Backwards Alphabetic Copying

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Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I don't remember if it is like this in OS 9, or windows, and I have no idea if it is like this in windows, but it is annoying. Why ideas why it does this?



If I didn't explain myself well enough it would copy VTS_03_5, then VTS_03_4!

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  • Reply 1 of 10
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Just because I spelled alphabetic wrong...which a nice mod could correct!
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  • Reply 2 of 10
    I thought in 9 it copies alphabetically



    If it doesn't in X, it might just be because the copy algorithm is using a stack type nature so that the last in is the first out. But I'm just speculating and have no real clue
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  • Reply 3 of 10
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    What are you guys talking about?
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  • Reply 4 of 10
    Annoying?



    Dare I ask why it really matters?
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  • Reply 5 of 10
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brad

    Annoying?



    Dare I ask why it really matters?




    Well, I could imagine it'd be annoying if you are making a flat text list of some directory you have on your drive.
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  • Reply 6 of 10
    because f-i-v-e comes before f-o-u-r in alphabetical listings?
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  • Reply 7 of 10
    johnqjohnq Posts: 2,763member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ThunderPoit

    because f-i-v-e comes before f-o-u-r in alphabetical listings?



    Why is one first then?



    O, E, FI, FO, N, SE, SI, TH, TW

    one

    eight

    five

    four

    nine

    seven

    six

    three

    two



    Here are some random tests; tell me if there is a logical pattern:



    Original List:

    TS_03_01

    TS_03_02

    TS_03_03

    TS_03_04

    TS_03_05

    TS_03_06

    TS_03_07

    TS_03_08

    TS_03_09



    List as copy/pasted from Finder:

    TS_03_01

    TS_03_08

    TS_03_05

    TS_03_04

    TS_03_09

    TS_03_07

    TS_03_06

    TS_03_03

    TS_03_02



    List with leading zeros removed from last number:

    TS_03_9

    TS_03_3

    TS_03_1

    TS_03_5

    TS_03_2

    TS_03_7

    TS_03_6

    TS_03_8

    TS_03_4



    Above list with 'TS' arbitrarily changed to 'A'

    A_03_1

    A_03_9

    A_03_5

    A_03_3

    A_03_8

    A_03_7

    A_03_6

    A_03_4

    A_03_2



    This list only has TS changed to A; I reinserted leading zeroes into the last numbers, yet it is the same as the previous one. Why then is it consistent for this test yet not for when I kept TS and merely removed the zeros?



    A_03_01

    A_03_09

    A_03_05

    A_03_03

    A_03_08

    A_03_07

    A_03_06

    A_03_04

    A_03_02
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  • Reply 8 of 10
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brad

    Annoying?



    Dare I ask why it really matters?




    I move large video files back and forth across our network and with external HD's all the time. When I am copying the VOB files it is annoying when I grab a bunch to copy and it starts the last one first when I want to work with or watch the first one first. I know I could do them manually and start a separate copying session for each one but that is just as annoying. It isn't really a big problem, but I think it's curious as to why it does that.



    PS - Thanks to whoever (brad?) for fixing my thread title.
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  • Reply 9 of 10
    johnqjohnq Posts: 2,763member
    For the record, I'm talking about copy a bunch of items, then going into a text editor and pasting. Mac OS has always pasted a text list of item from a Finder Copy operation.



    I'm assuming the underlying rotine that handles this also uses the same order in which to actually move the files, and that that is what ast3r3x is experiencing.



    In the case of "moving" the files via copy paste or drag and drop, you'll only notice the order if the files are large and/or the network or drive connection is slow.
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  • Reply 10 of 10
    Prolly because macos os being intellegent about it.



    You have asked it to copy a bunch of files from one place to another, I recon there is about a 90% chance that the copy operation is reading them in the order that their names appear in the allocation table, (not sure what its called on HFS, but its the same thing as MFT or FAT) or in the order they are on the disk.



    Does having journeling turned on make a difference to the copy operation ?





    Try this.



    Copy the files 1 by 1 in order to a new folder / volume. Then copy them all together to some other place and see if your 1 by 1 order is preserved.
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