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Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

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  • Jean Lalonde Support Forum
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  • Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity
• Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

• Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Popleft > 2023-07-19 09:51

  Here are thoughts of a new user based on recent experience:
  
  
  
  1] Users are unable to import Options and Favorites with one action - and instead are forced to use
  
  File > Import/Export Settings... > Import [TAB] > Import [BUTTON]
   
  and separately
  
  File > Import/Export Settings... > Import [TAB] > Import Favorites [BUTTON]
  
  
  2] The
  
  File > Import/Export Settings... > Import [TAB] > Destination file [BOX]
  
  does not remember the file last picked - thus user is forced to navigate to the same location twice when wanting to import both the Options and Favorites
  
  
  3] The
  
  File > Import/Export Settings... > Import [TAB]
  
  does not have a button that would open the folder pre-chosen under
  
  Options > General > Main settings file backup folder
  
  thus making it impossible to quickly go back to automatically created INI file containing backed up Options
  
  
  4] Main menu entry
  
  File > Import/Export Settings...
  
  uses word "Settings", while there are no Settings in this program - as it has Options. And also
  
  File > Import/Export Settings ... > Export [TAB] > Export > Global Settings and main menu hotkeys
  File > Import/Export Settings ... > Import [TAB] > Import > Global Settings and main menu hotkeys
  
  and
  
  Favorite > Add Multiple Favorites QAP Settings File (flat view)
  Favorite > Add Multiple Favorites QAP Settings File (tree view)
  
  speak of non-existing Settings
  
  
  
  All of the above when added together is plain confusing to a newcomer resulting also with annoyance. And I reckon most people have no time nor energy to read help files and / or looking for answers on forum, but will simply ditch a newly downloaded [in their experience] ill working / unpolished program. Hence I suggest these adjustments:
  
  
  
  A] Change
  
  File > Import/Export Settings...
  
  to
  
  File > Import/Export Options...
  
  and adjust accordingly those 2 [4] others places that speak of Settings
  
  
  
  B] Add new entry
  
  File > Import Favorite Menus
  
  which would either replace or repeat functionality of
  
  File > Import/Export Settings... > Import [TAB] > Import Favorites [BUTTON]
  
  
  C] Make imported INI file or just its location be remembered and / or add ability to open the backup folder and / or another user chosen folder 
  
  
  D] Implement using Favorite Menus or Custom Menus or User's Menus throughout QAP in order to clearly differentiate it from all other menus
  
  
  E] Aside from allowing to use in
  
  File > Import/Export Settings... > Export [TAB] > Destination file [BOX]
  
  of placeholders
  
  

  Code:

  %A_Now%
%A_NowUTC%

  
  make it possible to also use something like
  
  

  Code:

  %%YYYY%%
%%MM%%
%%DD%%
%%hh%%
%%mm%%
%%ss%%

  
  so that users instead of getting a hard to read result like
  
  

  Code:

  20230718234729

  
  could get
  
  

  Code:

  2023 07 18 2347.29

  
  or
  
  

  Code:

  2023-07-18 23.47.29

  
  or whatever piece of timestamp they prefer with order of appearance and separators they wish to utilize [including the % sign - hence double usage of it the above list]
  
  
  F] Add to the right click menu available in the main window of Customize two new entries Export and Import
  
  
  G] Add new buttons Export and Import on the right side of main window of Customize or alternatively at its bottom
  
  
  H] Make the info about dichotomy of settings in QAP being Options and Favorites emphasized in help files at the drop of a hat
  
  There are 142 questions / topics at https://www.quickaccesspopup.com/frequen...questions/. After reading them user might spot the "Can I copy a favorite with all its settings?"- but it does not communicate clearly difference between Options and Favorites, does not mention two-fold process of importing them and has "settings" in its. And how is a user to surely know right away what are Favorites, as it depends on what settings / features a user stumbled upon / tested out and what FAQ entry has read prior to this one
  
  User might also spot the "Can I backup, import or export my favorites and settings?"- assuming a user is looking for "settings" and not "options" plus somehow already knows abut the dichotomy a user is about to read about. And near its beginning it says:
  
  

  Quote:First, about backups, QAP is automatically copying daily backups of your main settings file (quickaccesspopup.ini) and keep the backups for the last 5 days in the backup folder selected in the Options, General tab.
  If you need more flexibility, the Import/Export Settings QAP feature can be uses for two reasons:
  

  • create a backup of your favorites and other settings in a file that you can save where you want;
    
  • exchange favorites and settings between different PCs or different users.
    

  
  In my opinion it should be extra specific like this:
  
  

  Quote:QAP is automatically copying daily backups of your file (quickaccesspopup.ini) containing ONLY main settings available at Options of the main menu and keeps those backups for the last 5 days in the backup folder selected in the Options, General tab. This process does not secure your Favorites entries
  To provide users with more flexibility, the Import/Export settings QAP feature is able to manually backup all or just parts of your Options and include in created INI file also Favorites. A user is given a choice of name and location for this INI file, which can be then used for exchange of Favorites and of Options between different Windows' account users or even different PCs

  
  I] Institute in FAQ usage of the word "settings" only written with lowercase initial letter and at the same time menu entry of Options always refer to starting it with a capital "O" and also use first letter as capital when referring to the feature of Favorites
  
  
  
  I am what you might call a long time super user. And the only other time I had a problem like this [https://forum.quickaccesspopup.com/showt...p?tid=2539] was with FreeFileSync / RealTimeSync backing up and using settings is even more complicated

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Jean Lalonde > 2023-07-19 11:19

  Thank you for this input. I'll review it when I'm back from vacations.

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Jean Lalonde > 2023-07-19 13:01

  I'll move your post to the Suggestion section.

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Endrju > 2023-07-23 04:55

  I really miss the ability to customize the output format of the settings copy export so this would be a great option   
  
  

  Quote:make it possible to also use something like
  
  Code:
  
  

  Code:

  %%YYYY%
%%MM%%
%%DD%
%%hh%%
%%mm%%
%%ss%%

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Jean Lalonde > 2023-08-09 17:02

  First thank you Popleft for taking the time to write these detailed comments and suggestions. I'll list the suggestions that will be added to the wishlist at the end of this post. But first let's explain from where comes the "import" ambiguities.
  
  In my view, the ambiguity comes from the "Import Favorites" button in the "Import Settings" dialog box. Before the addition of this button (in v11.1 - Dec 2020), favorites were imported by checking the "Favorites" checkbox in this dialog box and clicking the "Import" button. At that time, the favorites were copied "as-is" from the selected ini file without some validation and this caused issues (checking for duplicate names) especially when the imported favorites were added to existing favorites.
  
  When I coded the "Add Multiple Favorites" module (accessed in the menu bar "Favorites > Add Multiple Favorites"), it allowed to add favorites from various sources with full validation.
  
  After I added the feature to add favorites from "QAP Settings File (tree view)", I stopped supporting imported favorites from the "Import" dialog box because the new method was safer. To guide users to the new "Add Multiple Favorites" dialog box I added this "Import Favorites" button in the dialog box and disabled the "Favorites" checkbox. I realize that this was bad UI design because this change causes confusion between the various checkboxes and buttons (especially for new users).
  
  The first solution that comes to my mind is to remove the "Import Favorites" button and the "Favorites" checkbox from the "Import Settings" dialog box and replace it with a link (clickable text) at the bottom of the dialog box. The link could be: "To import favorites from a QAP Settings file, use the 'Add Multiple Favorites...' dialog box". I think this would make things clearer removing the ambiguity between checkboxes and buttons.
  
  Your other suggestions will also help clarify things. But before listing the items for the wishlist, one remark. When you write:
  
  > QAP is automatically copying daily backups of your file (quickaccesspopup.ini) containing ONLY main settings available at Options of the main menu and keeps those backups for the last 5 days in the backup folder selected in the Options, General tab. This process does not secure your Favorites entries.
  
  There is a misunderstanding here. The QAP daily automatic backup makes a copy of the full QAP ini file including both the options and the favorites. If you copy a backup file like "QuickAccessPopup-backup-20230809.ini" to your settings folder and rename it "QuickAccessPopup.ini" this will restore all the favorites and options you had at the backup time.
  
  
  SUGGESTION
  
  When I'll be fully back from vacation (in 2 weeks), I'll review your post and add these suggestions to the wishlist:
  
  - Remember the "Import Settings" file selected in the previous import
  
  - If there is no "Import file" from previous import, use the default backup folder (Options > General > Main settings file backup folder)
  
  - Rename the "Export/Import Settings" to "Export Favorites and Options/Import Options" or split this to two distinct entries: "Export Favorites and Options" and "Import Options"
  
  - Add the menu bar entry "File > Import Favorite to menu" (same destination 'Add Multiple Favorites...' dialog box)
  
  - Add to the Customize window context menu the new entries "Export Favorites and Options", "Import Options" and "Import Favorite to menu"
  
  - Support the "{Now:format}" placeholders in the export filename (see https://www.quickaccesspopup.com/can-i-i.../#datetime)
  
  - Clarify in the knowledge base the entries about import/export and the use of "Options" vs "Settings"

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Jean Lalonde > 2023-08-28 18:35

  Update:
  
  These items are done in my development environnement and will be in the next release:
  - Remove the "Import Favorites" button and the "Favorites" checkbox from the "Import Settings" dialog box
  - Split the "Export/Import Settings" menu to two distinct entries: "Export Options and Favorites" and "Import Options"
  - Add the menu bar entry "File, Import Favorites" (opening the 'Add Multiple Favorites...' dialog box)
  - Add text at the bottom of the "Import Options" dialog box 'To import favorites in your menu, select "File, Import Favorites"'
  - Remember the "Import Settings" file selected in the previous import
  - Support the "{Now:format}" placeholders in the export filename (see https://www.quickaccesspopup.com/can-i-i.../#datetime)
  
  This is in progress:
  - Clarify in the knowledge base the entries about import/export and the use of "Options" vs "Settings"
  
  These items has been added to the wishlist:
  - If there is no "Import file" from previous import, use the default backup folder (Options > General > Main settings file backup folder)
    https://forum.quickaccesspopup.com/showt...p?tid=2580
  - Add to the Customize window context menu the new entries "Export Favorites and Options", "Import Options" and "Import Favorite to menu"
    https://forum.quickaccesspopup.com/showt...p?tid=2581

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Jean Lalonde > 2023-08-29 11:07

  Suggestion listed yesterday are now available in v11.6.2.3
  https://forum.quickaccesspopup.com/showt...p?tid=2584

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Popleft > 2023-09-14 06:47

  I do not see
  
  File > Export Favorites and Options
  File > Import Options
  File > Import Favorite to menu
  
  

• RE: Adjustments to Export and Import for liquidation of settings' ambiguity

  Popleft > 2023-12-09 12:35

  But I do see
  
  File > Export Options and Favorites...
  File > Import Options...
  File > Import Favorites...
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