Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!think!barmar
From: barmar@think.COM (Barry Margolin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Why can't the Finder show folder sizes?
Message-ID: <22068@think.UUCP>
Date: 16 Jun 88 06:00:14 GMT
References: <5173@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Sender: usenet@think.UUCP
Reply-To: barmar@kulla.think.com.UUCP (Barry Margolin)
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 19


In order for the Finder to tell you the total size of a folder, it
must add up the sizes of all the folders contained within that folder,
which requires it to add up the sizes of all the folders contained
within that, etc.  In other words, if you were to open up a disk icon
in non-icon display mode, it would have to access the directory
entries for every file on the disk.  For a large disk this process
could be time consuming.  If the disk is being accessed over the
network (e.g. using AppleShare) it would be even slower.

When you do a Get Info on a folder, it does this summation of all
folders subordinate to the one you are getting info on.  Since Get
Info is a less frequent operation than simply opening a folder, the
expense is more justifiable.

Barry Margolin
Thinking Machines Corp.

barmar@think.com
uunet!think!barmar