CHAPTER THREE: Customizing the catalog window

DiskTracker allows you to customize the look and functionality of the catalog window to suit your personal tastes.  These include (among others) such changes as fonts and sizes, date and size unit formats, file and volume sorting.

Splitting the catalog window
DiskTracker features a dual pane catalog window.  This allows you to view two portions of the same file list, even if they are opposite ends of the scroll bar.

• To split the catalog window into two panes:

1.) Click and drag the thick black bar at the top of the scroll bar downwards to the point where you would like the window to be split.  An additional vertical scroll bar will appear to allow you to scroll the second pane.

• To return the catalog window to one pane:

1.) Click on the thick black bar between the two vertical scroll bars and drag it to the top of the window.

The info header
The info header is a strip that DiskTracker shows across the top of the catalog window.  It contains such useful bits of information as the number of volumes, files, and archives in the catalog, as well as the number of items visible, and the amount of free storage on the disk on which the catalog is saved (if it has been saved).

While there is little reason to hide the info header (perhaps you might want a little more space in the catalog window), it is possible to do so.  

• To hide the catalog header, or to show it once it is hidden:

1.) Select “Show Info Header” from the View menu.

Selecting list views
You can choose which bits of information DiskTracker shows in the catalog window.  By default, the name, size, kind, creation, and modification dates are shown, but there are quite a few other information columns that can be shown.  

• To alter the list views:

1.) Select “List Views…” from the View menu.

2.) Check the column views that you would like to be visible and uncheck those you would like to be invisible.

3.) Click the “OK” button to lock in the new settings or click “Cancel” to abort.

Rearranging data columns
You can move the individual columns of data around to arrange them to your tastes.

• To move a column:

1.) Move the mouse pointer over the title of the column you would like to move.  The cursor will become a hand:

2.) Holding down the mouse button, drag the column to its new location.  When you release the mouse button, the column will move to its new location, displacing whichever column was previously there.

Resizing data columns
You can also resize the individual columns of data, to help you view all of the information that you need to.

• To resize a column:

1.) Move the mouse pointer to the right of the title of the column where you see the vertical divider line.  When the cursor is over this divider line, it will become the resize cursor:

2.) Holding down the mouse button, drag the column to its new width.  Release the mouse button and the new size will be locked in.

Sorting files and volumes
DiskTracker allows you to select different sorting methods for both volumes and files/folders.  By default, both of these are set to be sorted ascending by name.

• To alter the sorting method used:

For volumes:

1.) From the “Sort Volumes By” submenu in the View menu, select the sort criteria you would like to use for sorting the disk list.

2.) From this same menu, you can choose whether you would like the volumes sorted in ascending or descending order.

For files and folders:

1.) From the “Sort Files By” submenu in the View menu, select the sort criteria you would like to use for sorting the files and folders.

2.) From this same menu, you can choose whether you would like the files and folders sorted in ascending or descending order.

Fonts and sizes
You can also change the font and size that DiskTracker uses to draw the disk list.  By default, the font is Geneva 9 point, but, of course, you can alter this.

• To change the font and size:

1.) Choose a new font from the “Font” submenu in the View menu.

2.) Choose a new font size from the “Size” submenu in the View menu.

NOTE - You cannot change the style (e.g., bold, italic, outline, etc.) in which the file list is shown.  Disk names are always shown in bold and alias names are always shown in italics.

Size units
You can choose what units DiskTracker will show sizes in.  Depending on which sizes are enabled, DiskTracker will choose the most appropriate unit for displaying a size based on the size of the item.  By default, DiskTracker will show sizes in kilobytes (K) and megabytes (MB).

• To enable or disable a size unit:

1.) Check or uncheck the unit in the “Show Sizes In” submenu in the View menu to enable it or disable it, respectively.

Date formats
You can choose what format DiskTracker will show dates in (for the catalog window only).  You can also choose whether or not to show the time.  By default, DiskTracker will show dates in the abbreviatd format and does not include the time.

The three formats are:

Short (e.g.,  9/13/75)

Abbreviated (e.g., Sat, Sep 13, 1975)

Long (e.g., Saturday, September 13, 1975)

• To choose a date format:

1.) Check the unit in the “Date Formats” submenu in the View menu to choose it.

2.) Check or uncheck “Include Time” depending on whether or not you would like the time to be visible in the dates.

Catalog window preferences
There are several items in the “Preferences…” dialog which pertain to catalog windows.

 

•  “Default catalog window size” - These options allow you to select how big (or small) a catalog window will be (horizontally and vertically) when it is first created on the screen.  For smaller screens, you may want to set it to full screen on both dimensions, but for larger screens, a full screen catalog can be very annoying.  By default this is set to medium in the vertical direction and full screen in the horizontal direction.

 

•  “Remember catalog window positions” - This setting, when checked, will open a catalog window at the same size as it was when the catalog was last saved.  If the option is unchecked or the window would be off of the screen, the default catalog window size and position is used instead.  By default this option is switched off.

 

•  “Open last used files on start” - This check box tells DiskTracker whether it should remember which files were last open when the program was quit.  If it is checked, the files will be opened the next time the program is started (that is, the program icon is opened, not a catalog icon).  If the box is not checked, DiskTracker will open a new catalog window when the program is started.

Copying catalog window settings

You can copy the catalog window settings of the current catalog window to the application.  This has the effect of having DiskTracker change all of its default catalog window settings to the current settings of the current catalog.

• To copy the catalog window’s settings to DiskTracker’s defaults:

1.) Make sure that the catalog whose settings you would like to copy is frontmost.

2.) Select “Preferences…” from the File menu.

3.) Click the “Catalog->Application” button.

4.) Click “OK” in the subsequent alert box to lock in the changes, or click “Cancel” to abort.

It is also possible to copy the current DiskTracker default settings to the current catalog window.  This has the effect of reverting all of the catalog window’s settings back to the defaults.

• To copy DiskTracker’s default settings to a catalog window:

1.) Make sure that the catalog whose settings you wish to overwrite is frontmost.

2.) Select “Preferences…” from the File menu.

3.) Click the “Application->Catalog” button.

4.) Click “OK” in the subsequent alert box to lock in the changes, or click “Cancel” to abort.