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Ticket #4902: clarify 'Reverse files only' and add 'Invert selection' to the manual #4918

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Merged
zyv merged 1 commit into from
Feb 1, 2026
+10 −6
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Ticket #4902: clarify 'Reverse files only' and add 'Invert selection' to the manual #4918

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16 changes: 10 additions & 6 deletions doc/man/mc.1.in
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ look at the section on
Left and Right Menus\&.
.\"Left and Right Menus"
.TP
.B Tab, C\-i
.B Tab, C\-i, left\-key, right\-key
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@mc-worker mc-worker Nov 29, 2025

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What do you mean?

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@DrinkDregs DrinkDregs Nov 30, 2025 •
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I assumed that since it is possible to change the active panel using the left and right arrow keys, you would want this documented.

I copied up-key and down-key from elsewhere in the document as the existing convention for notating arrow keys.

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@egmontkob egmontkob Nov 30, 2025

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I don't get it either. Left / Right arrow keys do not switch to the other panel for me. They walk left-right in the command line, or if Lynx-style navigation is enabled then enter/leave a directory.

Is there a setting for this behavior that I've missed?

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@DrinkDregs DrinkDregs Nov 30, 2025

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I have the command line hidden.

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@egmontkob egmontkob Nov 30, 2025

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Indeed; if command line is hidden and Lynx-style navigation is disabled then left/right arrows also switch panels.

Unless we want to be super pedantic about documenting every slightest bit of the behavior (which I don't think we want), I think we should simply leave out these hotkeys from the documentation.

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@ossilator ossilator Dec 1, 2025

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seems like quite the misfeature in the first place. who'd want such inconsistent behavior?

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@zyv zyv Jan 31, 2026

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I've cleaned up the commit and would like to merge these documentation improvements irrespective of whether this movement stuff is a feature or a bug.

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@egmontkob egmontkob Jan 31, 2026

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I'd rather simply leave out these left/right keys, IMO they're more confusing than useful.

But if you'd prefer to keep them then that's also fine by me.

Thanks!

change the current panel. The old other panel becomes the new current
panel and the old current panel becomes the new other panel. The
selection bar moves from the old current panel to the new current
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1216,6 +1216,13 @@ Used to unselect a group of files. This is the opposite of the
.I "Select group"
command.
.PP
.B Invert selection (*)
.PP
Select (tag) all items that are currently unselected, and unselect
(untag) all items that are currently selected. Applies to only files
or to both files and directories, depending on whether 'Reverse files
only' is enabled.
.PP
.B Quit (F10, S\-F10)
.PP
Terminate Midnight Commander. S\-F10 is used when you want to
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1985,11 +1992,8 @@ If enabled, the selection bar will move down when you mark a file (with
Insert key). Enabled by default.
.PP
.I Reverse files only.
Allow revert selection of files only. Enabled by default.
If enabled, the reverse selection is applied to files only, not to directories.
The selection of directories is untouched. If off, the reverse selection
is applied to files as well to directories: all unselected items become
selected, and vice versa.
If enabled, 'Invert selection' in the File menu will apply to only files
rather than to both files and directories. Enabled by default.
.PP
.I Simple swap.
If both panels contain file listing, simple swap means that panels exchange
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