14431 Folder size

[chrisjj]

What's the trick to get Size to show on a folder? Sometimes it does, sometimes it does not: http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/4355/regionxw.png .

[Aaron]

All of the sub-items must have their sizes calculated for the parent item to also have the size calculated. The most common scenario is an unexpanded/uncalculated child folder.

Use the Edit menu -> Expand All, Edit menu -> Collapse All to manually trigger a complete calculation. Does this help show the sizes whenever they are missing, or are they still missing after an Expand All?

[chrisjj]

are they still missing after an Expand All?

Yes: http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5595/regionis.png

[Aaron]

Did any of the subfolders fail to load due to a load error? One of the subitems is probably not reporting its size. Your screenshot does not show the entire folder contents.

[chrisjj]

> Did any of the subfolders fail to load due to a load error?

I saw no load error reported.

> One of the subitems is probably not reporting its size.

All did.

> Your screenshot does not show the entire folder contents.

My screen size is insufficient. Here's a shot showing the level below, all folders sized:

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/1706/regionns.png

That's after Expand All, Collapse all, expand TLIB.

[Aaron]

It is still likely a filtered item. Please try to first enable Suppress Filters, then Expand All and Collapse All again. This will calculate the value (including the suppressed items). If this does display the size, then you will need to disable the filter that is excluding the item within the TLIB folder that is preventing the size calculation. I would guess it is a subfolder directly below TLIB.

You have several filters set as name filters already, but if it is not one of those, make sure to double check the Other Filters tab as well. We do Hide Protected Operating System Files by default, and that might need to be disabled.

[chrisjj]

> It is still likely a filtered item.

Ah. You'd not mentioned filtered items.

> Please try to first enable Suppress Filters, then Expand All and Collapse All again.

Yes, that reveals the size - thanks.

... at the cost in this case of scanning the entire hard drive volume. This seems excessive for showing the size of just one folder.

> You have several filters set as name filters already, but if it
> is not one of those, make sure to double check the
> Other Filters tab as well.

> We do Hide Protected Operating System Files by default,
> and that might need to be disabled.

I suggest it should not be necessary for the user to perform such workarounds. Please pass on my suggestion that BC scan whatever it needs to show the size. Thanks.

[Zoë]

The only way to get the size of a folder is to scan the entire folder tree, including all subfolders, to get the size of every file within that folder. It's not available any other way. The entire point of the various filters is to keep BC from scanning and interacting with folders you're not interested in, so we're not going to start ignoring those settings just to fill the size column in.

[chrisjj]

The only way to get the size of a folder is to scan the entire folder tree, including all subfolders, to get the size of every file within that folder.

I have no problem with that. I have a problem only with the fact that the suggested workaround scans the whole drive - thousands of folders that are outside the folder tree.

[Zoë]

I have no problem with that. I have a problem only with the fact that the suggested workaround scans the whole drive - thousands of folders that are outside the folder tree.

In that case use the Open Subfolders command (NumPad *) instead of Expand All to build just the selected folder. There's a "Close subfolders" command available too, but by default it isn't on the menu and doesn't have a keyboard shortcut.

[chrisjj]

> In that case use the Open Subfolders command (NumPad *)

Thanks. That's a much better workaround.

Again, please pass on my suggestion that BC scan whatever it needs to show the size.

[Aaron]

As Craig mentioned, "whatever it needs" is the contents of the folder, which you have expressed you do not want it to scan. There is no workaround for this. Either you scan the folder and its contents to get the size, or you don't. You can limit what is scanned by:
-Expanding Subfolders on just a selection to trigger a scan of just the selection
-Expanding everything to control when the scan begins.
-Scanning everything on load, which will trigger when you first load the session.

[chrisjj]

> "whatever it needs" is the contents of the folder,
> which you have expressed you do not want it to scan.

I have not. I said "I have a problem only with the fact that the suggested workaround scans the whole drive - thousands of folders that are outside the folder tree."

> There is no workaround for this. Either you scan the folder
> and its contents to get the size, or you don't.

Please pass on my suggestion that BC (rather than the user) scans whatever it needs to show the size of the folder.

[bcdewul]

All of the sub-items must have their sizes calculated for the parent item to also have the size calculated. The most common scenario is an unexpanded/uncalculated child folder.

Use the Edit menu -> Expand All, Edit menu -> Collapse All to manually trigger a complete calculation. Does this help show the sizes whenever they are missing, or are they still missing after an Expand All?

Hi Aaron,
Just wonder, normally the column 'size' (in cas of folders) remains empty.
Above action results in the column to display sizes indeed.
Q: is there no option to have this done by default? i.e. BC will display folder sizes by default, not needing to do above action.

Thanks
=

[Aaron]

Yes, you can enable BC3 to scan everything automatically in the Session menu -> Session Settings, Handling tab, enable both:
-Automatically scan subfolders in background
-Automatically scan top-level orphan subfolders