Filer_Action enhancement!

I like the more compact style.

Is there anyway the file name display could be tidier too?

Compact is better, but you made it difficult for yourself: the background of the text changes. First ‘Counting’ has a grey background. At the end it is blue. Maybe the background of ‘Finish’ text could become blue.
Overall, much better.

I have to say, I preferred the old, non-compact window design. The progress bar seemed more in keeping with the style guide, and it was more obvious what it was doing. The compact style is clever, but it just looks odd when the top line of text goes blue when (for example) copying a single file over. The bright blue colour is also a little garish, IMO.

All very subjective, of course. The module is a big improvement, whichever way it goes, and from a functionality point of view it seems to be working well here.

Any chance of some screenshots for those who are unable or unwilling to try the tweak themselves to express their views?

Ok, some screenshots of various designs. Please chip in with ideas if you have any :)

Style 1 – the progress bar is the blue background to the top text field.

Style 2 – progress bar is totally separate in its own little well, probably as the style guide would like it

Style 3 – a more compact version of 2, that I just thought of.

I like Style 3 but perhaps with the wider bar and colour from 1?

I like style 1, but would it be possible to have the file name right justified, so we can see as much as possible?

Also would it be possible to have a current file progress indicator (for copy of course)? But (much?) smaller than the main one.

Regarding the blue background in Style 1 – I think Peter was suggesting that the different background colours for the text might look bad – in my experience with font blending turned on, it looks fine. Doesn’t everyone use font blending these days? :)

Right justified file name – those screenshots don’t show it but I have increased the length of the file name field from 10 characters to 32.

A “current file copy progress bar” would effectively be duplicating the information in the “bytes to go” field. Not saying that’s a bad thing, just clarifying.

I don’t think anyone’s entirely happy with the way the Filer Action window shows the current file name – it was a bodge when it truncated the leaf name to 10 characters and it’s a slightly better bodge now the leaf name has its own field.

I wonder if a total redesign of the window is called for, rather than just tweaking the layout… I’ll see what I can come up with when I have time :)

I vote for style 2 with 3 a close 2nd.

I’d like the colour to fit in with the current desktop scheme so the present colour seems Ok to me.

Doesn’t everyone use font blending these days? :)

Ah, I just tried it on a BeagleBoard, probably not on as a default.
Still like style 1 the most but maybe with a small addition. Wait a short time (for example a second) before start showing the bar. It’s so useless when copying a single file.

I like Style 2 best, I think. I still wonder if the progress bar might look better in dark blue rather than grey though! Maybe that’s just me!

Style 2 for me.
As Doug, colours to fit with desktop…

Another vote for #2
Red for the progress bar might be an option btw

Just tried it, and I definitely think blue works:

How about differrent colours depending on the action taking place? (For a copy/delete across filesystems, for example, this could even change within the same window.)

I vote for #3 – #2 is too big. I think #1 would be better if it were modelled on the NetSurf download window.

My two penneth: style 3, compact and fits with the desktop colours, as Doug/Tank say.

“current file copy progress bar” would effectively be duplicating the information in the “bytes to go” field. Not saying that’s a bad thing, just clarifying.

I think it’d be a helpful addition, if you fancy including it.

Wait a short time (for example a second) before start showing the bar.

0.2s?

How about differrent colours depending on the action taking place?

Maybe red for delete but I think apart from that the desktop colours are safest and maintain consistency with other functions.

Wait a short time (for example a second) before start showing the bar.

0.2s?

Or gauge the expected time based on actual speed during first split-second of operation. If judged to possibly take >1s, then display bar? OK – probably a nightmare to implement, considering drive access speeds, physical HDD heads moving – I dunno, just another thought. And perhaps SSDs may be more predictable than HDDs for gauging speeds with.

I vote for style 2 – WRT it being too big, I don’t know when the leafname got split out onto a line on its own. If we didn’t do that, then it’d be no bigger than it was ‘previously’.

Right justified file name – those screenshots don’t show it but I have increased the length of the file name field from 10 characters to 32.

I didn’t realize the file name had its own line; what I was thinking of was the entire leaf name (up to a maximum of 2 lines), right justified, from the bottom up. (So the file name is in a static location)

I vote for #2.

Is it worth considering moving the first line of the display into the title bar?

In the examples, there is some duplication ‘Counting files’ and ‘Paused counting’ could be amalgamated into a title of ‘Counting Files – Paused’. I think the other variations can be managed similarly.

Then, using style 2 (my preference) the first icon would be just the two lines on the file name, and I think the overall size could be almost identical to the original, and I think it would look neater overall.

Looks like #2 is the preference of most people.

WRT the double height file name display. I seem to remember this was changed at some point after long filenames were invented. I haven’t got access to a RISC OS 3 machine but checking the templates from Filer Action in RO4 shows that the directory and leaf name fields were always separate icons, they were just on the same line.

I wonder why it wasn’t just one, right justified, icon. I think we can afford to make the window a bit wider to show more of the path, too.

OK, try this for size :)

Download: http://www.btinternet.com/~rik.griffin/Test_FilerAct.zip

File size: 52,425 bytes.

As well as cosmetic changes I’ve improved the progress bar some more – it updates after certain operations rather than before. So, for example, when waiting for confirmation of a single file delete, you see an empty progress bar rather than a full one.

Is it worth considering moving the first line of the display into the title bar?

I agree. The stuff like “Paused” or “Finished” could just go in braces after the title, e.g. “Counting files (paused)”.

I like Rik’s latest version the most but as mentioned before think the status should be in the title bar. I’d also like the slab in removed from around the file name – there’s too much slabbing in and out in RISC OS it’s like the desktop was carved with a chisel. I think starting the file path with … instead of clipping the path would look nicer.

Just my 2p worth.