Filter file list

[tobiasKaminsky]

During file list it should be possible to filter for a certain part of the file name:
Current folder contains 500 files, you type "abc" in filter and it shows only 2 files.
(was from #695)
It should be accessible due the "three points" -> Filter

@jancborchardt What do you think?

[jancborchardt]

I would say this is the same as Search #695 (I can’t believe we haven’t had an issue for that before).

Search and filter should not be differentiated – people won’t get the difference.

[jancborchardt]

That is – search should always prioritize the current folder.

[tobiasKaminsky]

Ok. The filter/search will only look in the current folder. Or do you mean with "prioritize" that it should also show matches of different folders?

So when and where should this possible?
Like this:

Or (as I have suggested) as an option "behind the three points"?
Naming would be "Search"? (Although it is technically a filter?)

[jancborchardt]

It should be called »Search« since that is what people understand.
And yeah, it should filter the current view directly, but below that also show results from other folders. For performance reasons those can be loaded lazily though so that filtering the current folder happens very fast.

[tobiasKaminsky]

Uh.
I think (and therefore I splitted it up) it is difficult to have both in one List:

• filter: is only a reduced list of the same directory
• search: shows files from other folders. So somehow this path should be presented to the user.

Therefore I suggest to split it up (again):
Filter is only done in the current folder
Search: lists resulting file names (on the whole server) with path, the option to jump to that folder or open the file directly.

"search" should be "behind the three points".
Filter should be displayed directly if the folder has > 20 items (e.g.) on the top of the listing as the picture above shows.

@jancborchardt What do you think?

[jancborchardt]

Well, we should start with only one thing and see how to improve. I really think 2 different ways of searching are confusing. They might be technically different, but humanly they have no real difference.

[tobiasKaminsky]

(Ok, it looks not very overwhelming ;) )
But it is working:
If you type all files/folders containing the text are kept, the rest vanishes.
If you delete a character the list gets longer again.
Swipe is also working, although this was very hard to figure out.

@jancborchardt regarding filter vs. search:
Of course it is technically a big different, but that is not my problem.
Currently I do not know how to present the user a list which contains some content of the current folder and some content that is searched across the server.
Either you have to split the list in part1 (local folder search) and part2 (account search) or you get a totally mess like this if you order it just alphabetically:
test_123 (folder)
hellotest.txt (folder)
test (account)
testDocument.doc (folder)

[tobiasKaminsky]

@jancborchardt
Regarding the usability and showing the user that search and filter are two different things, maybe it is a good idea to put a dropdown button left to the text field:

The labels could be:
"This folder" (only filters current ListView)
"Server/Everywhere" (returns a full search result with path to folder/files)

[davivel]

Searching is usually done from a "magnifying glass" button in the action bar; the input field is then put in the action bar, replacing the title.

Filtering... well, sorry, but I do not know any app filtering as a different action than search, at least filtering from an input text; filtering from pre-set or not pre-set tags or labels is usually done from the lateral sliding panel.

And would be really great having a lateral sliding panel. Really. Really. Great.

[tobiasKaminsky]

I still think that it is useful to have both.
Especially if you just want to search in the current folder, but the search query goes to the server, searches there, returns the file list and gives you e.g. two files that are in the current folder.
But I agree that it is unusual. But in comparison to a desktop pc it is something like pressing "M" in dolphin/windows explorer/nautilus to get all files starting with character "M".

But I think you are both right. This should be included in "search".
Maybe it should search first locally for performance reason and after a click on "search on server" show the full search results?

So I am closing this now and the discussion should be in #695 for real searching, or?

[jancborchardt]

Maybe it should search first locally for performance reason and after a click on "search on server" show the full search results?

@tobiasKaminsky exactly, yep! :) Except that you shouldn’t need to manually click on »search on server«, but it should be done automatically after the local search is done.