*NON*-numeric sort problem with dash character

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve King
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Steve King

I'm having a problem with Explorer sorting *non*-numeric filenames.
Explorer just plain ignores a '-' character (aka dash, hyphen, minus,
ASCII 0x2d) in filenames. Here's an example:

cmd.exe 'dir' Explorer
-------------------- --------------------
dog-beagle.txt dog-beagle.txt
dog-fighter.txt dogfight-baron.txt
dog-foxhound.txt dog-fighter.txt
dog-spaniel.txt dogfight-snoopy.txt
dog-terrier.txt dog-foxhound.txt
dogfight-baron.txt doggerel-homer.txt
dogfight-snoopy.txt doggerel-seuss.txt
doggerel-homer.txt dog-spaniel.txt
doggerel-seuss.txt dog-terrier.txt

I tend to use the dash as a separator quite a bit and this is driving me
nuts. I've experimented with other a few other punctuation characters
(comma, plus, space) and the dash is the only character I've found that
exhibits this problem. I suppose I could re-train myself to use a
different character, but I shouldn't have to.

I've toggled TweakUI's "Use intuitive filename sorting" on and off, but
the problem is there with either setting. (I do see the expected change
in behavior for numeric filenames, so I know that the change is actually
taking effect.) Anyone know a similar trick or registry tweak that will
fix this?
 
Try an underscore _ or just use a space.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Wesley said:
Try an underscore _ or just use a space.
Click to expand...

As I said, I *could* re-train my fingers, but I shouldn't have to. It's
the computer's job to make my life easier, not the other way around.
 
Haha, thats the biggest load I've seen in a long time. Designers and
programmers making assumptions about how end users use their
applications is the mother of all evil.
 
WRONG. It's your job to use it as designed.
Click to expand...

I nominate the above for "inane post of the month". Even for David,
it's a particularly non-useful response.

The OP wants to put hyphens in his filenames, which is perfectly
legal.
 
There is a model by I don't know who called a taxonomy of need. There are 4 types. This is really how I think.

1. Normative - Need is measured as defined by an expert (in this group that is ME)
2. Comparative - Need is measured by comparing to another thing. EG If one school has a pupil/staff ratio of 20/1 and another of 40/1 (and assuming lower is better) then the second school has a need to half their ratio.
3. Expressed - Need is measured by what people do. If you use explorer you are expressing a need for it.
4. Felt - Need is measured by what people say they want. That is the need that this thread is about.

I started out in computers with attitudes like the poster in 1974. I have learnt along the way to go with the flow. I also come from a non IBM compatible MSDos background (mostly for printing) while also using a IBM compatibile MSDos (used for writing). That means 90% of programs did not work. This changes one's attitude to COMPATIBILITY, COMPATIBILITY, COMPATIBILITY.

Except for tools for troubleshooting other's problems I use Windows as configured out of the box. Wasn't always that way. But I learnt.
 
David said:
I started out in computers with attitudes like the poster in 1974. I
have learnt along the way to go with the flow. I also come from a non
IBM compatible MSDos background (mostly for printing) while also
using a IBM compatibile MSDos (used for writing). That means 90% of
programs did not work. This changes one's attitude to COMPATIBILITY,
COMPATIBILITY, COMPATIBILITY.
Click to expand...

Okay, I'll bite. Even *if* I agreed with you, this would still be a
problem in terms of COMPATIBILITY, COMPATIBILITY, COMPATIBILITY. The
sorting order has changed from earlier versions of Windows. 95, 98, ME,
NT, and 2000 all sorted files with hyphens one way. XP sorts them
differently, even if you turn off the "new improved sorting order" option.

Even within XP, the files are sorted in different order by Explorer and
by the cmd.exe 'dir' command. I don't care if they've added the new
order as a feature, but in the interests of compatibility and internal
consistency there should be a way to restore the old order.
 
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