TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

The behaviour described in the bug report is either by design, or would be far too complex/time-consuming to be changed

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iteg
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TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *iteg »

TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened.
For all dialogs, set the opening position in the center of the main window of TC (property "Position = poMainFormCenter").
For example, the dialogs "Multi-Rename tools", "Connect to ftp server", "Print directory", "Synchronize directories", "Find Files", "Ditecroty tree", etc. open from a previous closed position.
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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Dalai »

What's the reasoning/use-case for this?
iteg wrote: 2020-02-28, 14:38 UTCFor example, the dialogs "Multi-Rename tools", "Connect to ftp server", "Print directory", "Synchronize directories", "Find Files", "Ditecroty tree", etc. open from a previous closed position.
Which is exactly how it has been for many many years (probably more than a decade), and users like me expect/need it.

BTW, when opening the mentioned dialogs for the first time, they do open centered.

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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Usher »

2Dalai
Obviously dialog windows should be opened using their previous position, but…
It seems that some windows may be still screen centered by default.
And it would be good to have possibility to reset positions to default settings.
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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Dalai »

Usher wrote: 2020-02-28, 15:48 UTCIt seems that some windows may be still screen centered by default.
Is that a problem? If so, why?
And it would be good to have possibility to reset positions to default settings.
If you need to do this, you can by editing wincmd.ini, removing the position values of the correspoding dialog. Yes, this might not be comfortable, but I can't remember having to do such a thing, so IMO it's not something you'd need a GUI option for.

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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Usher »

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-28, 16:12 UTC
Usher wrote: 2020-02-28, 15:48 UTCIt seems that some windows may be still screen centered by default.
Is that a problem? If so, why?
It's a problem with your thinking. I don't understand why you are so offensive. Hungry? Eat Snickers.

Now imagine large screen with 4k or higher resolution. I suppose that in this case most users won't run TC in full screen. Why should any TC dialog box hover other programs' windows?
You can also imagine more than one screen… Where do you expect to see dialog box?
Dalai wrote: 2020-02-28, 16:12 UTC
Usher wrote: 2020-02-28, 15:48 UTCAnd it would be good to have possibility to reset positions to default settings.
If you need to do this, you can by editing wincmd.ini, removing the position values of the correspoding dialog. Yes, this might not be comfortable, but I can't remember having to do such a thing, so IMO it's not something you'd need a GUI option for.
Which settings in wincmd.ini exactly? It may take less place to name them than to write more and more offensive comments.
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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Dalai »

Usher wrote: 2020-02-28, 16:51 UTCIt's a problem with your thinking. I don't understand why you are so offensive.
I'm being offensive when asking if and why you think something is a problem? Come on!
Now imagine large screen with 4k or higher resolution. I suppose that in this case most users won't run TC in full screen. Why should any TC dialog box hover other programs' windows?
OK, fair point.
You can also imagine more than one screen… Where do you expect to see dialog box?
I don't think this is a problem because TC would probably show the additional windows on the screen the TC mainn window is on. But when re-opening such a dialog, I expect to see it exactly where it was previously, not centered over TC's main window.
Which settings in wincmd.ini exactly?
Well, it depends on the resolution of your screen(s), and if ResolutionSpecific is set. Look for something like [1024x768 (10x20)] like is mentioned in TC's help, section 4.b) part 2.
It may take less place to name them than to write more and more offensive comments.
Now who's being offensive?

PS: I don't see this issue as a bug but rather as a suggestion, and I read the OP as such since it suggests to unify the positioning.

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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *iteg »

Why, then, the rest of the dialogs are positioned only in the center of the main window TC without preserving the previous position?
For example, "Change attributes", "Create CRC-checksum file", "System Information", "Associate" and etc.
It is advisable to bring everything to a common style. Or does the position of each individual dialog have its own meaning?
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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *petermad »

TC currently remembers the position and size of these windows:
Main window
Find Files
Synchronize directories
Compare contents
Multi-Rename Tool
Change directory menu & Change start menu (shares coordinates)
Print directory
Directory Tree
Custum columns (the edit dialog - position not used in 64bit TC)
Connect to FTP server
Choose Command
Select drives (Find Files -> Drives)
Select duplicate files (Find files -> Advanced -> Find duplicate files -> Feed to listbox -> Press Num+)
Choose plugin property
I would like more dialog positions to be remembered (thus user defined), not fewer...
Last edited by petermad on 2020-02-29, 22:37 UTC, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Dalai »

iteg wrote: 2020-02-28, 17:45 UTCWhy, then, the rest of the dialogs are positioned only in the center of the main window TC without preserving the previous position?
For example, "Change attributes", "Create CRC-checksum file", "System Information", "Associate" and etc.
Those dialogs are usually not resizable as opposed to "Find Files", "Synchronize directories", the MRT and so on.
It is advisable to bring everything to a common style.
Yes, and no. It would be a really bad idea to remove the ability to save the dialog positions after all these years, as I already said. It would make sense to make more of the dialogs resizable, but certainly not all of them - System Information doesn't need to be resizable, but the "Change attributes" dialog annoys me every time when I want/need to type/paste a long string/path...
Or does the position of each individual dialog have its own meaning?
Of course. It's made so that they don't overlap each other if the user doesn't want them to without the need to move the windows each time they're opened. Example: I want the "Find Files" or "Synchronize Directories" dialogs pinned to the left side of my screen, not taking up the full width of the maximized TC main window, so I can still see parts of its contents in the background. Other people have secondary/tertiary screens and want to see certain dialogs on certain screens instead of the one the TC main window is on. It depends on a user's workflow.

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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Usher »

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-28, 17:37 UTC
Usher wrote: 2020-02-28, 16:51 UTCYou can also imagine more than one screen… Where do you expect to see dialog box?
I don't think this is a problem because TC would probably show the additional windows on the screen the TC mainn window is on.
Wrong answer. For two and more screens I would rather say that the box is desktop centered. For 2 identical screens it will be displayed in halves on both screens. Really no problem :-P

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-28, 17:37 UTCBut when re-opening such a dialog, I expect to see it exactly where it was previously, not centered over TC's main window.
THAT WAS AND STILL IS MY VERY FIRST OPINION in this topic.

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-28, 17:37 UTC
Which settings in wincmd.ini exactly?
Well, it depends on the resolution of your screen(s), and if ResolutionSpecific is set. Look for something like [1024x768 (10x20)] like is mentioned in TC's help, section 4.b) part 2.
It's not very helpful for newbies. Once again: Direct links or direct answers (examples), please.
Speaking for newbies: I would start with searching for dialog box titles in wincmd.ini - and I wouldn't find "find files". On the other side - I could start searching for "Connect to FTP server" and succeed with "Connect". That's how "something like" works in real.

Here's one more example for misleading "something like":
In [lefttabs] and [righttabs] sections you can use environment variables in paths, for example 0_path=%TEMP%\
But path=%TEMP%\ doesn't work for [left] and [right] sections.

Dalai wrote: 2020-02-28, 17:37 UTC PS: I don't see this issue as a bug but rather as a suggestion, and I read the OP as such since it suggests to unify the positioning.
And I've added that there may be more places to unify. @petermad was more helpful and listed remembered positions. If some users find "connect", they probably will be able to match other dialog box titles and their ini settings without digging in help.
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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *Dalai »

Usher wrote: 2020-02-29, 19:38 UTCFor two and more screens I would rather say that the box is desktop centered. For 2 identical screens it will be displayed in halves on both screens.
This is not how TC works. I just tested this in a VM with 2 identical screens, and a clean (i.e. non-existing) wincmd.ini, and it's how I already guessed (and maybe remembered when I last tested it years ago): When TC is on the secondary screen, all dialogs appear (centered) over TC's main window upon opening them for the first time, including "Find Files", "Synchronize directories", the MRT, Sytem Information, "Change attributes" and others.
THAT WAS AND STILL IS MY VERY FIRST OPINION in this topic.
It may be yours and mine, but I don't read iteg's posts as such, when he suggests to change every dialog to center them over TC's main window.
It's not very helpful for newbies. Once again: Direct links or direct answers (examples), please.
Why do you think it's not helpful? All dialogs are mentioned in this part of the help, similar to what petermad wrote. Also, just from reading petermad's post - as helpful as it is - doesn't necessarily mean a newbie can conclude to the particular entry in wincmd.ini that needs to be modified or deleted. Even more, if a user really wants to reset a window position and doesn't find how exactly it can be done and what needs to be modified, they can always ask how to do it in the forum here. So, there's that.

[ADD]
Here's a direct link, although the contents say the same as TC's help: https://www.ghisler.ch/wiki/index.php?title=Wincmd.ini#Resolution-dependent_data
[/ADD]

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Dalai
Last edited by Dalai on 2020-02-29, 23:00 UTC, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: TC x64 9.51 RC3 - Unified policy for the position of dialog boxes when opened

Post by *petermad »

2Usher
Here is the list with the corresponding wincmd.ini parameters:
Main window = x,y,dx,dy,maximized
Find Files = SearchX,SearchY,SearchDX,SearchDY,SearchMax
Synchronize directories = SyncX,SyncY,SyncDx,SyncDy,SyncMax
Compare contents = CompareX,CompareY,CompareDx,CompareDy,CompareMax
Multi-Rename Tool = RenameX,RenameY,RenameDX,RenameDY,RenameMax
Change directory menu & Change start menu (shares coordinates) = MenuChangeX,MenuChangeY,MenuChangeDX,MenuChangeDY,MenuChangeMax
Print directory = PrintX,PrintY,PrintDX,PrintDY,PrintMax
Directory Tree = TreeDlgX,TreeDlgY,TreeDlgDX,TreeDlgDY,TreeDlgMax
Custum columns (edit dialog - position not used in 64bit TC) = CustColumnX,CustColumnY,CustColumnDX,CustColumnDY,CustColumnMax
Connect to FTP server = ConnectX,ConnectY,ConnectDX,ConnectDY,ConnectMax
Choose Command = CmdSelX,CmdSelY,CmdSelDX,CmdSelDY,CmdSelMax
Select drives (under Find Files) = DriveSelX,DriveSelY,DriveSelDX,DriveSelDY,DriveSelMax
Select duplicate files (Find files -> Advanced -> Find duplicate files -> Feed to listbox -> Press Num+) = SelectDuplicatesX,SelectDuplicatesY,SelectDuplicatesDX,SelectDuplicatesDY,SelectDuplicatesMax
Choose plugin property = PluginSelX,PluginSelY,PluginSelDX,PluginSelDY,PluginSelMax
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