'Robust transfer' enhancement requests

Valery_Kondakoff · Post by **Valery_Kondakoff** » 2005 Mar 06, 15:50

Hi!

As far as I understand the Xplorer 1.2 is not so far. So, maybe this is a good idea to enhance 'Robust transfer' before releasing the new version?

Here are the requests:

1) Allow to create non existing dirs during copy/move (you should allow user input in the 'Opposite pane' field).
2) Make the 'Browse for folder' dialog in 'Here' field to defaults to the active pane folder instead of 'My Computer'.
3) List all opened tabs in 'Tab' input field.
4) Add the 'Background' button to the main transfer dialog to allow user to put the lengthy transfers into background. The current implementation (an option 'normal/background') is not userfriendly at all because you never know if you really need to put the transfer to the background until you phisically start it.
5) Change, please the 'Clear the read-only attribute for target files' to 'Cleare the read-only attribute for target files when copying from CD': in general there are no reasons to clear the attributes when copying/moving files between disks, but most of us wants to clear the 'read-only' when copying from CD... So - I think the option should be refined...

Your opinions?

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Mar 07, 07:53

the only certain thing is that v1.2 is about to go out and all changes are locked!

Valery_Kondakoff · Post by **Valery_Kondakoff** » 2005 Mar 07, 10:53

OK...

Excuse me, please, Nikos if this message is annoying, but I really can't understand why some of the developers (you in this case) are not really answering on 'requests'-posts?

There are plenty of feature requests on this forum and in most cases I don't see a clear answer from the developer side. When a user posts feature-request he just wants to know: if this feature will be implement eventually.

So, when I was asking you about the 'Robust transfer' enhancement I wanted an answer like this:

Dear Valery, v1.2 is about to go out and all changes are locked! So, you will not see something new in 'Robust transfer' in this version. As for your requests:
The numbers #1, #3 and #5 will be not implemented at all, just because I don't like them. Use another FMs if you need such a freatures.
The request #2 is very difficult to implement, but I'll try to do this in one of the future builds. Don't expect it really soon.
The requests #4 is almost implemented and will be available in one of the 1.2.* builds...

This is what I wanted: just some info about your development plans. Try to compare it with your own answer. If you think the endless feature requests are annoying and just wasting the developer's time - just post some forum rules: 'No feature requests here!' and the users will stop posting them...

I still think you need to bring some light on the Xplorer2 future by giving a clear answer on users feature requests.

Excuse me once again if you think this message was offensive!

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Mar 07, 11:48

if you ever find yourself in my shoes you'll realize that there's not enough time in the day to answer all requests individually

but rest assured that i'm taking note of all requests and when there are lots of people asking for the same feature it usually finds its way in; e.g. see the features added for 1.2 and compare with the older discussions in this forum!

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 2005 Mar 07, 11:57

....And we also have a privately maintained "todo list" (wishlist), which has all such points borrowed from these forums. Some of these proposed features are taken up for elaboration and more intense discussion in private.

So it is only a matter of time: most of your suggestions will appear in x2.

ricmarte · Post by **ricmarte** » 2005 Mar 07, 13:42

Everyone has a good point here. However, I should add that in the brief period I've been registered, there have been some nice improvements to x2. Others and I have also been the recipients of e-mails stating that some of our feature requests will be coming soon.

While it would nice/interesting to know if some things will be added or "fixed" it is time consuming to answer e-mails. Also, such discussions often lead to further requests and additions.

A good system along the lines you Valery, have suggested, would be to reply to each request with a quick code. The legend provide below, would be part of the message:

0 - Not implementable
1 - Catastrophic Bug - To be fixed Immediately
2 - Feature Request - To be added within 2 months
4 - Feature Request - To be added within 4 months
6 - Feature Request - To be added within 4 months
12 - Major Release Upgrade - will required new registration

Moderators or Nikos (time allowing) may then shed some light regarding non implementable requests or why something is part of a major release.

This might strike a balance between the perception of unresponsiveness and expeditiousness.

-ric

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Mar 07, 14:37

you can rest assured that no feedback goes wasted
depending on my available time you may receive more or less direct response, but that doesn't change the overall picture: feedback counts!

Valery_Kondakoff · Post by **Valery_Kondakoff** » 2005 Mar 07, 15:10

nikos wrote:if you ever find yourself in my shoes you'll realize that there's not enough time in the day to answer all requests individually

In fact, I'm in your shoes, just because I'm supporting one of the most well known schedulers/automation managers in Russia, called nnCron. You can take a look at our forum, which was opened only half a year ago ( http://www.nncron.ru/forums/ ) and now the count of user messages is almost equal to the Xplorer one... There is a nnCron newsgroup with heavy traffic etc...

You are saying you have no time to answer all the feature requests. I don't believe this, just because the message:

1. - don't like this
2. - don't like this
3. - I 'll think about this
4. - don't like this
5. - will be implemented in the next major update

is as short as your initial answer on my requests.

Note, please, you have wasted enough time by answering this post, but still not gave me your opinion on no one of five of these requests...

narayan wrote:And we also have a privately maintained "todo list" (wishlist), which has all such points borrowed from these forums. Some of these proposed features are taken up for elaboration and more intense discussion in private.

So don't you think it is a good idea to make the list of 'accepted' feature requests public? Is this a secret?

ricmarte wrote:This might strike a balance between the perception of unresponsiveness and expeditiousness.

Exactly! But I'm pretty sure there is another reason why Nikos does not like to give a clear public answer on user feature requests: he just does not want to be 'constrained' with his promises. I can understand this, but if this is true, I think he needs just to put 'You can post feature requests but they will not be discussed in this forum' in the forum rules...

nikos wrote:you can rest assured that no feedback goes wasted
depending on my available time you may receive more or less direct response, but that doesn't change the overall picture: feedback counts!

Thanks, but let me explain why I'm giving all these feature requests: currently I'm evaluating Xplorer2 as the replacement for my favorite FAR file manager. And I'm not satisfied with the current Xplorer2 state, though I should admit, that Xplorer2 is the most promising FM currently on the market. So I just want to know the developers plans before I go deep into this file manager. I think there is nothing extraordinary in this... Don't you think so?

Take a look at one of my previous posts: http://forum.zabkat.com/viewtopic.php?t=2743 . There are 17 requests, supported bu other users, but only one of them was commented by Nikos...

If you don't like to give an answers to feature requests, maybe you should post some kind of roadmap of features which are planned for future Xplorer2 releases. Take a look how this is implemented in MP3Tag (just a quick example): http://www.anytag.de/forums/index.php?showtopic=981 . There is another one approach: feature voting (gVim as an example): http://www.vim.org/sponsor/vote_results.php .

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Mar 07, 16:47

you're exactly right
i am not a single-minded tyrrant/developer deciding people's fates but xplorer2 isn't a democracy either. I take decisions trading off my time and investment, and the ultimate objective is making xplorer2 a worthy contender in the file market arena. But as a developer yourself (?) you must know that you can't satisfy everybody!

Valery_Kondakoff · Post by **Valery_Kondakoff** » 2005 Mar 07, 18:13

Ah... This thread becomes more and more interesting with every message!

Who was talking about satisfying everybody? I was not forcing you to implement something. I was just asking: don't you think the features 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are worth to be implemented... And the features 1...17 as well http://forum.zabkat.com/viewtopic.php?t=2743 )...

I was expecting for an answer 'yes', 'no' or 'yes, later'. Is it such a difficult decision? Is it too much time consuming? BTW, I'm not afraid of the answer 'No', I just want to know that!..

I'm really curious: if I will succeed in gettin the clear answer forom the developer side or not? Anyone wants to make a bet? (I hope I'm still not misbehaving?)

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Mar 07, 20:39

i'm not going to dissuade you easily, am i?

1: maybe
2: the starting point is whatever folder is shown in the "here" box
3: maybe
4: either all options will come forward or none; i don't see what singles out "background". In fact my preferable option is for background at all times
5: makes sense

now don't ask me when are all these going to come!
don't forget that you've got your $? wish fulfilled immediately

Valery_Kondakoff · Post by **Valery_Kondakoff** » 2005 Mar 07, 21:37

nikos wrote:i'm not going to dissuade you easily, am i?

Besides programming I'm playing rugby. Maybe this is why I was such a stubborn today?

Thank you for your answers. I must say, that you are completely right with the 'Background' button. The current option is more than enough. This was my mistake: I was thinking the 'Robust transfer' window is modal and was suggesting to implement a button to put the lengthy copy/move process in the background (this is the console file manager behavior). Of course, we do not need such a button just because the transfer window is not modal (I just never clicked it with my mouse until today!).

nikos wrote:now don't ask me when are all these going to come!

OK, I'm not such a brutal person!

But I still ask you to take an another look at my previous long list of requests ( http://forum.zabkat.com/viewtopic.php?t=2743 ) and leave your short comments (when you have a minute or two). Some of the requests are discussed already, so you may skip them.

nikos wrote:don't forget that you've got your $? wish fulfilled immediately

Ah! I was unaware of this. I'll update as soon as possible and try it.

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 2005 Mar 09, 12:54

Valery, even I am of the opinion that Nikos should respond to each of the suggestions (at least in yes/no terms).

But from my experience, that's not how Nikos likes to work. He would not like to work to a rigid timetable; and at the moment he has other plans which may take up his available time.

So the best we can do is to maintain a distilled wishlist.

About the "secercy" of the wishlist: If you add up all such requests in these posts, that gives a rough idea about the public requests. Most of these requests are for correcting/enhancing an existing feature.

On the other hand, the Wishlist also contains a few NEW features that are decided based on the growth strategy for x2.

While x2 was a freeware, the features could be introduced in any random order and were generally known to all.

But the shareware market is so competitive that being the first with a new feature matters a lot. Therefore, it is better not to share the details of the features that would come out next; or their timetable. I think this is a universal practice amongst the shareware developers.

So, posting of suggestions should be enough: discussion is not necessary; unless you want to refine them with contribution from the other users. The competition will see to it that all meritorious suggestions get implemented pronto!

I hope you agree with me!