williamstein
commented
2 weeks ago To me, this goes against how hidden files are meant to be used in UNIX. There are files, usually for configuration, like .bash_profile, which start with a dot and are not visible by default. Hidden in UNIX is mainly meant for configuration files, not as a way of cleaning up a messy directory.
The right way to solve the problem you're describing is to move all of those files into a new folder.
- Make a new folder
- Check all the files
- Click move and select the new folder.
(Yes, we really need drag-n-drop.)
I suspect @haraldschilly would feel the same way but would love to hear his opinion.
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe. This feature request stems from a need to quickly and easily hide files in CoCalc's File Explorer while performing file actions via the checkbox to the left of the file name. A professor at UNAQ expressed the desire to clean up the project files after a semester. The process of manually renaming files with a . in front of the file name isn't intuitive or user-friendly.
Describe the solution you'd like A "Hide" functionality added to the File Actions menu in the File Explorer. This would automatically rename any selected file by prefixing it with a dot (.) to make it a hidden file. This leverages the existing "show hidden files" feature for convenience.
Describe alternatives you've considered The alternative is to manually rename each file, adding a dot (.) at the beginning. However, this is labor-intensive and not intuitive, especially for users who are not familiar with hidden file conventions in Unix-like environments.
Additional context Implementing this feature would streamline file management for educators and other users who want to temporarily declutter their project files without deleting or permanently moving them. Providing a quick, one-click solution enhances usability and integrates well with existing functionalities.