> > Attached: patch for this. The text is now:
> >
> >   files 420/694 space used 19646 available 56456000
> 
> The string `total' is the standard string printed by `ls' so maybe we
> should keep it.  Also what do you think about further compacting
> this line as:
> 
> total files 420/694 space 19646/56456000

I already said that I find "total" unclear and I prefer the form I proposed.

> or using the same function in `size-indication-mode' that displays the
> size in the mode line in human-readable format:
> 
> total files 420/694 space 19KB/56MB

That might be OK, but what's wrong with giving a more precise number? That's
typically what is given for this kind of thing.

> Also we could add a tooltip explaining what these numbers mean if they
> are not obvious.
> 
> > Meaning: 420 files shown now, out of 694 total in the 
> directory. Subdirs are
> > treated the same way.

Great minds think alike. I was already doing that - new patch attached.
(Also fixed a bug introduced in last patch.)

(The text should say nothing about subdirs, BTW - each subdir has its own
tooltip.)

> In your patch maybe better to move dired functionality to dired.el or
> dired-aux.el and rename `count-dired-files' to `dired-count-files'.

I'll leave that to others to decide. My proposal just leaves things where
they are now.