Compare Contents

[Michael Bulgrien]

It allows is to display the file/folder counts in the operation dialog.

I've mentioned this before too. A content compare is not necessary to get file/folder counts.

[Tim]

A scan is necessary to get the file/folder counts. The background content comparison is a side effect of the scan.

[Tim]

Now that we've moved Size Alone out of the compare contents section, you can toggle the Compare Contents checkbox to get exactly that behavior (unless you are comparing versions also). Does that help?

[Michael Bulgrien]

As long as I don't have to go in and out of session settings every time I want to toggle it. And as long as the settings are not lost when I close the session. The reason I'M asking for a toggle button is three-fold:

1) So that the default compare settings are not lost when the session is closed
2) So I can see at a glance whether I'm using Quick Tests or Content Compares
3) So I can toggle it on the fly without editing the session settings (since I will be using it heavily)

[Michael Bulgrien]

Here's what I'd like to do to improve the situation and reduce confusion:

1. Remove the Compare Contents command
2. Add a Scan command (without ellipses or a dialog) for un-scanned folders

Tim,

I've been giving this more thought. It is obvious that we'll never see eye to eye on this. I had originally hoped that the compare contents dialog could be enhanced to perform any type of compare (even a quick compare) regardless of ones default session settings (a true override without any preflight compare activity to interfere with it). To be able to choose compare settings on-the-fly without altering one's session defaults would be a great feature! Much better than having to drop in and out of session settings and risk forgetting to restore your defaults after changing them for an on-the-fly compare. Although I still believe such a feature would be the most useful implementation, the idea was shot down because a "quick compare" is not considered to be a "content compare".

So I backed down from the "ideal" solution deciding that it would still be nice to be able to override default content compare criteria. If I had "Automatically scan subfolders in background" enabled in my session settings, then the current "preflight compare" could be considered appropriate. I was hoping, however, that you would agree to let an unchecked Automatically Scan Subfolders option be the deciding configuration that bypasses the "background compare" kicked off as a "side-effect" of the preflight scan. This would allow a user to override their default compare criteria, and start a compare with the overrided options.

It appears that you have no intention of even considering this request...not even as a post release enhancement (in a future 3.x version). Although it would be nice to be able to override compare settings from the context menu, truth is the "preflight" scan makes it impossible. Even if I select different compare settings, the default compare settings are already being used, so it negates the usefulness of this option. If you truly have no intention of implementing any of my ideas, then I would have to agree that your alternate design idea would be the best:

1) If the user has a compare contents method defined in their session settings, then provide a Scan option in the context menu to start the scan without a compare contents dialog. The toolbar compare button should also bypass the dialog.

2) If the user only has quick compare options set in their session settings, then provide the current Compare Contents option in the context menu and do not bypass the dialog when the toolbar button is used.

Although not what I consider the most ideal choice for your product, it would certainly be better than what we have today.

[Michael Bulgrien]

And please dismiss my request for a toolbar button. I give up. Since the compare dialog will never be what I envisioned it could be...I might as well just drop in and out of session settings than insist on a less useful tweak. If you implement your idea of a Scan option when a default content compare is defined in the session settings, then I'll stop complaining and drop this tiresome debate.

[Marjolein Katsma]

Let me decide

I've been following this conversation with keen interest, hoping there would be a resolution. I am just as exasperated as you, Michael, seeing the program decide things for itself when - as far as I'm concerned - I've told it not to do such a thing, and only act when I tell it to: not on launching a dialog from a description with an ellipsis (meaning: needs user input before action can be started) but only on completing the dialog.

I am endlessly annoyed by the program doing things that I didn't ask for, in some cases consuming quite a bit of resources slowing down other programs doing things (that I did ask for).

I really don't see the problem in changing this behavior: if the user asks not to do any background comparisons, then don't! Seeing file and folder counts might be helpful in some cases, but they are not necessary for me to decide what type of comparison to do, and I'm certainly not expecting the program to decide to start a comparison before I've made that choice.

I realize I'm basically repeating your arguments, but that's because I agree 100%.

A program should not do what I haven't told it to do, and certainly not do what I have told it not to do.

If I had "Automatically scan subfolders in background" enabled in my session settings, then the current "preflight compare" could be considered appropriate. I was hoping, however, that you would agree to let an unchecked Automatically Scan Subfolders option be the deciding configuration that bypasses the "background compare" kicked off as a "side-effect" of the preflight scan. This would allow a user to override their default compare criteria, and start a compare with the overrided options.

Check.

Even if I select different compare settings, the default compare settings are already being used, so it negates the usefulness of this option.

Check.

I have only one wish: do not let the program decide things for itself, unless asked to do so by the user.

I find the current behavior always annoying, and in some cases (in a "fully loaded" machine) even destructive, because it cannot be overridden. The Automatically scan subfolders in background should be that override, and is formulated as a command - if it isn't interpreted that way, the option should be renamed to something like "automatically scan folders in the background unless I decide differently" or something along those lines.