Recent Posts

1451

General Software Discussion / Re: FolderSize o DirectorySize with rules or filters

« Last post by rjbull on January 13, 2011, 02:49 PM »

I attach a screenshot of the candidate 1.1.3.0 release. You can notice 4 new features over the many other features added):
1. Filter by folder name (here it's not shown but also negative filters are supported). After playing a bit with this feature i can say that it's cool.
2. Notice that the folders that match the folder filter pattern are displayed with name in BOLD font. This makes easier to understand why stuff has been included by the filter.
3. I filtered also by zip and jpg files. Notice they are colored with different colors (optional) because they belong to different file classes (customizable)

-uuderzo (January 12, 2011, 06:13 PM)

I don't think I really understood the syntax before.  Just to check I've got it right now, the release candidate is looking at all folders, and shows all their sizes.  But, it is set to filter folders that start "program*," and within those, it considers JPG and ZIP files.  SpaceSniffer's main statistics at the top of the screen now show those files in those folders only, and those are the ones where text is in bright white, and specially coloured.  Other folders and files are shown with their sizes, but not considered in the main statistics.

Is that correct?

4. The selected element will drop a shadow (optional) to make it easier to visually track.

Good idea; I think that helps.

Sounds like a fair bid to be the best in this class of software 

1452

General Software Discussion / Re: FolderSize o DirectorySize with rules or filters

« Last post by rjbull on January 12, 2011, 04:23 PM »

* and ? cannot be used because they are part of the pattern match syntax, | is used to negate, " sounds odd, as long as < and >...

-uuderzo (January 12, 2011, 05:33 AM)

I wouldn't want <> anyway, as I think of them as redirection symbols.

For sake of uniformity i should add the :folder: switch, but looks rather long to type. Maybe i can add both "\" and :folder: synonims.

Looks like you are left with the only possible choice.  Maybe you could abbreviate it a bit, e.g. :dir: or :fol: or :fdr: or something.

Thanks!

1453

General Software Discussion / Re: FolderSize o DirectorySize with rules or filters

« Last post by rjbull on January 11, 2011, 04:46 PM »

So, the default will still be to filter on files, which is natural to most users.

-uuderzo (January 11, 2011, 04:18 PM)

Agreed.  I was obsessing about the OP, which is a slightly unusual requirement.  Most people, most of the time, will just want to see where all the space has gone.

I choosed the backslash just because it is one of the forbidden chars

I wondered why you'd chosen that.  I'd have recommended "!", but, it's possible to use "!" in a file name, so your convention makes much better sense.

*.jpg;\temp

Does it sound useable? Umberto

Yes! 

1454

Timns Apps / Re: Auspex

« Last post by rjbull on January 11, 2011, 04:34 PM »

I'd actually only seen one thing similar before, and it was terribly basic. Something on lifehacker I think it was - I've junked it now so cannot recall.

-timns (January 11, 2011, 02:57 PM)

Probably Texter?

If I'd have known about things like AHK I may not have started this little project

I think Texter is written in AHK!

I have a bit of a bad habit of not looking around enough to see what else is out there when I get excited about doing a bit of coding of my own

That seems to be a congenital problem for coders!  Your competitors, or near-competitors, include:

• Typing Buddy
• FastFox Typing Expander
• Type Booster
• Smart Type Assistant
• Typing Assistant
• Comfort Keys (and Comfort Typing)
• Phrase Express
• Instant Text (the Big Daddy of the genre)
• Let Me Type
• ShortCut
• Type Pilot (and freeware lite Speed Pilot)
• Breevy
• SuperKeys

Here are some Donation Coder threads, which deal with text expanders, completers and the like:

jgpaiva's abbreviations importer
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=2598.0
link to jgpaiva's AHK tools
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=3461.0

Harrie's review of Instant Text, and following posts
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=2631.0

Word AutoCompleter
https://www.donation...1036.msg6713#msg6713 (mentions IntelliComplete, AutoTyping, LetMeType, AllChars, Type Pilot)

External links:

Productivity Talk - Harrie's own forum site for (primarily) Medical Transcriptionists
http://www.productivitytalk.com/

Jon Knowles site on typing productivity
http://home.earthlin...net/~agjon/index.htm

Jon Knowles' ABCZ typing abbreviation system
http://home.earthlin.../~agjon/abczrule.htm

And I'm not sure even that is comprehensive...

[Edit 2011-01-12, 22:27] Added Breevy. [/Edit]
[Edit 2011-01-14, 20:42] Added SuperKeys [/Edit]

1455

General Software Discussion / Re: FolderSize o DirectorySize with rules or filters

« Last post by rjbull on January 11, 2011, 03:58 PM »

RJ, can you please elaborate on this? I know that there is the directory attribute and i use it internally. I don't see any point in exposing this attribute to the user.
[...] telling SpaceSniffer to filter only folders is useless because they will be empty.

-uuderzo (January 11, 2011, 03:16 PM)

Umberto, (a) I was getting confused (b) I used DOS so long it conditions the way I think 
The OP wanted a way to exclude certain directories from the listing.  In a DOS program, I'd expect to state a wildcard spec plus Directory attribute, which would mean exclude matching directories.  It now occurs to me that this leads to ambiguity, because as I understand it, DOS handles directories rather as empty files.  So does excluding a directory only exclude the "directory file" itself, or does it also exclude the contents as well, as the OP wanted?  It now sounds like you've implemented a way to do the latter, which would suit the OP.

Sorry, muddle-headed owing to too many late nights on the computer...

1456

General Software Discussion / Re: FolderSize o DirectorySize with rules or filters

« Last post by rjbull on January 11, 2011, 02:24 PM »

Well... i think i managed to add the filter for folder name feature. At least the positive filter. I'll need to think more about the negative (exclusion) filter.
[...]
Say you want to filter folders by name, you are looking for temp folder. Then you type "\temp" as filter pattern (*, ? are supported). The backslash is the switch that tells SpaceSniffer that you want to apply the rule to folders instead of files.

-uuderzo (January 11, 2011, 02:23 AM)

Umberto, the current version of SpaceSniffer doesn't appear to support the Directory attribute...  if that's still with us in Vista onwards (I'm an old-time DOS person).  Would it help to support that directly, or is that in effect what you're doing?

1457

Clipboard Help+Spell / Re: Clipboard Help+Spell - Top Priority Requests for 2011

« Last post by rjbull on January 11, 2011, 02:19 PM »

Request 1:  Let me define what "Old" means.  I.e. any item from this week gets listed as a "new" clipboard item, even if my computer has been restarted...

-kunkel321 (December 31, 2010, 01:32 PM)

Does this help?

1458

Timns Apps / Re: Auspex

« Last post by rjbull on January 11, 2011, 02:07 PM »

timns, what didn't you like about other programs of this kind that you made your own?

1459

Living Room / Re: Why I love product reviews....written by NON-TECHS

« Last post by rjbull on January 10, 2011, 02:44 PM »

Owing to an epidemic of influenza, the record for the maximum number of scuba-diving Santas wasn't broken this year  

1460

Living Room / Re: Why I love product reviews....written by NON-TECHS

« Last post by rjbull on January 10, 2011, 02:31 PM »

The reviews on Amazon.com, and likewise many other sites similar to it, are actually very well written

-Josh (January 10, 2011, 07:59 AM)

The reviews are often better than Amazon UK itself.  I went looking for translations of the Odyssey and the Aeneid recently.  In these cases, the particular translation is extremely important, even critical.  Amazon UK lumped all reviews of a book together, presumably linking them by title only.  You couldn't tell which review referred to which translation, unless the review author had taken the trouble to be specific.

1461

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: Auspex - a Windows Productivity App

« Last post by rjbull on January 10, 2011, 02:21 PM »

And let's close this thread.

-mouser (January 10, 2011, 01:18 PM)

Is there a convention to put a final message saying "This thread is closed and locked," or something like that, in larger than usual font?

1462

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: Auspex - a Windows Productivity App

« Last post by rjbull on January 10, 2011, 10:58 AM »

Typo in the "Getting Started" paragraph of the Wiki: "deteced" should be "detected"

1463

Finished Programs / Re: IDEA: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by rjbull on January 10, 2011, 10:23 AM »

Er...  isn't this available in pretty much all macro programs?  Such as:

• PowerPro (freeware)
• Macro Express (payware)
• AutoHotkey (freeware, popular on DC)

1464

General Software Discussion / Re: FolderSize o DirectorySize with rules or filters

« Last post by rjbull on January 10, 2011, 10:00 AM »

SpaceSniffer [...] but I think is not initially prepared to filter folders or save a filter over a folder with subfolders

-Contro (January 09, 2011, 04:24 PM)

I don't see any way to save filters from session to session.  But, you say you aren't going to do this very often anyway.

I don't understand, but I think don't give me all subfolders in the example i try over my pc. .......Empty folders don't appear.

I would guess that they are there, but don't show up on the space map either (a) because they're too small or (b) because you have to zoom in to a folder to see its subfolders.  But, I think all subfolders are counted.

The filter is only in affirmative way (inclusions), not exclusions I think.

Exclusions are definitely permitted, and were used in my earlier post:

Example *.jpg;>100kb;>2weeks
        :red;:yellow
        :tag:red+yellow
        :tag:r+y
        |*.exe;|*.dll
        :attr:a+h-s
        :attr:a,h,-s
        |:attr:a
        :attr:-a
(|) = starting '|' (pipe) negates

1465

General Software Discussion / Re: FolderSize o DirectorySize with rules or filters

« Last post by rjbull on January 09, 2011, 02:21 PM »

I think you might be able to do what you want with SpaceSniffer.  You can certainly exclude files with the Filter, but, the Attributes list doesn't contain the Directory Attribute, so I'm not certain.  Perhaps you could contact Uderzo to ask.  However, at least for files, look at the unfiltered vs. filtered screenshots below.

[Edit 2011-01-09, 20:55-] TreeSize [/Edit] looks like it can do what you want, but, you have to have one of the payware versions, either Personal or Pro.  Filtering isn't listed in the free version.  And it may not be worth paying if you have already have adequate features in your file manager.

1466

Living Room / Re: Fast/Responsive programs: An official SuperboyAC list

« Last post by rjbull on January 09, 2011, 10:33 AM »

@rjbull - thanks for the mention of TED. I took a quick scan of the features list and was quite impressed. I've been looking for something that was small, made extensive use of key combos, and offered word completion.

-40hz (January 07, 2011, 08:54 PM)

Thanks!    Sadly, TED Notepad's word completion only works on the basis of the document in hand.  I.e., you have to write a bit before it can pick up your previous text and use it as the basis for completion.  There's no independent standing word list, which limits its usefulness.  For free-standing word expanders/completers/correctors, take a look at Typing Assistant.    Typing Assistant is one of Bits du Jour's Every-Day Deals (30% off, it's about the third or fourth page down) and it's been on offer at DC in the past.  Alternatively, Comfort Software's Comfort Keys or Comfort Typing, with a different feature set, or Phrase Express, one version of which is free for personal use.

I should add, Typing Assistant (the one I currently use) meets superboyac's criteria for speed etc.  It's modestly priced, and has portable as well as installer flavours.

1467

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by rjbull on January 09, 2011, 09:57 AM »

Hmmm...  I'm glad I'm just a reader, not a critic!

-rjbull (January 07, 2011, 05:37 PM)

Yeah, I didnt mean to post it to knock his books - it was the psychological stuff I found interesting.

-tomos (January 08, 2011, 03:30 AM)

I didn't think you did    The critic seems to get paid to pull things apart and put people down.  One of the first things she said was that Larsson was left-wing.  I wonder if that coloured her American view too strongly and she went into knee-jerk attack mode.  Rather the same as the uneasiness the establishment had at publishing Michael de Larrabeiti's Borribles trilolgy with its viciously anti-establishment message, see e.g. his obituary in The Independent.  Wikipedia page here.

Having said that, I wondered about various aspects of Larsson's books (the first two, haven't read the third yet).  I can't quite work out just why they're so compulsively readable, but they certainly are.

1468

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by rjbull on January 07, 2011, 05:37 PM »

A review in the New Yorker
Man of Mystery
Why do people love Stieg Larsson’s novels?
by Joan Acocella January 10, 2011

Very critical initially* (or should I say superficially? - critical of the writing & translation) but also a very interesting indepth analysis

-tomos (January 07, 2011, 10:57 AM)

Hmmm...  I'm glad I'm just a reader, not a critic!

For another up-to-the-minute, computers and Internet included (if not to Salander's level) gripping and frequently violent series, try Michael Marshall's trilogy The Straw Men, The Lonley Dead (UK title) / The Upright Man (US title), and Blood of Angels.

Current book in progress: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

1469

Living Room / Re: Fast/Responsive programs: An official SuperboyAC list

« Last post by rjbull on January 07, 2011, 05:17 PM »

Thanks 40hz!
I have quickly fallen in love with CintaNotes.  For all of you that are hanging on to the old Evernote v2.2 since Evernote v3 went all cloud on us, CintaNotes is your replacement.  Look no further.  And it's portable, so it will definitely find a nice home on your flash drive.

-superboyac (January 07, 2011, 04:52 PM)

You'd rate it that good?  That's quite a recommendation.  For a small, light program that seems to be fast - as far as I've tested it - there's NotesHolder in both free and payware versions.  Tip; I kept finding that the payware version kept getting clobbered by AV false positives, whereas the free version didn't.  And, not everyone would need the extra features, either.  It has quite a nice system for clipping text from the Web along with their URLs, but text only.

1470

Living Room / Re: Fast/Responsive programs: An official SuperboyAC list

« Last post by rjbull on January 07, 2011, 05:06 PM »

I made this list to keep track of programs that I think are very quick and responsive.  [...]
Fast startup times
No sluggish lags when you click on something and wait for the action to take place.

-superboyac (January 07, 2011, 11:47 AM)

• Anything made by Horst Schaeffer.  I regularly use his MemPad, Date Reminder, PopSel, and Calendar, and most of the others from time to time.  MemPad is another small, fast, free, portable, twin-pane organiser; see image.  I have one query about your criteria, though.  MemPad meets most of what you mention, but if you do a Ctrl-F search on a largish MemPad file, it's pretty slow.  I believe that's because the author uses a search facility that's built into Windows itself.  Also, I imagine my files have got bigger than he originally expected when he first released the program.
• Total Commander
• TED Notepad - one of the best small fast Notepad replacements, with an amazing range of features.  Drawback, of sorts: you need to learn the keyboard shortcuts to get the best out of it, though the menus are OK.

[Edit 2011-01-09]  Correcting typos.  Doh!  [/Edit]

1471

General Software Discussion / Re: Ini manipulation tools (text manipulation tools) software

« Last post by rjbull on January 06, 2011, 11:41 AM »

IniFile, latest version 1.6, freeware by Horst Schaeffer:

IniFile handles Windows type INI files with section names in square brackets, and assignments of the form: item=string.

Syntax:

INIFILE filename [section] item=string    change or write
INIFILE filename [section] item=    remove item
INIFILE filename [section] item==    clear item
INIFILE filename [section] /remove    remove entire section
INIFILE filename [section] item > temp.bat    read item
INIFILE filename [section] > temp.bat    read all items of section

Items and sections are generated if not found. The INI file must exist.

Reading an assignment sends a SET statement to STDOUT, which can be redirected to a temporary batch file, or processed with a FOR /F construct. 

1472

Find And Run Robot / Re: Wish: Run as Administrator

« Last post by rjbull on January 05, 2011, 03:35 PM »

I've been running Windows 7 for some time, and I'm frequently annoyed by the need to execute certain tasks under special authority.

-CWuestefeld (January 04, 2011, 04:30 PM)

I run PC Magazine's cheap Run As Admin Controller.  This has to be installed as Admin, and run (as a service?) thereafter, and you have to launch programs via RAAC, but it's less fuss than native Windows.

A probably better solution is a free one-time fix mentioned in the PowerPro Yahoo! Group here:

> Has anyone been able to run PowerPro in Windows 7?

Yes. Here is a reliable workaround to bypass UAC-restrictions only for specific
programs (like powerpro). Autostart and everything else works fine for me, with
UAC enabled in general:

1. Download ACT & Install:
http://www.microsoft...89E9-B581-47B0-B45E\
-492DD6DA2971&displaylang=en

2. Run "Compatibility Administrator" as Admin (via context menu)
3. Right click Entry "New Database (1) [Untitled]"
4. Choose in menu "Creat New"-> "Application Fix"
5. Give a name and Browse for powerpro.exe
6. On the next step choose Operating System Mode "None"
7. On the next step check "RunAsInvoker" to bypass UAC (scroll down the list)
8. The next step is to specify further details for security reasons (leave blank
if you're unsure)
9. Proceed & Save your Data -> close the tool
10. Run command prompt as Admin and execute:
sdbinst [yourPath]\[yourFile.sdb]

This points you to Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.6:

Brief Description

The Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) version 5.6 contains the necessary tools and documentation to evaluate and mitigate application compatibility issues before deploying Windows 7®, Windows Vista®, a Windows Update, or a new version of Windows Internet Explorer® in your environment.

In this case, you can set a program to not need to be run as Admin.  In the case of PowerPro, I find the program loads OK without the Admin prompt.  It complains that it isn't running as admin, but I think that's PowerPro itself not knowing what's happened.  I'd be interested to hear of anyone else's experience with this method.

1473

General Software Discussion / Re: Your most used SPECIAL programs

« Last post by rjbull on January 05, 2011, 02:54 PM »

Single pane with hoist and collapse features (guess its called "folding" now) just the way the angels intended it. Haven't seen one of those since the days of MaxThink or Acta, have ya?

-40hz (January 04, 2011, 03:48 PM)

Well, there's tkoutline    Not, I suspect, as sophisticated.

I own an old copy of Ecco.

Long gone freeware, as I expect you know.  I wonder if even the fans have moved on now, as Windows changes and new software appears.

Thanks!

1474

Mouser's Zone / Re: IDEA - Webpage archiving

« Last post by rjbull on January 04, 2011, 02:38 PM »

Or, any other similar software?  I'd really like to be able to archive/catalog webpages and pdfs.

-kfitting (January 02, 2011, 05:48 PM)

For Web pages (but not PDF), would the "site grabber" features found in some download managers suit you?  E.g. from the Grabber Help of Internet Download Manager (IDM):

The site grabber feature of Internet Download Manager not only lets you download required files that are specified with filters, for example all pictures from a web site, or all audio files from a web site, but it also lets you download subsets of web sites, or complete web sites for mirroring or offline browsing.

1475

General Software Discussion / Re: Your most used SPECIAL programs

« Last post by rjbull on January 04, 2011, 02:29 PM »

Just to shift gears a moment: one new "special" app I've been getting a lot of mileage out of over the past year is something called Outline 4D published by Write Brothers Inc.

-40hz (January 02, 2011, 07:58 PM)

40hz, is that as it looks, a single-pane outliner?  That now seems rarer than two-pane, but looks to me better for writing documents as opposed to storing information.  From their Web site, it sounds a bit like a subset of ECCO.