FJ Software

"File / Settings / Advanced 2" shows an option to move the database to a different location. This can be very useful e.g. if that location is shared with other local computers. However, when I click on the "..." button and select a new location, the database location is *not* changed. Windows 7 (64).

Any errormessage ?

[quote="FJ"]Any errormessage ?[/quote]

Nope, no warning or error whatsoever.
I hadn't switched on logging, and after doing so I saw the following in the logfile, following the attempt to change the database location:
16:07:08.64 OK pressed in settingswindow
16:07:08.78 Set first swap of settings
16:07:08.80 Apply new holidays
16:07:08.81 DoItemUpdate
16:07:08.82 DoItemUpdate fertig
16:07:08.83 Holidays applied
16:07:08.85 Second swap of settings set
16:07:08.85 Everything is done
16:07:13.33 Refresh ComDescriptions...
But the database location remains unchanged.

What was the new path for the directory ?

I've tried several new paths, on several partitions, but all to no avail.
One of the new paths was: L:\Temp\MyPhone

But I'm beginning to wonder if the location of the databases in Advanced 2 denotes only the location of the clients and their databases, or also of the config file (general.ini). If the latter always resides in the default location, then a workaround might be to manually put the new location in general.ini, most likely in the [Main] section. If so: what's the keyword to be used?

The general.ini-File is saved inside the Database-folder so its not a good place to save the DB-Path there. If there is a userdefined path then its saved into the registry. There are ways to edit this manually but this is not the wanted destination. If there is a bug in MPE then it should be fixed. Please download the current beta and tell me if its working with this version. Maybe its realated to the x64-System - but in any case i want to fix it inside MPE.

[quote="FJ"]Please download the current beta and tell me if its working with this version.[/quote]

Yes! Now changing the database directory takes effect.
There's one glitch though:
When I specify the new location to be e.g. L:\Temp\GSM , then in reality the new location turns out to be L:\Temp\GSM\MyPhoneExplorer

When I specify the new location to be e.g. L:\Temp\GSM , then in reality the new location turns out to be L:\Temp\GSM\MyPhoneExplorer

Yes, thats planned. I'm afraid of users which set this path to often used paths (f.e. Desktop). In this case they would have many files on desktop instead of one well named folder.

[quote="FJ"][quote]When I specify the new location to be e.g. L:\Temp\GSM , then in reality the new location turns out to be L:\Temp\GSM\MyPhoneExplorer[/quote]
Yes, thats planned. I'm afraid of users which set this path to often used paths (f.e. Desktop). In this case they would have many files on desktop instead of one well named folder.[/quote]

Hm. I'm not happy with applications in fact overriding a user's choice, even though that 'overriding' consists of extending a path. Fortunately less and less application show this bad habit.
And let's face it: when a user specifies an often used path, (s)he will quickly find out - especially when that path is the desktop - that things get messy, and take corrective action.
Also note that your approach is error-prone too: I'd expect many users to keep the original name in the path, e.g.: D:\MyPhoneExplorer , only to find out the real path has become D:\MyPhoneExplorer\MyPhoneExplorer , which is pretty messy too, and confusing.

Second problem:
The user wants to move the folder back from desktop into the original folder. Result: All files on desktop will be moved to the Appdata-Folder.

Here is nothing to discuss - i will make no change in this task.

[quote="FJ"]Second problem: The user wants to move the folder back from desktop into the original folder. Result: All files on desktop will be moved to the Appdata-Folder.[/quote]

Cute. ;-)
But you're right: that's a real risk, so it's indeed best to leave things "as is".

There's one other, unrelated thing:
On installation MyPhoneExplorer is placed in the Start Menu for the current user; it doesn't ask if it should be placed in the Start Menu for all users. Now, under WinXP it's trivial to move it afterward to the latter place, but under Win7 that's far from easy.

Last but not least: thanks for the quick response!

I don't like to ask the user for every little tiny setting. But maybe it would be better to set it in general to "All Users".