Portable file icons

[zer0]

Just configuring a file format association in PFI's menu is not sufficient. You need to actually tick "Enable custom file icons" in Configuration > Refresh, Icons, History. This is not immediately clear from the Tips part of the PFI config screen. Therefore, this is as much a "hope this helps someone else" as "hope that requirement will be added to the tips section" post.

[TheQwerty]

Yeah this is rather confusing.

Just as Color Filters have their own page in the configuration, I think some of the other lists should also get this treatment.
For PFA this would allow space for the Enable custom file icons (which is wrong since the icons can apply to all item types) above the list and eliminate this mess.

[admin]

Agreed, there is room for improvement. But isn't it also nice for the user to discover something the software? The joys of learning...

[Stef123]

Not to mention the addictive factor which gets you hooked on XY. I don't think I have ever spent that much time on any tool, or rather - I am 100% sure I've never invested more time customizing and figuring out stuff, tweaking and tuning and tinkering ....

There's gotta be some really tricky psycho-stuff involved, the kind that casino gamblers warn you about. You get lucky every so often, but there is no telling how long it might take to get this kick. But then it sticks with you somehow, so you come back for more...

[admin]

Yes, yes, got it. But it's YOUR fault! You users want more more more features. And it's impossible to present 5000 features in a self-explaining way. Or? Working on it...

[TheQwerty]

But isn't also nice for the user to discover something the software? The joys of learning...

I'm sure many users enjoy a good puzzle, but wouldn't you prefer their discoveries to delight rather than confuse?

Currently finding Tools | Customize File Icons... before the Enable custom file icons option can leave the user feeling frustrated and assuming the feature doesn't work.

Turning Enable custom file icons on for new installs would lessen the problem and bring a more joyous end to that path of discovery. With I believe an entirely negligible impact on all other paths, including that of non-discovery.

Then we'd just have an odd UI placement issue but at least the situation is improved for new users.

[admin]

It actually was the factory default for 1.5 years (ever since the feature was added) but I turned it off 2014-09-22 because some users got confused by it. Thinking about it, you are absolutely right, and I was probably giving a small minority too much impact. I'll turn it on again in favor of the silent majority.

[TheQwerty]

It actually was the factory default for 1.5 years (ever since the feature was added) but I turned it off 2014-09-22 because some users got confused by it.

Hmm... I could have sworn it had been disabled since introduction. You'd know more than I though.

Any recollection of what they found confusing?

[admin]

It actually was the factory default for 1.5 years (ever since the feature was added) but I turned it off 2014-09-22 because some users got confused by it.

Hmm... I could have sworn it had been disabled since introduction. You'd know more than I though.

Any recollection of what they found confusing?

Unfortunately not. I get a lot of input via email and I don't have the time to document this in the depth I can reach with forum discussions (my code comments are full of links to the forum). I try to move the users to the forum as much as I can, but the flood of emails continues and is actually growing. A sign of success, but also an undesired extra-load.

[TheQwerty]

Hopefully, you've managed to automate some of the support mail.

I try to move the users to the forum as much as I can...

Unfortunately, the users that were confused by it being enabled didn't seem to ever make it to the forum. There's not many mentions of the option specifically but those that I found are all suggestions to turn it on.

[admin]

Yep, it's a disadvantage of having so many features that some really great ones disappear in the mounts of documentation (where "really great" varies from user to user).

And yes, email support is automated to some degree.

[Stef123]

Yep, it's a disadvantage of having so many features that some really great ones disappear in the mounts of documentation

Yes, yes, got it. But it's YOUR fault! You users want more more more features. And it's impossible to present 5000 features in a self-explaining way.

Hehe, right on. Touché.
Aside from this welcome featuritis, however, XY is a bit lightweight on the dialog side. Translator-friendly as you prefer to call it, which makes XY not as end-user friendly as comparable products.

Recalling my very first forays into the program, it definitely took help file reading and forum searching to achieve tasks that are self-explanatory elsewhere. Favorites come to mind. Even if you don't care for DUAL>>.... you'd still have to call up and edit the list unless you don't mind being stuck with fav-names like C:\Users\.......\CurrentStuff that eat up your screen space.

In hindsight, I wish I'd had SessionManager and BetterFileSelector, CTB-triggered and pre-configured in a sample ini. Scripts like that match or even surpass the built-in dialogs of other managers, but again, newbies have to read the extra mile to get there, provided they found these directions in the first place.

[admin]

Yes.

You know, I spend all the time I have on coding. So, documentation would have to be out-sourced as much as possible, even in a literal way: no help-texts ("tips") in the source code; they outdate too fast and they are most translator-unfriendly.

Nowadays, with fast and ubiquitous internet (in growing parts of the world), one could think about live-downloading even the tiniest bits of text right from the net into the app. So one could think about building some online-system where a handful of trusted people with an access code (like you moderators here in the forum) would create/maintain up-to-date help texts and examples and ready-made scripts which would be accessible right from the app. A construct that would completely bypass me and free me up for coding.

[Enternal]

Maybe you should probably just take a break for a while and don't add new features at all? And just wait to see any bugs that show up and try to fix them. Because adding new features while resolving bugs at the same time at the speed you're doing, it seems to get pretty crazy quickly Not only that, but with new features, there are always new bugs too.

Code: Select all

Nowadays, with fast and ubiquitous internet (in growing parts of the world), one could think about live-downloading even the tiniest bits of text right from the net into the app. So one could think about building some online-system where a handful of trusted people with an access code (like you moderators here in the forum) would create/maintain up-to-date help texts and examples and ready-made scripts which would be accessible right from the app. A construct that would completely bypass me and free me up for coding.

Actually that sounds like a good idea too! Although perhaps you could open it up to users who contribute enough too and not just mods? I'm not a mod but I think I contribute somewhat enough?

[PeterH]

... Although perhaps you could open it up to users who contribute enough too and not just mods? I'm not a mod but I think I contribute somewhat enough?

Seems no problem to me.

At first you can get in contact with the people allowed to document.
And Don said "trusted people" - I think if someone gives good ideas he might be added to that trusted group.

The problem:
- Don is against it, as it's not under his direct control
- Don is for it, as he doesn't love documentation
so let's wait for the result