Feature Request: Automatic Fit of Column Width

[nesedenyana]

Hi!
I constantly play with column width, because it's sometime important to see the path, sometime the full name. So, if there was an option to select "Automatically fit the column width to the results after X sec", I would tick the box and select the X = 1. However, it might be hard to implement and we wouldn't want to see X=0 case and constantly moving columns.
Just a though, maybe we can find a better alternative to this problem by brainstorming

[void]

I'll consider an automatically fit column width option.
Thank you for your suggestion.

For now, please consider the following:

Press Ctrl + Numpad + to size all columns to fit.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Numpad + to adjust columns to fit the window.

Press Alt + 1, Alt + 2, Alt + 3 or Alt + 4 to adjust columns and the window size.
Auto size options

path_ellipsis option.
path_narrow option.

Hover over a clipped item with the mouse cursor to view the full text.

[nesedenyana]

I think ALT+4 is what I am looking for. I couldn't figure out CTRL shortcuts.
That would have been perfect if ALT+4 only widens the window in lateral direction instead of scaling it.
Thanks a lot!

[ChrisGreaves]

I think ALT+4 is what I am looking for. I couldn't figure out CTRL shortcuts.
That would have been perfect if ALT+4 only widens the window in lateral direction instead of scaling it.
Thanks a lot!

nesedenyana , thanks for this topic. I was about to start a new topic.

@Void: I am impressed with the mouse action when I double-click on a column boundary to resize "to-fit"
I have a feeling that Everything is the only column-based application I know that auto-fits only to the data in the window!
Far too often a long path way down in row 65,000 dictates an enormous column width, when my Window has been shrunk in size (images for examples) and then after auto-sizing the column I have to manually adjust it anyway.
This seems like a grand facet of Everything.

I think that this is what I am using, but via the mouse:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Numpad + to adjust columns to fit the window.

Thanks, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

I'll consider an automatically fit column width option.

Hi Void!
Next time you are bored and looking for something to while away the time, might you consider seeing if there is an unused shortcut-key that could be assigned to a SUPER-column-width function.
Yes, I'm still in love with "Press Ctrl + Shift + Numpad + to adjust columns to fit the window.", but am thinking of a function that does that and then sizes (extends or contracts) the display window to fit?

I haven't thought this through; I am waiting for lunch to be served ...(grin)
Cheers, Chris
Days later: View, Window size, Autofit, which is the Alt+4 in your post above! Thanks ever so much!
Cheers, Chris

[horst.epp]

No one can remember this always growing list of hotkeys for seldom used features.
Specially hotkeys which are almost impossible to reach without using both hands.
For any such function there should be a context menu or main menu entry.

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

[...]
if there was an option to select "Automatically fit the column width to the results after X sec", I would tick the box and select the X = 1. However, it might be hard to implement and we wouldn't want to see X=0 case and constantly moving columns
[...]

Why not?

"0" would mean that the width would be adjusted immediately - it would be good when you paste in an expression to the box of Filter

I personally would chose much higher value - and would rather relay on a button, that would switch between three modes of working:
A = fixed widths
B = widths adjusted after X time
C = widths adjusted immediately


And maybe users should have a choice if they want overall setting for all columns - or [similar as it is in case of sizes and colors of fonts of various elements] also an ability to such individual ABC mode for every column?

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

And there is also the issue of considering what is seen on the screen in a given moment - or of taking into consideration also of items that will become visible only afer scrolling of generated list

I would prefer if Everything would adjust the size considering all of the items, so that I would not potentially have to re-adjust columns after further scrolling of list with items. I just despise the current need to constantly scroll the window horizontally back and forth or alternatively re-re-and-re-adjusting time after time the width of columns in a manual way. It is simply annoying and largely counterproductive. And despite using a 21:9 aspect ratio monitor and small fonts I sill have to cope with that issue by repeating over and over such changes

[therube]

Column Width Smart Resize - Auto-Resize - Auto-Sizing
http://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtopi ... 4969#p4969

I pretty much keep my window sizing & column widths, constant (fixed).
What I feel would be great is to be able to "automatically resize", but then revert back to said "constant" (fixed) constraints.

In that respect, something like F11, should automatically resize columns, smartly.
Maybe leaving date/size alone, as they are likely sized "correctly" to begin with.
But automatically resize name/path, within constraints, to nicely, smartly fit the newly available screen width that F11 may afford.
(As it is currently, F11 gives you more rows, but column widths are unchanged, so not giving any more meaningful data, width-wise, then what was already seen prior to F11.)

So, maybe in addition to a few existing Alt+ settings, there could be an Alt+HOME that would revert the screen to a users set, preferred screen sizing / column widths.

With that, you can arbitrarily resize, even manually, to fit a particular condition, then easily revert using Alt+HOME.

[ChrisGreaves]

For any such function there should be a context menu or main menu entry.

The original Windows design was that "Anything that could be done with the keyboard could be done with the mouse" and "If it can be done at all, it's in the Menu".
A dictum amongst trainers was "There are four ways of doing everything" with the corollary that if you hadn't yet found four ways, you should keep looking; the fourth way might be most efficient for you.

All this however does not address the suggested function under discussion.
Cheers, Chris

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

[...]
What I feel would be great is to be able to "automatically resize", but then revert back to said "constant" (fixed) constraints.
[...]

Every file-managing program should have such option - in form of a button

And this is exactly what I was proposing on the forum of e.g. Mp3tag

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

Hi!
I constantly play with column width
[...]

About zooming in and out in regards to Columns :
viewtopic.php?t=13499

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

Another request concerning width-fitting of Columns: viewtopic.php?p=58665#p58665

[Thy Grand Voidinesss]

And another one: viewtopic.php?t=13633

[meteorquake]

In reply to one comment above, MSAccess also does its column resize just to the screen data (not all row data incl. off-screen). What that and this have in common is that the number of rows is fairly unlimited and may run into the millions (and also may be constantly changing).

To add to the links at the end there, this is another suggestion I made regarding prioritising a particular column during the resizing - viewtopic.php?t=14312

And extra idea is if an option is set to shrink the font of entries that are outliers in length in a column (>n std-dev) or allowing multi-lines for those rather than 1, allowing the resize to create a more effective balance.

There's also the Word-Style size where you can resize a column and all the other columns rebalance maintaining the same overall width (useful if an exact screen filler)