Sort Directory DA is a no-op until a file is selected

[inexorabletash]

The Sort Directory DA sorts directory contents by selection order (using OA-click to select multiple), and the remaining entries alphabetically.

But if you just want alphabetical sorting, you need to first select an icon, then unselect it, or the DA does nothing.

[inexorabletash]

Slightly more subtle than that - you can even just click in a newly opened window and sorting will work.

Debugging so far: immediately after opening a folder, the selected_file_count still reports 1. This causes the sort algorithm to turn into a no-op. A click or change in selection modifies this value back to 0 which lets the algorithm work.

[inexorabletash]

Ah.... so the description of the DA behavior is wrong:

• If there are selected icons, the DA sorts those by selection order to the start of the directory. Unselected icons remain untouched.
• If there are no selected icons, the DA sorts by type (fixed order) then name (lexicographical)

So the bug arises from the DA thinking there's a selection when there really isn't. Since none of the icons in the window are the selected ones, it's a no-op. Not sure if this is a bug in the DA or in DeskTop.

Clicking the window in DeskTop clears the selection because it initiates a drag-select.

[inexorabletash]

Fixed on the DeskTop side. Selection is cleared when the "open" command is executed, if any directories were opened.

Not doing so seemed to have other effects, e.g.

• Select two directories, and execute File > Open. The directory icons both gray, but will act semi-selected.
• Select one directory and one text file, and execute File > Open. The text file renders partially as selected (e.g. the name is black, icon is white)

[inexorabletash]

One more case that needs fixing apparently:

1. Open a folder containing a directory
2. Open a folder from within that window by double-clicking
3. Apple > Sort Directory

The directory isn't sorted, because selection remains on the double-clicked folder. Not sure if this is a deficiency in the previous fix, but there's a bug in the DA anyway: it falls into "sort by selection" even if the selection is outside the active window.