Multiple locations

[harryray2]

I have files that I want to copy to multiple locations, at the moment Everything will only allow for copy and paste to results in the name column not in the path column, which is fine when searching for directories but not file names.

If I do a search for a particular file and I get 10 hits can I get the parent of all these files so that I can then create shortcuts to all the parent directories so that I can paste into all of them?
At the moment I have to open each entry one at a time.

[horst.epp]

If I drag with the right mouse button I can paste to the path column.
Then the options are offered to Move / Copy the file or to create a shortcut.

[harryray2]

The only way I can do this at the moment is by a way suggested by someone to use child: to bring up all the containing folders, which works to an extent but it seems to sometimes leave out folders.

I had a look at advanced copy and move but that doesn't seem to give me a solution.

Does anyone have any ideas please?

[raccoon]

1.5a: Create a keyboard shortcut for these items.

Under Tools > Options > General > Keyboard
Search commands containing: "parent"

Result List | Parent | Copy
Result List | Parent | Open

Select each one in turn and click 'Add...'
Click on the 'Shortcut key:' field and then press a key combination on your keyboard.
Examples: Shift+C for Parent-Copy and Shift+Enter for Parent-Open.

(I personally find the Parent | Rename command to be highly useful.)

[harryray2]

@raccoon, Thanks,I'll give it a try...

I'm hoping that a paste into the entries in the path column will be implemented. That will solve the problem at a stroke.

[raccoon]

Create a keyboard binding for Result List | Parent | Paste.

Anything you have previously Copied or Parent-Copied will be Parent-Pasted: Copied into the Path of the currently selected item in the Results List.
Anything you have previously Cut or Parent-Cut will be Parent-Pasted: Moved into the Path of the currently selected item in the Results List.

If you have multiple objects selected when you Parent-Paste, nothing will happen. the object will only be copied or moved to the first selected object's Path. (maybe bug)

This is a very potent activity, having the potential of being destructive if used by accident. Your Parent-Paste keyboard binding should be something you cannot easily press by mistake, such as Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V.

@void: Bug. Parent-Paste does not create an entry in the Undo History.

[harryray2]

Thanks, I already tried out the Result List | Parent | Paste option.

It does pretty much the same as the method I'm using now except that I can use the mouse to paste which I prefer. It copies to any number of directories, I think it's only on move that it only able to do to the first selected object.
I recently copied over to 30 locations with no problem.

[raccoon]

I think it's only on move that it only able to do to the first selected object. I recently copied over to 30 locations with no problem.

In my tests, I cannot get copied objects to Parent-Paste to multiple target's paths. Only the first selected item's parent receives a copy of the file that I had previously Ctrl+C Copied.

[void]

the object will only be copied or moved to the first selected object's Path. (maybe bug)

It's a limitation with Everything (and the OS).
Pasting is handled by the OS.
Everything will execute the selection with the PASTE verb.
Items will only be pasted into the first selected folder.

It's on my TODO list to add support for pasting into multiple selected folders.

@void: Bug. Parent-Paste does not create an entry in the Undo History.

I've added basic support for undo history when pasting in the next alpha update.
It's not perfect, because Everything doesn't know if the paste was successful.
(There's no feedback from the "paste" verb)

[void]

Everything 1.5.0.1283a adds Undo History support when pasting.

Result List | Parent | Paste will now paste into multiple folders.
A Parent -> Paste context menu item when multiple items are selected is on my TODO list.



More information here: Paste to multiple locations.

[harryray2]

Could the undo history be kept permanently, maybe with an option similar to search history, on how long to keep it?

[void]

I will consider an option to persist undo history.
Thank you for the suggestion.


The likelihood of an undo operation not working increases over time.
How many undo operations would you keep? 24? 100? 1000?
The Index Journal offers some undo functionality after an Everything restart.

[raccoon]

Maybe write it off to an Undo Log so morning me can untangle the mess that drunk me created the night before.

[void]

There would be a log in the Index Journal.

[raccoon]

The Index Journal is interesting, but it's overwhelmed by system and busy application activities, and doesn't filter for Everything user or human user actions.

[harryray2]

Thanks, the undo history persistence is for reference so I wouldn't mind keeping quite a few entries. Possibly an option with a choice on how many/how long to keep?

[void]

There's already a max_undo ini setting.
This is the number of undo operations.
Each undo operations can have several actions.

If I added the option to save undo history to disk I would most likely use this value.

[harryray2]

Thanks, I knew about max_undo but it would be nice to have an option to keep a permanent record of undo operations.

I rarely use undo, but I sometimes need to refer to an operation a couple of weeks after so it would be useful seeing historically what has been done,

[harryray2]

As there isn't a way currently of retaining undo history across sessions, is there a way of backing up the history to, for instance, a CSV file?

[void]

Not yet sorry.

I will consider an option to backup undo history.
Thanks for the suggestion.