But as I've said a number of times - the installer does NOT have a facility to prompt where it should create a folder for these files, nor does it have the ability to pass the installation location to WinBMD. That's why I create it at present under the WinBMD installation folder where I know there can be no clash with an existing file or folder. Ian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Archer Barrie" <Barrie.Archer@uk.fujitsu.com> To: <freebmd-syndicates@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 4:21 AM Subject: RE: re Windows Wish List > Ian, > > We are talking here ONLY about new installs. For upgrades nothing is > done (this was the suggestion of Nowl which I agreed with); if the user > wants to move their output file location (possibly as recommended by a > TKB item) they use Define Save Path and move the files themselves. > > Currently when WinBMD is installed for the first time it asks where it > should store the program giving a default of c:\Program Files\WinBMD but > allowing the user to choose an alternative. The proposal is that it > should then ask the user where it should store its output files, giving > a default of My Documents\WinBMD\Output which the user could change if > they wished. It would be better if the installer tried to create this > folder (if it did not exist) because failure at this point (for any > reason) is easier for the user to handle. However, it would not be a > problem if WinBMD created it, if necessary, when saving the first file. > > If the default output folder already exists, since the user has accepted > the default, it cannot be the "wrong" folder. > > Barrie > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com >> [mailto:freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of >> Ian Brooke >> Sent: 13 February 2009 20:49 >> To: freebmd-syndicates@rootsweb.com >> Subject: Re: re Windows Wish List >> >> Barrie, >> I understand that you are proposing less work but I can't see >> how it could >> safely work. I'm still stuck on the problem that what if a >> file or folder >> with our name already exists under My Documents. I can't >> have the installer >> create it (because it would fail if there was one there >> already) and then >> when WinBMD is first run it could find a folder under my >> documents and start >> using it without knowing it may not be the right one. The >> only safe way is >> for the installer to create it as it does now under WinBMD >> and then have >> WinBMD move it in response to the user clicking the menu >> option. And Yes I >> did mean the Define Save Path menu item. >> >> The reason I suggested copying the files is simply so the >> user has all >> his/her output files together in one folder. Why would we >> want to have some >> in the old folder and some in the new one? >> >> Ian >> >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Archer Barrie" <Barrie.Archer@uk.fujitsu.com> >> To: <freebmd-syndicates@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2009 4:47 PM >> Subject: RE: re Windows Wish List >> >> >> > Ian, >> > >> > I am actually suggesting less change! I think the ONLY >> change that needs >> > to be made is for the default output folder to be under (My >> )Documents >> > for new installs only. >> > >> > By the "change folder routine" do you mean File/Define Save >> Path? If so >> > I really don't think it should move files. It isn't what it >> does at the >> > moment and it is not what the name suggests. If you want to do it I >> > suggest it should be a new menu item, File/Relocate Output (or some >> > such). >> > >> > Yes, technically all files that may change from user to >> user should be >> > under (My )Documents. You would find the path to the .ini >> file from the >> > Registry (HKCU) (or move the .ini data into the Registry). >> > >> > Barrie >> > >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> From: freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com >> >> [mailto:freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of >> >> Ian Brooke >> >> Sent: 08 February 2009 22:07 >> >> To: freebmd-syndicates@rootsweb.com >> >> Subject: Re: re Windows Wish List >> >> >> >> Although I would agree with what you say about it being >> >> desireable, I'm >> >> really unsure that moving output files below My Documents or >> >> wherever really >> >> achieves anything other than some users being able to locate >> >> their files, >> >> and for many their current location below WinBMD is easy to >> >> find and doesn't >> >> really affect anything. Also to suggest a technical >> >> desireability to have >> >> them below My Documents ignores all the other files which are >> >> located in the >> >> WinBMD folder, such as the ini file, the district and names >> >> files etc, all >> >> these are updated by WinBMD. If there is a technical need to >> >> have the output >> >> files elsewhere then surely that also holds true of these >> >> other files and >> >> yet I cannot think of a way to relocate the ini file (as the >> >> program needs >> >> to locate it in order to know where it is located) and moving >> >> the others is >> >> very difficult. >> >> >> >> All I'm really trying to say is that maybe the technical >> >> advantages of >> >> moving the output folder are not worth the technical >> >> difficulties of doing >> >> it automatically. I think we should go with amending the >> >> existing change >> >> folder routine to create the new folder, defaulting to below >> >> My Documents, >> >> and copy the files for the user It's easy, almost risk free >> >> to do and >> >> allows those users who want to leave it where it is to do so. >> >> >> >> Ian >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> From: "Archer Barrie" <Barrie.Archer@uk.fujitsu.com> >> >> To: <freebmd-syndicates@rootsweb.com> >> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 7:35 AM >> >> Subject: RE: re Windows Wish List >> >> >> >> >> >> >I am sorry Allan, but the output folder for should NOT be a >> >> subfolder of >> >> > WinBMD. It is like that for historical reasons but for the latest >> >> > versions of Windows (say from XP onwards) it is a >> >> deprecated location. >> >> > If users need to move their output folder it should be under (My >> >> > )Documents which is where almost every other piece of >> >> software puts its >> >> > output. This is why users would find it easier to find the files. >> >> > >> >> > There are many reasons for using (My )Documents, some quite >> >> technical, >> >> > but a simple one is that it works for PCs with multiple >> >> users. If users, >> >> > for example yourself, wish to have the output files >> >> elsewhere that is >> >> > fine, but the default, and what we recommend, must be under (My >> >> > )Documents. >> >> > >> >> > Barrie >> >> > >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> >> From: freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com >> >> >> [mailto:freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of >> >> >> Allan Raymond >> >> >> Sent: 04 February 2009 14:06 >> >> >> To: freebmd-syndicates@rootsweb.com >> >> >> Subject: Re: re Windows Wish List >> >> >> >> >> >> I'm also at a complete loss regarding all this discussion. >> >> >> >> >> >> If volunteers are unable to find the default Output folder >> >> >> location for >> >> >> WinBMD produced files which I happen to maintain should be in >> >> >> a subfolder of >> >> >> the WinBMD what chance have they got of understanding the >> >> >> proposed new >> >> >> WinBMD requirements. >> >> >> >> >> >> We seem to be creating a rod for our back, this discussion >> >> >> started because >> >> >> of a suggested requirement to assist volunteers in being able >> >> >> to locate >> >> >> their files to send to their Co-ordinators. >> >> >> >> >> >> If it was recommended that all files produced by WinBMD were >> >> >> to be held in >> >> >> the default subfolder on WinBMD aptly called Output folder >> >> >> this problem >> >> >> should resolve itself without all these changes to WinBMD. >> >> >> >> >> >> I keep saying I have WinBMD to work on Vista and have no >> >> >> trouble finding >> >> >> where the WinBMD files are held C:/WinBMD/Output. >> >> >> >> >> >> I believe I have found a solution to the problem why some >> >> >> volunteers can't >> >> >> get WinBMD on Vista and fingers crossed I have managed to get >> >> >> two long >> >> >> suffering Vista volunteers to get WinBMD to work following >> >> my simple >> >> >> suggestion of C:/WinBMD/Output. >> >> >> >> >> >> Allan Raymond >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> >> From: "Nowl" <owl.news@zen.co.uk> >> >> >> To: <FreeBMD-Syndicates@rootsweb.com> >> >> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 1:17 PM >> >> >> Subject: Re: re Windows Wish List >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Excuse me butting in. . . I've been following the exchanges >> >> >> between Ian >> >> >> and Barrie with great interest, as I do feel the current >> >> default Save >> >> >> Path causes some problems. But I'm not following why we >> >> would want to >> >> >> move users' existing files at all. >> >> >> >> >> >> I thought the idea was to define a new default location that >> >> >> was easier >> >> >> to find for new users and "better" from a programmers' >> >> point of view, >> >> >> particularly with Vista. But shouldn't it apply only to new >> >> >> users/fresh >> >> >> installs, rather than upgrades? People who are already >> >> happily using >> >> >> WinBMD surely already know where to find their files and/or >> >> >> have defined >> >> >> a custom Save Path and don't want it changed. >> >> >> >> >> >> Much of Ian and Barrie's discussion seems to be about the >> >> >> difficulty of >> >> >> discovering the path to a user's current output folder and >> >> >> the mechanism >> >> >> of moving it. Couldn't all this be avoided if the installer >> >> >> checked for >> >> >> an existing WinBMD, and if it found one, left the current >> >> settings in >> >> >> place? >> >> >> >> >> >> I'm also wondering whether the installation would fail if, >> >> when asked >> >> >> where they want their files moved, users chose their >> >> existing output >> >> >> folder, since files can't be "moved" to the same place? >> >> Would they be >> >> >> forced to choose another path and then switch back? >> >> >> >> >> >> I'm not a programmer, so may well be missing the point here >> >> >> and am happy >> >> >> to be corrected :-) >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> Nowl >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> >> >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> >> >> FREEBMD-SYNDICATES-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> >> >> 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body >> >> >> of the message >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > ------------------------------- >> >> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> >> > FREEBMD-SYNDICATES-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> 'unsubscribe' >> >> > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> >> FREEBMD-SYNDICATES-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> >> 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body >> >> of the message >> >> >> > >> > >> > ------------------------------- >> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> > FREEBMD-SYNDICATES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >> > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> FREEBMD-SYNDICATES-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body >> of the message >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > FREEBMD-SYNDICATES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >