How to change the default file tab display behavior?

suaroman · Sep 05, 2023#12023-09-05T17:17+00:00

Hi, I'm using currently latest version 2023.1.0.19 of UltraEdit and I can't find the menu items to make the following happen.

Requirements:

When opening a new file or file tab, the display of the file tabs should always be oldest on the left, newest on the right.
The file tabs should never be sorted by name, or any other criteria other than by date when the tab is created. (Oldest on the left, newest on the right.)
This holds true whether the file is saved or not.
When the file tabs bar is full, it's easy to use the drop-down box to get a quick view of the tabs that are open (easy navigation). However, the list of open files presented in the drop box should always display the correct order (top of the list are the oldest files, bottom of the list are the newer ones. In other words, the display that's presented the drop-down view of the opened files should always match the ordering of the file tabs in the editor.

I can't figure out how to make this happen. When I create a file tab, I may save it, I may not. I may create a new file tab, but when the file tabs become large, the sorting doesn't match with the way I created the file tabs. Also the drop-down list doesn't help either. I get lost trying to find things.

I love the features of the UltraEdit, but the current behavior drives me absolute nuts!

There should be a feature in UltraEdit with a single check box that says, "Mimic Notepad++ tab behavior?"

Any tips from the experts greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much.

fgeurts · Sep 06, 2023#22023-09-06T00:14+00:00

You can sort the file tabs in date/time order by right clicking on a file tab, then from the context menu selecting File tabs - Sort tabs by, and then selecting Modification date, as per the screen shot below.

Screenshot 2023-09-06 100630.png (105.65KiB)

Cheers,
Frank

suaroman · Sep 06, 2023#32023-09-06T05:14+00:00

Thanks so much. This covers the file tabs.

Is there any way to also sort the order of the active files drop down box on the right-hand side ?
When I click , it sorts the tabs alphabetically in its list.

Mofi · Sep 06, 2023#42023-09-06T05:35+00:00

There can be seen on the screen shot of Frank that there are in general three different types available for open file tabs bar:

Single line - scrollable
Single line - drop down file list
Multiline tabs

The last option requires increasing the maximum height of the file tabs bar if the number of opened files respectively file tabs is too large to display all of them at top in a single line by dragging the bottom of the file tabs bar downwards. UltraEdit decreases the used height for the file tabs bar automatically to the required height inside the user defined maximum height.

It is also possible to drag and drop the open file tabs bar to any side of the application window. It is therefore also possible to have the open file tabs listed at the bottom or vertically on left or ride side. But in this case it would be better to use Open files list view floating or docked on left or right side without or with auto-hide feature enabled to see all opened files listed sorted alphabetically by file name respectively file tab name. It would be also possible to have the open file tabs displayed in a floating window or not displayed at all like on using the Open files list view.

The file tabs are displayed by default in the order as opened with first opened on left side and last opened on right side as you want it. Open Advanced - Settings or Configuration - Application layout - File tabs - Miscellaneous and uncheck the option Sort tabs on file open if this configuration setting is checked currently in your configuration to get the wanted file tabs order. I recommend to look on the three File tabs configuration dialog windows Miscellaneous, Operation and Colors and configure them to your display requirements. Click on button Help for reading more about the configuration settings as displayed in the current configuration window.

The list of opened files respectively file tabs as shown on using single line - drop down file list and clicking on the down arrow symbol in the file tabs bar lists the opened files / file tabs always sorted alphabetically by name and not in the open order. The list order cannot be customized. It is in my opinion not really useful on having 20 or more files opened to get the opened files listed in the order as opened which means unsorted. That makes finding an opened file or file tab in the list more difficult for the human brain than getting them listed sorted alphabetically by name. There can be used the Multiline tabs or Single line - scrollable type for the open file tabs bar if you don't like the list and prefer getting the file tabs displayed always in opening order and use the left and right arrow on the tabs bar on using type Single line - scrollable.

The usage of type Single line - drop down file list results in changing the order of file tabs on clicking in the list on a file name of which file tab is currently not visible in the open files tab bar. I think that is the behavior you dislike which cannot be changed with a configuration setting. I recommend to use for that reason the type Single line - scrollable.

suaroman · Sep 06, 2023#52023-09-06T11:03+00:00

adding sort ability to Active File list would be a nice feature.
Ideally, the active file list should match (by default) the order preference of the tabs
For me, an alphabetical list isn't' helpful and doesn't make a lot of sense.

I'll take a look at the other suggestions you made. Thanks so much for the response