Quick filter enhancements

[Dreamer]

1. Customizable keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Y by default) to toggle between: focus quick filter field and focus the file list, the last selected file(s) / item(s)

2. Option to search in all fields (more here).

3. Option to search date (EXIF, file created, modified...) from X to Y, for example: FROM2009-08-01 TO2009-09-30. Perhaps the same "FROM - TO" options for image width/height and image size.

4. Option to search in sub-folders, perhaps option to start search in standard Search dialog in this case.

[xnview]

1. Customizable keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Y by default) to toggle between: focus quick filter field and focus the file list, the last selected file(s) / item(s)

Alt+F is perhaps better?

2. Option to search in all fields (more here).

3. Option to search date (EXIF, file created, modified...) from X to Y, for example: FROM2009-08-01 TO2009-09-30. Perhaps the same "FROM - TO" options for image width/height and image size.

4. Option to search in sub-folders, perhaps option to start search in standard Search dialog in this case.

But all of this are in Search dialog....

[Dreamer]

1. Ctrl+Y is a standard (more or less), Y looks as filter - Alt is not good for shortcuts (not sure if only in Windows, but I'd rather avoid of them). This is just my opinion.

4. OK, not needed, since we have option to show all files in subfolders.

2., 3. These options would be very useful IMO, search and filter are different options, filter is much quicker, handier.

[JohnFredC]

search and filter are different options, filter is much quicker, handier.

Yes, these are different things, though the conceptual distinctions between them are difficult to explain.

Their domains of application are different:

• Search applies to storage locations.
  
  Filter applies to current view.

...even though in many circumstances the results (that is, the solution set) will be exactly the same.

[xnview]

So some thing like a button to have 'advanced options' for filter?

[JohnFredC]

So some thing like a button to have 'advanced options' for filter?

Hi Pierre! The filter box needs two buttons and an editable combo box. Here is how I do it in my programs. The users love this.

I use two "bi-state" buttons and an editable combo box. Each button displays one of two glyphs or is hidden:



(Naturally XnView would have its own Mezich glyphs!)

The layout I use is [Button 1][Filter Combo][Button 2].

The states are:

State 1: No filter applied

Display

• Button 1: "Show filter dialog" glyph
  Combo : Text: "All records"
  Button 2: Hidden

Action

• Button 1: Display a filter management dialog
  Combo : Dropdown displays list of saved filter specifications. Selecting a filter from the list applies it immediately. Or, user types a filter string here and presses enter to apply it.
  Button 2: Hidden... no action.

State 2: Saved filter has been applied

Display

• Button 1: "Show all" glyph
  Combo : Text: Name of saved filter
  Button 2: "Delete named filter" glyph

Action

• Button 1: Remove the filter and show all (records, images, etc)
  Combo 2: Dropdown displays list of saved filter specifications. Selecting a filter from the list applies it immediately, replacing currently applied filter. Or, user types a filter string here and presses enter to concatenate it to the current filter specification and apply.
  Button 3: Display confirmation dialog to delete the saved filter specification. If the user confirms, then "show all" occurs and the saved filter spec is deleted.

State 3: Custom (not yet saved) filter has been applied

Display

• Button 1: "Show all" glyph
  Combo : Text: Current (not yet saved) user-typed filter string (ie. *.jpg, etc.)
  Button 2: Display "Delete named filter" glyph

Action

• Button 1: Remove the filter and show all (records, images, etc)
  Combo : Dropdown displays list of saved filter specifications. Selecting a filter from the list applies it immediately, replacing currently applied filter. Or, user types a filter string here and presses enter to concatenate it to the current filter specification and apply.
  Button 2: Displays confirmation dialog and prompt for a filter name.

One could employ a similar schema for search. But IMO search is a separate action from filter, and much more complicated.

Here is an image showing State 1 in a panel from one of my apps. There is a filter ribbon on the left about half way down. No filter has been applied yet:



Here is a different panel, showing State 2. On this one, the named filter "Current period" has been applied and the user can delete it from the list by clicking the "-". Clicking the asterisk will remove the filter.




I hope the XnView quick filter will behave something like the above.