Windows 7 forum: files and folders alphabetically

XYplorer has pretty customizable sorting options including the mixed sort you want (simply untick "Sort folders apart"). Here is a screenshot of the related configuration:
http://www.xyplorer.com/product.htm#sorting

"alphabetize the documents separately from the folders." is not what they want. They appear to want that style of sorting I get on Linux/UNIX/BSD.

Explorer is not for them. Some may think Explorer is Windows, but it's just an app!
Bob

Part of the problem lies in the historical nature of the Microsoft file management paradigm. They built a filesystem and declared that some objects henceforth would be "folders" and others would be "files".

When you sort all the objects in a folder alphabetically, it is sorting truthfully. Folders and files are different object types (not "file types" ... jpeg or mp3 are filetypes, folders and files are filesystem object types). Each type of object is sorted in alphabetical order according to a built-in table of order -- something had to be written to tell the system how to handle case differences (whether "A" or "a" goes on top) and whether numbers or letters have priority. Also bear in mind that to a computer, the letters you see are actually character codes ... every character has a value, and when sorting the computer doesn't see letters, it sees character codes. Go look up ANSI and ASCII for reference. Just be thankful we're not dealing with EBCDIC.

I do have my own carp about Win7 folder display, but it's not a sorting issue. I had a Win7 machine for nearly 2 years before I figured out how to force all folders to display all filetypes as simple files rather than using the out-of-the-box method of defining folders (and displaying contents) based on expected filetypes. I always hated that the Pictures folder displayed everything by default as a large icon and that I had to manually switch the view to detailed and even then the columns indicated stupid things like ratings and tags rather than filesize and creation date. And don't get me started on the 'Music' folder! I don't go into folders (file explorer) to view photos / play music, I go into the folder to >manage< my file library. To view/play, I use programs which are designed expressly for that purpose. A file explorer is (in my opinion) just supposed to provide me with the ability to manage the filesystem contents, not to "execute" the files. Talk about annoying. :-D

I did not defend anyone or thing. But some folk need an app to do what they want!