What are zones exactly?

[koshi]

MyDefrag has zones. But where is bounds of every zone? Is zone something virtual which bounds we can calculate when we put files all together? Or zone just are set of selected files (scattered all over a disk)?  Where is ZoneEnd when we use Defragment() which does not consolidate files into single piece? Where will be start of the next zone?

[Darlis]

But where is bounds of every zone? Is zone something virtual which bounds we can calculate when we put files all together? Or zone just are set of selected files (scattered all over a disk)?

The zones are virtual at first. You can use Add- and MakeGap to set the position for the next zone as well as to enlarge a zone. The size of the zone is determined by the files that have been selected. By default, the first zone is placed at the beginning of the volume, the second one right after that and so on. Also see Zones.

Where is ZoneEnd when we use Defragment() which does not consolidate files into single piece?

Defragment() ignores the zone end. You have to use FastFill (or similar) to consolidate files.

[koshi]

Defragment() ignores the zone end. You have to use FastFill (or similar) to consolidate files.

Most interesting question is "where will be start of the next zone?" when we use (for example) Defragment() and then SortBy. These zones will be overlapped. It is unclear from the manual what will happen when there is conflict between zones. If specified file action will clear a space for itself, will it clear the space from everything or will it ignore already processed files?

[Darlis]

By default, the beginning of the next is the start of the current zone plus the size of the selected files. It doesn't matter which actions (if any) you use on them.

Once a FileSelect is completed, all the selected files become unmovable: MyDefrag won't select these files anymore and also won't move them again for the duration of the current script. For example if you place the second zone inside the first zone, the files will be placed behind the first zone.
MyDefrag does not remember the zones and their boundaries, only the files that have been processed.

[koshi]

Thanks for the clarification. I think that this information should be mentioned in the documentation.

[Darlis]

(A part of) that information is on the FileSelect help page.

Items will be placed in the first possible zone, in other words, if an item has been selected by a FileBoolean then it will automatically not be selected by the next FileBooleans.