[PD] default Save As location (was: [openpanel]/[savepanel]directory, [cd])

[Hans-Christoph Steiner]

On May 29, 2008, at 7:28 PM, Frank Barknecht wrote:

> Hallo,
> Martin Peach hat gesagt: // Martin Peach wrote:
>
>>>> Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:
>>> What folder were you working in when you create a new patch?   
>>> What if
>>> there are no other patches open?  What if there are many patches  
>>> open  in
>>> many different folders?
>>>
>>
>> I usually open pd from inside ~/pd_patches and have subdirectories  
>> in there.
>> If I make a new patch it's often interacting with another patch  
>> already in
>> the same folder.
>
> I do this as well and I think it would be *very irritating* if Pd
> would default to some directory different from the one I started Pd
> from. Btw: If I start Pd from the window manager, new patches
> automatically get saved to $HOME (because $HOME is the current working
> directory of the window manager and everything else after logging in),
> so there's no need to change anything on Linux.

The problem here is that most people do not start Pd from the command  
line.  With Pd-extended, it is now included in the standard free  
desktop menus (only tested on GNOME, should work on KDE), so I'll bet  
most people use that rather than the command line (I do on Ubuntu).   
On Window and Mac OS X, it is quite rare to start Pd from the command  
line.

All that is a long way of saying that I don't think using the  
directory that Pd was launched from is a very reliable way of getting  
the directory that the user will most likely want.  I think the combo  
of $HOME for new patches with no others and the directory of the  
topmost patch would make the most people happy.

One thing to also consider is the last directory used.  So maybe  
something like this:

- $HOME when no other patch is open, and it's a new patch
- directory of topmost patch when no open/save operation has been  
done before.
- last_open_path/last_save_path once the openpanel/savepanel has been  
used


>>> Before, on Mac OS X at least, it defaulted to "/".  I've changed  
>>> that  to
>>> "~", which I think is a lot more useful.  Perhaps it could be  
>>> like  this:
>>>
>>> - if no other patches open, then "~".
>>> - if other patches are open, then use the folder of the current  
>>> top  window
>>
>> Yes, that's better, using "~" as default. And any new patch is  
>> most likely
>> to be saved in the folder of the topmost already-open patch. And  
>> the default
>> directory should also be a specifiable option in the preferences  
>> somewhere,
>> not hard-coded, in the interest of total control.
>
> How is it decided what's the topmost patch?

By which window has focus.

.hc

>
> Ciao
> -- 
>  Frank Barknecht                                     _  
> ______footils.org__
>
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