Background Jobs

[zer0]

BTW, I'm not so sure about the Pause/Continue button anymore. The checkbox has the advantage to clearer show the current state. A toggle button in inherently confusing because the caption says the opposite of the current state.

Speaking from UX point of view, command buttons are there to initiate immediate action. The caption isn't there to indicate what the current state is, but what will happen if a user clicks on it. This is what Microsoft says about command buttons (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 10%29.aspx) and what it says about checkboxes (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 10%29.aspx).

[zer0]

I'd personally always leave auto-updating on; do you see circumstances where users would want to turn this off?

Somebody might be distracted by the seconds ticking away... dunno...

It depends whether you think it is mandatory to show relative (how long ago) time in conjunction with absolute (exact time of completion). Simultaneous display of those seems a bit redundant to me -- I prefer absolute time and if I need to know how long ago that is I can use my brain

[admin]

BTW, I'm not so sure about the Pause/Continue button anymore. The checkbox has the advantage to clearer show the current state. A toggle button in inherently confusing because the caption says the opposite of the current state.

Speaking from UX point of view, command buttons are there to initiate immediate action. The caption isn't there to indicate what the current state is, but what will happen if a user clicks on it. This is what Microsoft says about command buttons (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 10%29.aspx) and what it says about checkboxes (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 10%29.aspx).

Yes, but this checkbox does not initiate immediate action. Pause is not an action but a state, a property. Even when you turn Pause off, the property is changed and as a consequence of this change action is resumed.
In media controls the Pause button is usually a pushed-state button. This is functionally equivalent to a checkbox. The caption does not change.

[zer0]

Yes, but this checkbox does not initiate immediate action. Pause is not an action but a state, a property. Even when you turn Pause off, the property is changed and as a consequence of this change action is resumed.
In media controls the Pause button is usually a pushed-state button. This is functionally equivalent to a checkbox. The caption does not change.

Ah, in that case it's another example of me not reading the changelog in enough detail. In my defence, people do take things at face value That being said, it's a bit underhanded to say that one can completely pause processing and then add that jobs in progress are excluded. And I believe this checkbox does initiate immediate action, just not on the in-progress job. Of course, if it is currently not possible to pause in-progress jobs then that's that. However, even in that case, we should have a button -- instead of a checkbox -- whose caption would be "Pause queued jobs" or "Resume queued jobs", depending on current state.

[admin]

Yes, but this checkbox does not initiate immediate action. Pause is not an action but a state, a property. Even when you turn Pause off, the property is changed and as a consequence of this change action is resumed.
In media controls the Pause button is usually a pushed-state button. This is functionally equivalent to a checkbox. The caption does not change.

Ah, in that case it's another example of me not reading the changelog in enough detail. In my defence, people do take things at face value That being said, it's a bit underhanded to say that one can completely pause processing and then add that jobs in progress are excluded. And I believe this checkbox does initiate immediate action, just not on the in-progress job. Of course, if it is currently not possible to pause in-progress jobs then that's that. However, even in that case, we should have a button -- instead of a checkbox -- whose caption would be "Pause queued jobs" or "Resume queued jobs", depending on current state.

I would give the things here a little time to ripen thru usage. Wait for the next version, play with it, and see whether it's smooth and non-confusing.

[jacky]

Is it me, or did you forgot to update XYcopy.exe in the latest beta? BJ jobs don't work, and the config tells me I have 0024 but need at least 0026.

I just re-downloaded it to check, but the ZIP contains 0024.

[admin]

Is it me, or did you forgot to update XYcopy.exe in the latest beta? BJ jobs don't work, and the config tells me I have 0024 but need at least 0026.

I just re-downloaded it to check, but the ZIP contains 0024.

Sorry, fixed, download it again.

[jacky]

Thanks, better that way

BTW, this doesn't work for me:

Code: Select all

      - In a paused queue with a couple of pending jobs you can use the
        following trick to manipulate the order of jobs: Choose the next
        job you want to start, and check "Skip Job" from its context
        menu. Then uncheck "Skip Job" and you are prompted whether to
        start the job now. OK the prompt and only this job will be
        executed.

I'm not prompted unless the queue is not paused. (IOW, I'd actually need to skip all pending jobs before the one I wanna start, and then unpause the queue, and of course un-skip all the other jobs. Or pause every pending jobs, unpause the queue, then un-skip the job I want started. And then gain un-skip all the jobs.)

[serendipity]

The BJ is working great and i like the new skip/pause features. Did not check below, but is there is reason why the icon of "queue file operations" (QFO) was not used in BB? Especially now with "pause" icon shown during pause the QFO icon would be perfect as it looks like play icon. Also, QFO shares similar context menu as BB.

[admin]

Thanks, better that way

BTW, this doesn't work for me:

Code: Select all

      - In a paused queue with a couple of pending jobs you can use the
        following trick to manipulate the order of jobs: Choose the next
        job you want to start, and check "Skip Job" from its context
        menu. Then uncheck "Skip Job" and you are prompted whether to
        start the job now. OK the prompt and only this job will be
        executed.

I'm not prompted unless the queue is not paused. (IOW, I'd actually need to skip all pending jobs before the one I wanna start, and then unpause the queue, and of course un-skip all the other jobs. Or pause every pending jobs, unpause the queue, then un-skip the job I want started. And then gain un-skip all the jobs.)

Oh yes, right, it works only if all pending jobs are skipped. I'll check...

ADD: fixed. But I'll add something even better: A "Start Job Now" command in the context menu of each paused pending job -- one click less.

[admin]

The BJ is working great and i like the new skip/pause features. Did not check below, but is there is reason why the icon of "queue file operations" (QFO) was not used in BB? Especially now with "pause" icon shown during pause the QFO icon would be perfect as it looks like play icon. Also, QFO shares similar context menu as BB.

The green thing is the "Ready" symbol meaning "all jobs done". The QFO does not deliver this meaning.

[serendipity]

The BJ is working great and i like the new skip/pause features. Did not check below, but is there is reason why the icon of "queue file operations" (QFO) was not used in BB? Especially now with "pause" icon shown during pause the QFO icon would be perfect as it looks like play icon. Also, QFO shares similar context menu as BB.

The green thing is the "Ready" symbol meaning "all jobs done". The QFO does not deliver this meaning.

Yes, i realized as much after i posted this. Alles Klar!

[jacky]

In the Details (of a job) window, I wish files with "unknown" extension/type would get the usual/blank icon, instead of no icon at all. IOW be it as in the List, otherwise it looks like those files don't exists or something...

And actually, that also applies to Rename Preview.

[admin]

In the Details (of a job) window, I wish files with "unknown" extension/type would get the usual/blank icon, instead of no icon at all. IOW be it as in the List, otherwise it looks like those files don't exists or something...

And actually, that also applies to Rename Preview.

Makes sense. I'd call this a bug.

[TheQwerty]

It would be nice if there were an easy way to jump to the involved locations (maybe even items) from the BJ dialog, maybe by making displayed paths actual links.


And I got to say I'd like to see at least a tweak to get rid of the increasing seconds for completed tasks. I don't need that kind of resolution in knowing how long ago a job was performed, so it's just extremely distracting.