code base good enough to actually progress

backend.c

@@ -1,100 +1,75 @@
 #include <curses.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <strings.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <unistd.h>
 #include "defines.h"
 #include "sorting.h"
 
 extern unsigned int settings;
 extern unsigned int file_modifiers;
-extern file_data *content_l;
-extern file_data *content_m;
-extern file_data *content_r;
-extern char *path;
-
-unsigned long file_count_l;
-unsigned long file_count_m;
-unsigned long file_count_r;
 
 
-void get_dir_size(char *path, unsigned long *file_count, unsigned long *longest_name){
-	DIR *dir = opendir(path);
-	*longest_name = 256; //magic number originates out of readdir(), unless i implement my own name size function, thisll do
-	unsigned long index = 0;
-	if (dir) {
-		struct dirent *entry;
-		while ( (entry=readdir(dir)) ) {
-			if (entry->d_name[0] != '.' && !(file_modifiers & FILE_MODIFIERS_HIDDEN_FILES)) {
-				index++;
-			} else if (file_modifiers & FILE_MODIFIERS_HIDDEN_FILES){
-				index++;
-			}
-		}
-	}	
-	*file_count = index;
-	closedir(dir);
-}
-
-void get_dir_content(char *path, unsigned long file_count, unsigned long longest_name, file_data *dir_content){
+void get_dir_size(char *path, unsigned long *dir_length_width, unsigned long *dir_width){
 	DIR *dir = opendir(path);
 	if (dir) {
-		unsigned long index = 0;
+		unsigned long entry_count = 0;
+		unsigned long max_length;
 		struct dirent *entry;
-		while ( (entry=readdir(dir)) ) { 
-			if (entry->d_name[0] != '.' && !(file_modifiers & FILE_MODIFIERS_HIDDEN_FILES)) {
-				dir_content[index].file_name = entry->d_name;
-				dir_content[index].file_type = entry->d_type;
-				index++;
-			} else if (file_modifiers & FILE_MODIFIERS_HIDDEN_FILES) {
-				dir_content[index].file_name = entry->d_name;
-				dir_content[index].file_type = entry->d_type;
-				index++;
+		while ((entry=readdir(dir))) { 
+			if (entry->d_name[0] != '.' || (file_modifiers & FILE_MODIFIERS_HIDDEN_FILES)) {
+				unsigned int current_length = 0;
+				unsigned int i = 0;
+				for (; entry->d_name[i] != '\0'; i++) {
+					current_length++;
+				}
+				if (current_length > max_length) {
+					/*dynamic filename length to save on memory*/
+					max_length = current_length;
+				}
+				entry_count++;
+			} else {
 			}
 		}
+		dir_length_width[0] = entry_count;
+		dir_length_width[1] = max_length;
 	}	
 	closedir(dir);
+
 }
 
-void print_dir(WINDOW *win, unsigned long file_count, file_data *dir_content){
-	for (unsigned long i = 0; i < file_count; i++ ){ //skip index 0 as it is used for metadata like file count
-		if (dir_content[i].file_name) {
-			wprintw(win, "%s",dir_content[i].file_name);
-			wmove(win, i, 1);
-		} else {
-			wprintw(win, "NULL");
-			wmove(win, i, 1);
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-void *populate_dir(void *which){ // 0=left, 1=main, 2=right
-	char wh = (char)which;
-	unsigned long longest_name = 0;
-
-	if (wh) {
-		if (wh == 1) {
-			free(content_m);
-			get_dir_size(path, &file_count_m, &longest_name);
-			content_m = (file_data*)calloc(file_count_m, sizeof(file_data));
-			get_dir_content(path, file_count_m, longest_name, content_m);
-			sort_dir(&file_count_m, &longest_name, content_m);
-		} else {
-			free(content_r);
-			get_dir_size(path, &file_count_r, &longest_name);
-			content_r = calloc(file_count_r, sizeof(file_data));
-			get_dir_content(path, file_count_r, longest_name, content_r);
-			sort_dir(&file_count_m, &longest_name, content_r);
-		}
+void get_dir_content(char *path, unsigned long *dir_length_width, unsigned long *dir_width, char *dir_content){
+	struct dirent **entry;
+	if (file_modifiers & FILE_MODIFIERS_HIDDEN_FILES) { /* print hidden files */
+		dir_length_width[0] = scandir(path, &entry, NULL, alphasort);
 	} else {
-		free(content_l);
-		get_dir_size(path, &file_count_l, &longest_name);
-		content_l = calloc(file_count_l, sizeof(file_data));
-		get_dir_content(path, file_count_l, longest_name, content_l);
-		sort_dir(&file_count_m, &longest_name, content_l);
+		dir_length_width[0] = scandir(path, &entry, skip_hidden_files, alphasort);
 	}
 
-	return NULL;
+	unsigned long i = 0;
+	for (i = 0; i < dir_length_width[0]; i++ ) { 
+		if (entry[i]->d_name[0] == '.' && !(file_modifiers & FILE_MODIFIERS_HIDDEN_FILES)) {
+		} else {
+			unsigned long j = 0;
+			for (; entry[i]->d_name[j] != '\0'; j++) {
+				dir_content[i * dir_length_width[1] + j] = entry[i]->d_name[j];
+			}
+			dir_width[i] = j;
+		}
+	}
+	for (i = 0; i < dir_length_width[0]; i++) {
+		free(entry[i]);
+	}
+	free(entry);
+
 }
 
+void print_dir(WINDOW *win, unsigned long *dir_length_width, unsigned long *file_width, char *dir_content){
+
+	unsigned long i = 0;
+	for (i = 0; i<dir_length_width[0]; i++) {
+		unsigned long j = 0;
+		for (j = 0; j < file_width[i]; j++){
+			mvwprintw(win, i, j, "%c", dir_content[i * dir_length_width[1] + j]); 
+		}
+	}
+
+
+}