Directory listing that correctly lists files with missing leading zeroes.

Factual Questions
1

The oldest and most annoying computer error is the leading zero on filenames. File1.jpg File2.jpg File3.jpg File4.jpg File5.jpg File6.jpg File7.jpg File8.jpg File9.jpg File10.jpg File11.jpg … File100.jpg File101.jpg

After 30 years of home pc’s you’d hope people would know better. But they constantly post files without leading zeroes. They don’t list in the correct order in Window Explorer. It’s a jumbled nightmare mess.

The fix is renaming them with leading zeroes or finding a utility that will list them in the correct order.

I know its possible. But can’t find a directory listing utility that does this.

Any suggestions?

2
  • ls | sort -nk 1.5*

works for me.

Oh! You’re not using software built in a few hours by a few happy students, but the software from a company whose budget is bigger than that of many countries? (Yes, I agree the constrast in utility and flexibility seems startlingly backwards.)

My suggestion isn’t just a rant. I keep Linux or Cygwin active on my Windo$e boxes, just so I can do easy things easily.

3

just remembered, Explorer did fix this problem. I think starting in XP. Before that, explorer jumbled up the names too.

its graphics viewers like Irfanview and ThumbsPlus that lists the files wrong. Apparently the Window directory call they use is returning the file list jumbled up. Missing Leading zeroes in file names have been a PITA for thirty years.

4

I was about to say, I was very surprised that Windows wouldn’t have already fixed this. Mac has handled these names correctly since at least the dawn of OSX.

5

I constantly get my Explorer window and Irfanview windows mixed up when I reopen them from the taskbar.

Both show thumbnail lists of files. Both show a image in a viewer if you click on it. I realize I’m in the wrong window when I press the spacebar and I don’t get the next image. :smack: Thats only a feature in Irfanview and Thumbsplus.

I’ll eventually get all my images renamed with leading zereos. Lupas Rename 2000 helps make it easier.

6

How many leading zeros will you use? However many you choose will be one too few when your auto-numbering rolls over from 99…99 to 1…0 .

Your real fault is having auto-generated filenames AND simultaneously expecting that arbitrary label to have any sematic content.

7

No, the fault is in the people who decided that files should be alphabetically sorted based on their names and didn’t do the right thing with numbers.

As pointed out above, Linux has a simple command to do this, and Macs have always done it the right way. It’s one line of code in your comparison function, but someone has to care enough to do it right.