I think you have a good point, although one shouldn't assume that all existing users know where their output files are! Users can transcribe without this knowledge, until the day when they need to do something special with the file ... and then its location may be problematic. I think the issue of moving files was sparked by Keith Simpson's mail of 28th Jan in which he described instructions to change the default path for transcribers who were having problems because of the current location. I presume it was in response to this that Ian made his proposal to move files in his mail later the same day. The only reason I can see for moving files as a result of an upgrade would be because WinBMD is in a better position to do it than users (who may have difficulty finding them). Against this we have the complication of users, who *did* know where their files were, forgetting (or not realising) they had been moved. Moving files to the same location shouldn't be a problem. The software would notice and do nothing. Barrie > -----Original Message----- > From: freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:freebmd-syndicates-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Nowl > Sent: 04 February 2009 13:17 > To: FreeBMD-Syndicates@rootsweb.com > 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 > > > Archer Barrie wrote on Tue, 3 Feb 2009: > > >Ian, > > > >My reference to (My )Documents was shorthand for the registry key > >HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell > Folders\Per > >sonal. So what I meant was that if the output location does not > >currently correspond to the location in this key (i.e. the > output path > >starts with this path), ask the user if we can move it (see below). > > > >As regards moving the folder, I had assumed you would be > doing this when > >the new version of WinBMD was installed not every time > WinBMD was run. > >Doing it at installation makes the decisions much simpler > and hence more > >robust although I appreciate that it will have to be > incorporated into > >the installer. I note that the current version of WinBMD uses > >InstallShield. Although I have never used InstallShield I would have > >thought it would provide such capability. > > > >As regards the question, how it is phrased will determine how easy > >people find to answer it. They have already been asked where > they want > >the program to go, so something like "Location for output data files > ><browse box> (we will move your existing files here)" and > then they have > >to change it if they want the files somewhere else. > > > > ------------------------------- > 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 >

Archer Barrie wrote on Wed, 4 Feb 2009: >I think you have a good point, although one shouldn't assume that all >existing users know where their output files are! Users can transcribe >without this knowledge, until the day when they need to do something >special with the file ... and then its location may be problematic. > Thanks for the reply, Barrie, and yes, I see what you mean. . . although it's easy enough to check, since a custom path will be shown in brackets after Define Save Path in the File menu. If there's nothing there, the default path is being used (or the VirtualStore under Vista). And there's always Search :-) >I think the issue of moving files was sparked by Keith Simpson's mail of >28th Jan in which he described instructions to change the default path >for transcribers who were having problems because of the current >location. I presume it was in response to this that Ian made his >proposal to move files in his mail later the same day. > I see. . . I didn't get Keith's original post -- the lists seem rather flakey lately, I often receive responses to an original message that never arrives! Having read it now, I wholeheartedly agree. I do recommend new volunteers change the default Save Path and suggest creating a subfolder in (My) Documents. I've posted previously on why I think the current default output folder location needs to be changed, and (sorry Allan!) agree that a subfolder of (My) Documents would be the best place for it -- easy to find for new users, conforming to standard practice and solving the permissions problems under Vista. For fresh installs, either by new users or existing volunteers switching to a new computer, I think this would be a great improvement. But if I've followed Ian correctly, there could be huge difficulties with existing WinBMD installations, in both determining the current output path and in where to put the new default folder. What I'm asking is, Is it really worth Ian's time and effort to struggle to make this a global change when for a large proportion of upgraders it wouldn't be necessary (and could also be quite annoying)? >The only reason I can see for moving files as a result of an upgrade >would be because WinBMD is in a better position to do it than users (who >may have difficulty finding them). Against this we have the complication >of users, who *did* know where their files were, forgetting (or not >realising) they had been moved. It could well be that I misunderstood the discussion, but it seemed to be accepted that moving existing files was desirable. I strongly disagree on that one :-) and could see it causing more problems than it solved. > >Moving files to the same location shouldn't be a problem. The software >would notice and do nothing. > Ah, that's reassuring, thanks, Barrie. -- Nowl

I do tend to agree with most of these views. It seems to me to be very simple for those users that have trouble locating their files to create a new folder someplace they can find it, for example under My Documents, or under Users on Vista, and just tell WinBMD to use that folder. I can't really see anyone having serious problems doing that and it saves a lot of potentially risky code for WinBMD to try to do it. Ian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nowl" <owl.news@zen.co.uk> To: <FreeBMD-Syndicates@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 9:52 AM Subject: Re: re Windows Wish List > Archer Barrie wrote on Wed, 4 Feb 2009: > >>I think you have a good point, although one shouldn't assume that all >>existing users know where their output files are! Users can transcribe >>without this knowledge, until the day when they need to do something >>special with the file ... and then its location may be problematic. >> > Thanks for the reply, Barrie, and yes, I see what you mean. . . although > it's easy enough to check, since a custom path will be shown in brackets > after Define Save Path in the File menu. If there's nothing there, the > default path is being used (or the VirtualStore under Vista). And > there's always Search :-) > >>I think the issue of moving files was sparked by Keith Simpson's mail of >>28th Jan in which he described instructions to change the default path >>for transcribers who were having problems because of the current >>location. I presume it was in response to this that Ian made his >>proposal to move files in his mail later the same day. >> > I see. . . I didn't get Keith's original post -- the lists seem rather > flakey lately, I often receive responses to an original message that > never arrives! Having read it now, I wholeheartedly agree. I do > recommend new volunteers change the default Save Path and suggest > creating a subfolder in (My) Documents. > > I've posted previously on why I think the current default output folder > location needs to be changed, and (sorry Allan!) agree that a subfolder > of (My) Documents would be the best place for it -- easy to find for new > users, conforming to standard practice and solving the permissions > problems under Vista. > > For fresh installs, either by new users or existing volunteers switching > to a new computer, I think this would be a great improvement. But if > I've followed Ian correctly, there could be huge difficulties with > existing WinBMD installations, in both determining the current output > path and in where to put the new default folder. > > What I'm asking is, Is it really worth Ian's time and effort to struggle > to make this a global change when for a large proportion of upgraders it > wouldn't be necessary (and could also be quite annoying)? > >>The only reason I can see for moving files as a result of an upgrade >>would be because WinBMD is in a better position to do it than users (who >>may have difficulty finding them). Against this we have the complication >>of users, who *did* know where their files were, forgetting (or not >>realising) they had been moved. > > It could well be that I misunderstood the discussion, but it seemed to > be accepted that moving existing files was desirable. I strongly > disagree on that one :-) and could see it causing more problems than it > solved. >> >>Moving files to the same location shouldn't be a problem. The software >>would notice and do nothing. >> > Ah, that's reassuring, thanks, Barrie. > > -- > 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 >