desktop picture.)

I could imitate this and patch DrawPicture too. Then it should work also with a desktop picture.

This is an easy solution which avoids patching DMDrawDesktopRect and DMDrawDesktopRegion which are 2-word inlines.

I didn't try it yet but it should be a formality.

[OS923]

At the top of a window, there's an area which is wasted with not so useful information like "10 items, 59.1 MB available". I want to use this area better. This is a good place for buttons and menus. I want here a menu for changing the view options. A menu for the path has to be here instead of in the window title. I want a button for opening the super folder. What else do you want here?

[nanopico]

At the top of a window, there's an area which is wasted with not so useful information like "10 items, 59.1 MB available". I want to use this area better. This is a good place for buttons and menus. I want here a menu for changing the view options. A menu for the path has to be here instead of in the window title. I want a button for opening the super folder. What else do you want here?

Personally nothing.  I actually do use the information at the top and it is very useful to me.
What you are suggesting is starting to go away from the actual design of OS 9 and now making an inconsistent environment. The should be no menus there and they all should be in the top with all the rest.

Now having  a folder path would be useful. A better solution would be to put that at the bottom of the window. This should also be a finder preference to turn off.

That is just my view, but what do I know, I've only been dealing with user interface design in software for 15 years.

[IIO]

At the top of a window, there's an area which is wasted with not so useful information like "10 items, 59.1 MB available". I want to use this area better. This is a good place for buttons and menus. I want here a menu for changing the view options. A menu for the path has to be here instead of in the window title. I want a button for opening the super folder. What else do you want here?

menu for changing view options would be great!

and a menu for changing label colors and  locking/unlocking (all selected files in the window) would also be nice.

buttons... what about a button for "calculate size(s) now" (and another click would disable size calculation again)

a menu for the path... erm... you know that there is a menu for path (via apple-click), do you?

button for going back to the super... personally i use keyboard commands to navigate, it is faster than using a mouse.

[IIO]

What you are suggesting is starting to go away from the actual design of OS 9

i see what you mean. maybe there should not be too much removed and all new features should be at least opt-out - like you said, by disabling certain of the ++ features via finder prefs.

[IIO]

one-click stuff/unstuff and zip/unzip would also be fun to have in the window top bar.

eventually it can just be taken from the stuff it menu (which should be apple event i think)

[DieHard]

If it fits the name of the current Volume would be great

I am sure the full path would be too long.