Ethereal-dev: Re: [ethereal-dev] Problems with display filtering

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From: Gilbert Ramirez <gramirez@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 09:40:10 -0500
On Tue, 25 Jul 2000 22:09:44 Richard Sharpe wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> There is, in my view, a big problem with display filtering.
> 
> display filters are of the form:
> 
>   arp.hw.type == 1
> 
> But the hw.type bears little relationship with the field displayed in the
> tree view, which is "Hardware type".
> 
> A user has to look in the man page, or the source, to figure out what the
> field name is, and dissector writers have to update the documentation when
> they add new fields, or no one will know about them.
> 
> This is a very poor situation.
> 
> I can think of a couple of ways around this:
> 
> 1. Add code that allows users to find the mapping between field names and
> the name in the tree view. Such information is available in the
> registration table that a dissector provides to allow filtering.

You're right, it is a poor situation. We could add another column to the
tree view and show the field name for each item that has one. This second
column could be shown or hidden by the user.

Also, the field name could be shown in the menu that comes up with
a right-click on the item.

--gilbert