Compare files upon copying switch left and right files

jcelle · Post by *jcelle » 2007-01-04, 12:34 UTC

Steps to reproduce:
- Copy a file from left panel to right panel. File must already exist on right panel
- Overwrite dialog box appears, prompting for an overwrite decision
- Choose "More Options":Compare

What I get:
- left file is on the right side, right file on the left

What I expected:
- Left file on the left, right file on the right

roentgen · Post by *roentgen » 2007-01-04, 13:15 UTC

Confirmed.

Unless this is by design...

Post by *petermad » 2007-01-04, 16:48 UTC

If you do the oposite (copy from right panel to left panel, and chose compare you get the left file in the left side and the right file in the right side of the compare window.

So the rule seems to be: that you get the TARGET file in the left compare panel and the SOURCE file in the right compare panel.

Anyway I think it should be like 2jcelle expected - the left file in the left side and the right file in the right side of the compare window - that way it doesn't matter wich way you are copying - it would just logically reflect the position of the files.

szlori · Post by *szlori » 2007-01-05, 04:54 UTC

Support.

Anyway this is the case if you do the compare on the files (directly compare, not compare from copy). So it is confusing to work in a different way when the compare is invoked from copy.

Even if somebody doesn't agree with this, it should anyway be Source on the Left and Target on the Right. This is the more natural order: Left - to - Right.

Post by *ghisler(Author) » 2007-01-05, 10:46 UTC

The problem is that the compare dialog can also show the two files above each other. In the overwrite dialog, the target file is at the top. It would be strange if it were not at the top in the compare dialog...

Post by *petermad » 2007-01-05, 12:03 UTC

In the overwrite dialog, the target file is at the top.

Which isn't really natural - I guess that's why you felt the need to put in the orange arrow to indicate the line of action. But I guess it can't be helped - unless the overwrite dialog is changed to something like:

"Do you want to use this file:"
<source>
"to overwrite this file:"
<target>

wich seems somewhat clumpsy.

It would be strange if it were not at the top in the compare dialog

I can appreciate that argument, but IMHO the argument to to keep left at left and right at right seems stronger to me.

The file panels can also be vertically aligned - and again (if the compare window is also vertically aligned) I think that the same file should be shown at the top in both windows.

roentgen · Post by *roentgen » 2007-01-05, 12:23 UTC

petermad wrote:
In the overwrite dialog, the target file is at the top.
Which isn't really natural...

It's used like that in explorer too, but somehow it feels more natural there, maybe just because they use more descriptive words

petermad wrote:
It would be strange if it were not at the top in the compare dialog
I can appreciate that argument, but IMHO the argument to to keep left at left and right at right seems stronger to me.

The file panels can also be vertically aligned - and again (if the compare window is also vertically aligned) I think that the same file should be shown at the top in both windows.

The same opinion as Petermad in here.

Post by *petermad » 2007-01-12, 16:20 UTC

Not changed in TC7pb3... ?

Post by *ghisler(Author) » 2007-01-12, 19:41 UTC

Well, I have explained why it is like it is. I don't see a better solution for now.

StatusQuo · Post by *StatusQuo » 2007-04-20, 22:50 UTC

Too bad, this makes the function quite unuseable for me, because the danger of judging the wrong file to be old can lead to data loss...
Is there a way to optionally disable it (preventing users from using it)?

wanderer · Post by *wanderer » 2007-04-21, 09:00 UTC

ghisler(Author) wrote:Well, I have explained why it is like it is. I don't see a better solution for now.

Well, personally i would expect to see the source file at the left and the destination at the right (no matter the panel they came from). Indeed the way it is now seems confusing. I don't see the logic in it.

petermad wrote:
In the overwrite dialog, the target file is at the top.
Which isn't really natural

You're right, it's not really the "natural" way but the destination file is the important issue in that dialog (this is the one you are overwriting) so IMHO it's better the way it is now. The X and V icons at the right help a lot too.

StatusQuo · Post by *StatusQuo » 2007-04-21, 10:38 UTC

wanderer wrote:The X and V icons at the right help a lot too.

But these icons are not displayed in Compare function - or did i miss something?

StatusQuo · Post by *StatusQuo » 2007-04-21, 10:40 UTC

ghisler(Author) wrote:The problem is that the compare dialog can also show the two files above each other. In the overwrite dialog, the target file is at the top. It would be strange if it were not at the top in the compare dialog...

OTOH in Sync Dirs using "Asymmetric" mode, files are always copied [source] => [target], left to right.
Since we also read/write left => right and top => bottom, I think it is the overwrite dialog then which is wrong here.

If in overwrite dialog the target would be at the bottom, a natural feeling order in Compare function ([source] => [target]) would be possible without confusing anybody there.

Suggestion for the overwrite dialog:

Code: Select all

Using [source]
To overwrite [target]

Any comments / suggestions?

wanderer · Post by *wanderer » 2007-04-21, 11:01 UTC

StatusQuo wrote:
wanderer wrote:The X and V icons at the right help a lot too.
But these icons are not displayed in Compare function - or did i miss something?

I meant in the "overwrite" dialog.

StatusQuo wrote:If in overwrite dialog the target would be at the bottom, a natural feeling order in Compare function ([source] => [target]) would be possible without confusing anybody there.

Yes, but then it would be more difficult to locate the name of the file you are overwriting. This is the most significant thing in this dialog and i IMHO it is better to be on top, as is now.

StatusQuo · Post by *StatusQuo » 2007-04-21, 12:42 UTC

wanderer wrote:
StatusQuo wrote:If in overwrite dialog the target would be at the bottom, a natural feeling order in Compare function ([source] => [target]) would be possible without confusing anybody there.
Yes, but then it would be more difficult to locate the name of the file you are overwriting. This is the most significant thing in this dialog and i IMHO it is better to be on top, as is now.

I agree with that. This is why my first choice would be to let the overwrite dialog stay in "wrong" order, but to not take over this "wrong" order to other functions.
Unfortunately not enough people seem to support this (or use this function).

2Ghisler(Author):
Adding an option in WINCMD.INI to swap the sides here would make this great feature also useful to people thinking like me.
An option to disable this function would alternatively prevent confusion (maybe leading to data loss).