Fix save option settings...

TsunamiZ · Post by **TsunamiZ** » 2005 Nov 06, 05:01

Please allow option settings to be saved even when user has "save program state on exit" unchecked. Thanks.

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2005 Nov 06, 14:17

But then that wouldn't be an option, would it !
Note that any time you want to save the current settings, use:
Actions | Save settings now

TsunamiZ · Post by **TsunamiZ** » 2005 Nov 06, 14:25

Then please add an "Apply" button to the options dialog [like most programs]. This is much more intuitive and user friendly than an option completely elsewhere to accomplish this. Thanks.

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 2005 Nov 07, 05:06

"Apply" button is provided in a dialog box, to mean "apply the current settings and continue using the dialog box". That is not applicable here, as there is no dialog box in the first place.

TsunamiZ · Post by **TsunamiZ** » 2005 Nov 07, 16:25

narayan wrote:"Apply" button is provided in a dialog box, to mean "apply the current settings and continue using the dialog box". That is not applicable here, as there is no dialog box in the first place.

I meant the options window. Most programs have an "apply" button. So xplorer2 should have one, too.

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 2005 Nov 08, 05:07

Well, the Options window is modal: Once it is launched, you can't use the main x2 window. Therefore the Apply button won't be useful there.

On the other hand, I don't see any advantage in making this window non-modal. Can you think of any operation where you need to keep the options windows available at hand, even as you have returned to x2 to resume your work?

Applying the current changes in settings are useful when you can't decide in advance what value to set for a parameter; and therefore you must set it interactively (through trial-and-error). In that case, you need simultaneous access to the settings window and the main application. That's where the Apply button is required.

In x2, all the choices are pretty straightforward, and you can set the values and exit the options dialog box before returning to work in the main x2 window.

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Another way of looking at this issue: Saving the current settings is already provided through the menu (as mentioned); so there is little point in duplicating it in the Options window.

TsunamiZ · Post by **TsunamiZ** » 2005 Nov 08, 05:15

I was trying to suggest a more user friendly and intuitive approach to settings saving.

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 2005 Nov 08, 08:28

Yes, and we do appreciate your efforts.

A word about what happens in these forums: You will find that someone plays the devil's alternative to test the robustness of the idea. The ensuing dscussion lead to further refinement in the idea (or even some radically different ideas).

Certain ideas may be so straightforward that they get support without further discussion.

All this is good for the application.

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BTW what we post here (or in other threads) is NOT with finality. Only Nikos decides what is (or, is not-) to be done. So in this case, you are most welcome to counter the specific issues I (or others) raised.

Also keep in mind that some of the "unaccepted" ideas stay dormant for a long time till they find new value by combining with some other ideas. On the other hand, all "accepted" ideas will not get implemented in the very next version, because of time/resource constraints. So don't expect a Bugzilla-type response with clearly drawn implementation plans.

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2005 Nov 08, 09:54

TsunamiZ wrote:[...]I meant the options window. Most programs have an "apply" button. So xplorer2 should have one, too.

I think you are looking for a quick way to not only change the settings of the current X² instance running in memory, but at the same time save those settings for all future instances.

That's is the difference between changing the settings (some of them, becuase the saved settings include much more than what is found in the dialog!) and making them permanent by saving them in the registry.

It is by design that these two are separated.

For instance: You might want to temporarily disable calculating folder sizes all the time (because you are on a slow network for instance), but in general you might want this option to be turned on. So you change the setting through the dialog, exit the dialog and that particular instance (and any other you spawn by starting new ones) will not calculate folder sizes anymore. But you don't want this setting to be permanent, because default it should calculate folder sizes.

That's the main reason chnging the settings for the curent running instance and making them permanent by saving them to registry (either automigically at exit or through menu 'Actions.Save setting now') are two separate actions.

RickyF · Post by **RickyF** » 2005 Nov 08, 12:34

How about a dialog box that opens upon closing xplorer² if the user has made changes and not saved them, asking if the user wants to save or discard these changes.

I have been caught by this split of functionality on several occasions and would welcome the program asking me if I want to keep or trash these changes. It seems to me this shouldn't be a hard thing to implement - a flag that says system state has changed which then runs a dialog upon program exit.

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Nov 08, 13:02

this isn't as easy as it sounds or rather it borders to inusability since each (most) thing you do in x2 has traces in history one way or another so you'd always be asked!

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2005 Nov 08, 17:00

nikos wrote:this isn't as easy as it sounds or rather it borders to inusability since each (most) thing you do in x2 has traces in history one way or another so you'd always be asked!

But you could do this for settings which are changeable by using the options dialog, no?? :twisted:

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Nov 08, 17:07

i could if the program was written differently!

RickyF · Post by **RickyF** » 2005 Nov 08, 18:25

Can I infer you don't want to completely rewrite the program's code? :D