Range command dialog with blank maximum size erases everything

[David Marcus]

If I do "erase /= *.*" and enter 1000 for the minimum size in the Ranges dialog, the command line is "erase /[s1000,0] *.*". This deletes everything that is at most 1000 bytes. I would think the command line should be "erase /[s1000] *.*".

TCC 22.00.40 x64 Windows 10 [Version 10.0.16299].

 

[rconn]

WAD - if your minimum size is > than the maximum size, TCC will reverse the arguments (because otherwise nothing would ever match).

It's behaved this way for 20+ years; it does the same thing with the date & time ranges.

 

[David Marcus]

Yes, but why does the command dialog interpret a blank value to be zero? That is the problem. If it left it blank, then the command would be what I intended.

 

[rconn]

The problem is entering only one argument. TCC could logically interpret that three ways:

1) Delete all files from 0 - 1000 bytes
2) Delete all files >= 1000 bytes
3) Delete all files exactly == 1000 bytes

I don't think that any one of those is obviously more sensible than the others, which is why I don't plan to change the existing behavior. (Which at least has the weight of history and all the existing batch files & aliases.)

 

[vefatica]

At least back to 4NTv8, the help has said (and still says):

The second parameter of a size range is optional. If you use a single parameter, you will select all files of the specified size or larger.

That doesn't leave much room for interpretation. And that's how it works.

I think the OP was only suggesting that you change the behavior of the "/=" dialog (which provides a second parameter even if it's not wanted) and not that you change the way size ranges work.

 

[David Marcus]

Vince is correct. The second argument in a size range is optional and is the documented way to delete all files equal or greater than a certain size. The Help gives the example of "/[s1M] 2**20 bytes or larger". The problem is you can't enter this using the "/=" dialog. If you leave the second value blank in the dialog, it should not include the second value in the command line.