"File" menu is not documented

[DrinkDregs]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Midnight Commander version and build configuration

GNU Midnight Commander 4.8.33
Built with GLib 2.82.4
Built with S-Lang 2.3.3 with terminfo database
Built with libssh2 1.11.1
With builtin editor and aspell support
With subshell support as default
With support for background operations
With mouse support on xterm and Linux console
With support for X11 events
With internationalisation support
With multiple codepages support
With ext2fs attributes support
Virtual File Systems:
 cpiofs, tarfs, sfs, extfs, ftpfs, sftpfs, shell
Data types:
 char: 8; int: 32; long: 64; void *: 64; size_t: 64; off_t: 64; uintmax_t: 64;

Operating system

Linux dell 6.12.58-1-lts #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri, 14 Nov 2025 05:38:58 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Is this issue reproducible using the latest version of Midnight Commander?

• I confirm the issue is still reproducible with the latest version of Midnight Commander

How to reproduce

1. Create a directory containing two files and two subdirectories.
2. Enter the original directory.
3. Select one subdirectory.
4. Click: File -> Invert selection

Expected behavior

The two files and the other subdirectory should now be selected, and the original subdirectory should not be.

Actual behavior

The original subdirectory remains selected, The two files are selected, but the other subdirectory is not selected.

Additional context

If a file is first selected instead of a subdirectory, then inverting the section causes the other file to be selected, but not the subdirectories.

In addition, 'Invert selection' is not mentioned in the manual.

[mc-worker]

The bevaviour of Invert selection command depends on Reverse files only option (menu Options -> Panel options..., This option is documented.

Yes, menu File is not documented.

[zyv]

/cc @Vrihub, you wanted to do some documentation work :)

[DrinkDregs]

The bevaviour of Invert selection command depends on Reverse files only option (menu Options -> Panel options..., This option is documented.

I didn't know that the 'Reverse files only' section of the manual refers to 'Invert selection' because it doesn't mention 'Invert selection'. Instead it confusingly refers to it as 'revert selection' and reverse selection'. 'revert selection' doesn't even make sense. What is it being reverted to?

Yes, menu File is not documented.

Yes it is. All that is missing is 'Invert selection'. It needs to go between 'Unselect group' and 'Quit'.

[zyv]

The bevaviour of Invert selection command depends on Reverse files only option (menu Options -> Panel options..., This option is documented.

I didn't know that the 'Reverse files only' section of the manual refers to 'Invert selection' because it doesn't mention 'Invert selection'. Instead it confusingly refers to it as 'revert selection' and reverse selection'. 'revert selection' doesn't even make sense. What is it being reverted to?

I think the problem is that the bigger part of the English manual was written by native Russian speakers, and even before that it was mostly edited by anyone but folks proficient in English. My impression is that "revert/reverse" is just a bad translation of "invert". Feel free to suggest a documentation path to improve the matter.

[DrinkDregs]

I could easily go through the whole manual and correct everything, but I don't know how GitHub works. I only use it for reporting bugs...

[zyv]

Well, I'm just about to leave for vacation, so I won't have the capacity to supervise you. In the case that you know how to work with git, you can just attach a patch to this issue.

If you are not familiar with git itself, then the easiest way would probably be for you to edit the manual page with the GitHub web interface, and submit the results back as a pull request. Obviously, it will not be according to our process, but this is not important. One of us can bring it technically into shape. The manual is here:

https://github.com/MidnightCommander/mc/blob/master/doc/man/mc.1.in

You need to click on the pencil button to make a fork that you can edit. Then you need to make edits as you see fit, but according to roff format, and commit (save) them. After that, you can submit the results back as a PR.

I can have a look after I'm back, or maybe @mc-worker or @egmontkob could integrate it earlier.