[11.02rc1] SyncChangeDirMode with 2 added: no warning

[Flint]

The help and history say, that if we add 2 to the value of SyncChangeDirMode, it should display a warning when trying to enter a non-matched subdir. However, I can't see any warning with this option set either to 2 (0+2) or 3 (1+2). The behavior is no different from when it's set to just 0 or 1, respectively.

Tested in TC 11.02rc1 32- and 64-bits, with clean INI.

[petermad]

2Flint

Turn your sound on - TC does not display a warning, but it plays the Windows standard Warning Beep.


2Ghisler
Is there a chance that after going into a non-matching dir, then later going up-dir will not go up-dir in the opposite panel?

[Flint]

2petermad
Oh, I didn't expect it to be a sound warning. Not a hint about it in the description… And I do have all system sounds off, they only annoy me (and my headphones were not on my head when I tested it, anyway). Thanks, indeed, there is a sound.

Is there a chance that after going into a non-matching dir, then later going up-dir will not go up-dir in the opposite panel?

That's exactly what value 0 in this new key is for.

[petermad]

That's exactly what value 0 in this new key is for.

No, value 0 just stops the synchronizing. If I use value 1 or 3, the synchronizing stays turned on when I go into a dir that doesn't have a match in the other panel, so if I go up-dir again, and go into another dir that happen to have a match in the other panel (that is now move one dir up), then the synchronized navigating is taken up again.

[ghisler(Author)]

I will add a note to the help that it's a beep:

add 2 to warn the user (beep) on first try to enter a directory

Mode 2 is what older versions of TC were using (very old versions were using mode 0).

Is there a chance that after going into a non-matching dir, then later going up-dir will not go up-dir in the opposite panel?

That's difficult because the user could go several levels deep, or use bookmarks or other things afterwards to change directories.
Any idea on how to handle this?

[petermad]

That's difficult because the user could go several levels deep, or use bookmarks or other things afterwards to change directories.
Any idea on how to handle this?

Currently (with setting 1 or 3) navigating via History, Directory hotlist or CD command does not cause the opposite panel to change - that's fine.

Up-dir in the opposite panel only takes place when pressing Backspace or Ctrl+\ or clicking ".." in the file list, or when using the buttons [\] or [..]. Maybe when you go up-dir in one of those ways, then only go up-dir in the opposite panel if the folder name is the same in the two panels.

[Usher]

I will add a note to the help that it's a beep:

add 2 to warn the user (beep) on first try to enter a directory

Does it beep in dark mode as well?

[petermad]

Does it beep in dark mode as well?

Yes.

[Flint]

Maybe when you go up-dir in one of those ways, then only go up-dir in the opposite panel if the folder name is the same in the two panels.

I expect that would be very confusing. There can be many same-named folders in different places (it's not uncommon to have similar projects and sub-projects, not to mention technical subdirs always named the same, like e.g. Debug and Release when compiling a program in Visual Studio). The user navigated somewhere, without any changes in the other panel, then suddenly the inactive panel starts to change path. Why? Because the user entered a folder named the same, as the one he visited half an hour ago during the sync mode…

If we really want to somehow keep the sync dir change, I would rather suggest remembering the last path, which was opened before the user entered a non-matched subdir. As soon as he/she returns back to exactly the same path, and if the current path in the other panel remains the same that was when that happened, then the sync navigation can be resumed.

[petermad]

The user navigated somewhere, without any changes in the other panel, then suddenly the inactive panel starts to change path. Why? Because the user entered a folder named the same, as the one he visited half an hour ago during the sync mode…

That is not quite the scenario I am addressing - my scenario is that I use SyncChangeDirMode=3, I have navigated some levels down synchronized, then I go into a folder that does not exist in the opposite panel, get a warning and continue down in the active panel (maybe even further down in other dirs that do no have a name match in the inactive panel), with the opposite panel is not being changed.

So far so good, but if I now go up-dir again in the active panel, then the inactive panel is also going up-dir - that's when I would like the inactive panel to not go up-dir until the name or the dir in the two panels are the same. I can so to speak make a detour down-dir in one side, and get back on track going up-dir again.

[Flint]

2petermad
That's exactly the scenario I had in mind, because that's what I do myself quite often. But instead of comparing just the folder names (like you suggest), i think it's better to remember the full path.

Suppose you entered the dir named Dir1 on both sides, and now in the active panel you have the subdirs Dir1 (yes, same name), Dir2, Dir3; and in the inactive one you have only Dir2, Dir3. You try to enter Dir1, get a beep, go there again. Then go up - and according to your suggestion, TC would also go up on the inactive panel, because your current dir is named Dir1 - the same that's currently opened in the inactive panel. So you end up with exactly the result you were trying to prevent.

What I suggest instead, is remember the exact paths that we had opened when the sync navigation was "broken". And only after returning to the same exact path, the sync should resume. Not when you visit some arbitraty subdirectory that just by coincidence happened to have the same name.

[petermad]

What I suggest instead, is remember the exact paths that we had opened when the sync navigation was "broken". And only after returning to the same exact path, the sync should resume.

That's even better. But that rises the next question, how many of those broken navigation paths should TC remember?

[Flint]

Only the last one. Any switch of the sync navigation mode should forget those paths and start afresh, so to speak. I don't think many users would be able to keep in mind which mode was turned on in which paths. Sync navigation is more of the "on the spot" kind of action, not anything designed for long term remembering.

I was even thinking that, maybe, after it "broke", there should also be a timeout, beyond which the sync should not turn back on, even when the user eventually returns to the same paths. Imagine, if that happens the next day, the user already forgot all about it, happens to jump into the directory he was in yesterday, and suddenly TC starts to sync inactive panel's path with the active one… That would be really confusing.

[petermad]

the user already forgot all about it,

I have now (after this new feature is introduced) made a button for cm_SyncChangeDir - that makes it easier to see that the option is enabled.

But maybe a user-defined timeout for how long SyncChangeDir stays active (at least after a sync break) could be good.

[ghisler(Author)]

What I suggest instead, is remember the exact paths that we had opened when the sync navigation was "broken". And only after returning to the same exact path, the sync should resume.

Unfortunately that would cause another problem: The user may use the directory hotlist (bookmarks) to open a different pair of directories. Or use the history to return to a different directory.
Example:
1. Users goes to c:\docs and d:\backup via a bookmark
2. User enables cm_SyncChangeDir
3. User goes down to c:\docs\letters and d:\backup\letters
4. User goes down to c:\docs\letters\new and stays at d:\backup\letters
-> c:\docs\letters and d:\backup\letters would be remembered
5. User goes down to c:\docs\letters\new\orders and stays at d:\backup\letters
6. User goes up to c:\docs\letters\new and stays at d:\backup\letters - so far so good
7. Users goes to c:\docs and d:\backup via a bookmark
8. User goes to c:\docs\mails, but the right side wouldn't change because c:\docs\letters and d:\backup\letters were remembered as last good location.