Can Windows XP File Manager sort by multiple fields?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ListerEeen
  • Start date Start date
L

ListerEeen

I was wondering if File Explorer can sort a directory by both type AND THEN
BY date?

For example, id I want to see all the .tmp files in a directory sorted by
date, can I do that from File Explorer?

Seems it'd be possible to click on the primary sort field heading (say Type)
and then hold down shift and select the Date heading. The I could easily see
all files sorted by type and then within each type by date.

Dave
 
You'd think so, wouldn't you....but, unfortunately, not!

There's no way to do this with XP's Windows Explorer.

The nearest, and most helpful answer I can give you is ;

Click on the "Type" heading then, using the mouse and holding down the
Ctrl-key, highlight (select) all the files of the type you want, say [.tmp]
files.

Then, when all the [.tmp] files are still highlighted, click on the "Date"
heading.

All the files will now be arranged by "Date"

But while the [.tmp] files will still be scattered all over the place -
this time, they will still be highlighted which makes them much easier to
see...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
You'd think so, wouldn't you....but, unfortunately, not!
Click to expand...

I'd never realised this before now, but it will bug me for the rest of
my days. Thanks. :-)

I would have expected that sorting on column A, then on column "B"
would leave the items with equal values in column "B" in the same
order they were in after the sort of column "A", but not so.

This sort of sort is called a "stable sort", as items with equal key
values are not exchanged in the process. Unfortunately, stable sorts
are less efficient that other sorts (presumably *unstable* sorts, but
I've never come across that term).
 
What did you think about my "highlight" idea?

Ordering the file-list in Explorer by "Type" - then highlighting the
file-type "block" - then re-order by date!

Result : the files remain scattered, but easy to see as they are
highlighted in date order.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
Ordering the file-list in Explorer by "Type" - then highlighting the
file-type "block" - then re-order by date!
Click to expand...

The phrase "re-order by date" confounded me.

I sorted on the File Type column, and selected the PDF files. How
would I re-order those by date? Clicking the date column to sort by
date scatters the PDF files all over the place.
 
Yes it does [scatter] but, as I said before...

If, before-hand, you selected ALL the [.pdf] files (i.e. highlighted them)
while "sorted by type" - *then* when you change to "sort by date" ALTHOUGH
they are "scattered" they are *still* highlighted - making them highly
visible!

http://twitpic.com/1rcd5c


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
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