4 ms·

> I want to move a thousand files beginning with 'UTR-77' and ending with '.csv' 1. Use a file manager with stable sorting [1] (I use Thunar which does this, b

> I want to move a thousand files beginning with 'UTR-77' and ending with '.csv' 1. Use a file manager with stable sorting [1] (I use Thunar which does this, but I suspect lots of file managers keep the sort order stable). 2. Sort by type. 3. Sort by name. 4. Select the first file named UTR-77. 5. Scroll to the last file, and Shift+Click it. 6. Cut then paste to your desired directory. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorting_algorithm#Stability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorting_algorithm#Stability

bicolao 5y ago
> 5. Scroll to the last file, and Shift+Click it. With thousands of files, this won't be particularly fast or easy.
- Stratoscope 5y ago
  If you know how to use a scrollbar, it is fast and easy. Grab the thumb and drag it down. If you overshoot or have trouble landing on the last file, use the page up/down areas of the scrollbar or its up/down arrow to fine tune the scroll position. Should only take a few seconds. Another way is to hold down the Ctrl key and use the PgDn/PgUp keys to scroll. If you hold down Ctrl+PgDn you can whip through thousands of files quickly. Because you have the Ctrl key down, it won't affect your selection of the first file. If all you know is two finger touchpad scrolling, then it will be very tedious. Unfortunately, from observing a number of people - and apps that hide the scrollbars - it seems to me that two finger scrolling has largely taken over from scrollbar scrolling or the scroll keys.
  - dredmorbius 5y ago
    There are many circumstances in which it's not. - Remotely accessing a system (terminal or GUI). - An overloaded system (GUI response is ... inconsisstent) - Remotely accessing a system from a touch-based device. An increasingly common scenario. - Walking someone through a process (text is unambiguous). - Repeated operations (something that has to be done multiple times, in multiple directories, on an ongoing basis, on a scheduled basis, reliably, consistently, provably, with documentation and debuggability). Additionally, the scrollbar seems to be increasingly unpopular. I'm on record as not being happy about this. https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/0hgfswmoti3fi5zgftjecq https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/0hgfswmoti3fi5zgftjecq (HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21356511 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21356511)
    - Stratoscope 5y ago
      I enjoyed your flippin' scrollbar rant! I couldn't have put it better myself.
      - dredmorbius 5y ago
        Thanks :)
SirSourdough 5y ago
This feels pretty squarely in the realm of "but you could still do it manually". The CLI method still seems cleaner and faster, with less likelihood of error since you don't select the files manually.
- wutbrodo 5y ago
  I had the same initial reaction, and I think conversations like this often include desperate justification of GUI workflows driven by an inferiority complex. But the parent comment was responding to a portion of its parent that specifically said "there's no option other than scripting". It sounds like he's responding to that, not making some general claim about the GUI being a better option.
- bosie 5y ago
  How is not selecting it manually but implementing code that could select the wrong files any better?

bicolao 5y ago

> 5. Scroll to the last file, and Shift+Click it. With thousands of files, this won't be particularly fast or easy.

Stratoscope 5y ago
If you know how to use a scrollbar, it is fast and easy. Grab the thumb and drag it down. If you overshoot or have trouble landing on the last file, use the page up/down areas of the scrollbar or its up/down arrow to fine tune the scroll position. Should only take a few seconds. Another way is to hold down the Ctrl key and use the PgDn/PgUp keys to scroll. If you hold down Ctrl+PgDn you can whip through thousands of files quickly. Because you have the Ctrl key down, it won't affect your selection of the first file. If all you know is two finger touchpad scrolling, then it will be very tedious. Unfortunately, from observing a number of people - and apps that hide the scrollbars - it seems to me that two finger scrolling has largely taken over from scrollbar scrolling or the scroll keys.
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  There are many circumstances in which it's not. - Remotely accessing a system (terminal or GUI). - An overloaded system (GUI response is ... inconsisstent) - Remotely accessing a system from a touch-based device. An increasingly common scenario. - Walking someone through a process (text is unambiguous). - Repeated operations (something that has to be done multiple times, in multiple directories, on an ongoing basis, on a scheduled basis, reliably, consistently, provably, with documentation and debuggability). Additionally, the scrollbar seems to be increasingly unpopular. I'm on record as not being happy about this. https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/0hgfswmoti3fi5zgftjecq https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/0hgfswmoti3fi5zgftjecq (HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21356511 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21356511)
  - Stratoscope 5y ago
    I enjoyed your flippin' scrollbar rant! I couldn't have put it better myself.
    - dredmorbius 5y ago
      Thanks :)

SirSourdough 5y ago

This feels pretty squarely in the realm of "but you could still do it manually". The CLI method still seems cleaner and faster, with less likelihood of error since you don't select the files manually.

wutbrodo 5y ago
I had the same initial reaction, and I think conversations like this often include desperate justification of GUI workflows driven by an inferiority complex. But the parent comment was responding to a portion of its parent that specifically said "there's no option other than scripting". It sounds like he's responding to that, not making some general claim about the GUI being a better option.
bosie 5y ago
How is not selecting it manually but implementing code that could select the wrong files any better?