request for review and testing: default file name

Dirk Hohndel dirk at hohndel.org
Wed Sep 12 16:11:03 PDT 2012


Jef Driesen <jefdriesen at telenet.be> writes:
>
> Let's say you have a personality A with a certain file X associated. 
> What happens if you load another file Y and save it? Does the 
> personality A gets linked with the new file Y, or does it stay linked to 
> the original file X? What if I adjust the settings after opening Y? Are 
> these changes saved to the personality, or are these changes only 
> temporary?

Personality has nothing to do with loading and saving files.
The only thing that would change is the file that is loaded by default
if you start Subsurface without a filename on the command line.

And if you did that, and then change personality, then that current
datafile is closed (with questions whether to save if needed) and the
default file for the other personality is opened.

The whole point is to make things EASY for people who do easy things
(people who want one datafile for themselves and one for the spouse),
but to make most complicated things possible, too (so if I want to look
at a datafile someone sends me to look at their dives (or debug an
issue) I can either open it from the command line or I can close my
default data file and open the one that was sent to me.

> With just a weak link between the personality and the data file, I 
> think there will be several tricky corner cases. I believe that the only 
> way to avoid that is to either make it a permanent, unbreakable link (as 
> I described in cases #1 and #2 of my previous mail), or make them 
> completely independent (see below).

Just the opposite. If there was a strong link between the two the
unexpected things could happen. The personality is independent of the
file that was openened. And only the default file (if subsurface was
started without filename argument) is implied by the personality.

> That sounds perfectly fine, except that I wouldn't link the 
> "personality" to a (default) filename. The personality as you described 
> it here, feels more like a system to create multiple application 
> "viewing modes" to me. In this sense it's an extensions to the already 
> existing pre-defined layouts (list, profile, info and paned). But 
> instead of being limited to the layout, a personality will also store 
> the columns, and some other settings.

So you and I disagree. That is not what I envision.

> This sounds like a great idea to me, but I still don't get why you 
> would couple this to a specific filename? Let's say I have created a tec 
> and rec personality. I think that with your proposal (and correct me if 
> I'm wrong) switching personality would also mean switching to another 
> file. 

If and only if you started subsurface without a filename on the command
line.

> However with my proposal, opening the file and switching the 
> personality are completely independent. You can open your rec (or tec) 
> file, and view it with your rec or tec personality. If someone prefers 
> to keep both your rec and tec dives in a single file, you can still 
> easily switch personality on a per dive basis. Or switch between a 
> metric and imperial personality, or...

Again - not what I envision. It's a different idea, one that I don't
find nearly as useful to the majority of users.

/D


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