Feedback on conversion
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#2 Feedback on conversion
When converting an old map from the 0.8.0 format into the 0.9.0 format, (a) user gets no option to reject the conversion, and (b) there is no progress bar, which would be rather valuable, as the process of conversion takes long on large maps having around 10 MB. If the user rejects the conversion, the map should not be opened. Versions: Beta13, Beta14.
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There is apparently an attempt at solution in Beta15. But, with Beta15, I get no confirmation question when loading an old map from 0.8.0. Maybe there is a misunderstanding. The request was not to create a user option, customizable in user preferences.
Let me rephrase and add detail:
When a user of the new 0.9.0 version tries to open a map created by an older version of FreeMind, a popup should appear asking the user whether she wishes to convert the map into the new, incompatible format. If the user declines, the map should not be opened at all.
It is critical that the popup appears. It is unacceptable that it should not appear by default. The checkbox "Do not ask again" or similar in the popup is okay though.
The proposed text of the popup: "The map you are trying to open was created by an older version of FreeMind, stored in an old format. Do you wish to covert the map into the new format?"
An expert on the texts of user interfaces could certainly come with a better proposal.
The purpose: To prevent users from converting their old maps into the new format accidentally, without being aware that an actual conversion occurred. A side effect already observed is that users were surprised when trying to open their maps created in 0.9.0 version in the 0.8.0 version; this opening failed, leaving them with no easy way to go back to another FreeMind version.
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Hi Chris,
I do agree with Dan, the current version doesn't make much sense but perhaps it's my understanding: normally, the file is converted 'in-memory' while it's loaded and the original is overwritten only if the user saves the file. If the user refuses the conversion, the file is loaded as-is but after modifications, the first save might still overwrite the original file.
My suggestion: remove the option, and use the "standard" from Microsoft/Open Office; i.e. load silently the file (without overwriting it), and, during the first Save action, ask the user if he wants to A. overwrite his older file with the newest version or B. do a "Save As".
In all cases: the translations for the option and its tooltip in the Preferences dialog haven't been saved properly in UTF-8 and characters with umlauts are garbled.
What do you think? I set the priority above 5, we need to fix this for 0.9.0.
Eric
PS: assuming the option comes from you, else reassign to Dimitry.
Unresolved in 0.9.0 RC6.
The point (a) is critical; (b) is convenience.
I start 0.9.0 RC6. I put myself in the shoes of a user uninvolved in the development of FreeMind. I do not edit preferences; I have no specific reason or stimulus to search in a plethora of preferences for one that could possibly do something for me. I open a mind map that was stored in 0.8.0 format, created by FreeMind 0.8.0. I edit the mind map. I save the mind map, overwriting the original mind map. During the process, FreeMind does not notify me that any file format conversion took place; there is no notification when I am opening the mind map, and there is no notification or warning when I save the mind map, which is the latest time point at which I could have been warned by FreeMind. I do not know that the file that I have just saved and whose original version has been overwritten is incompatible with FreeMind 0.8.0. I, an imaginary user uninvolved in the development and not monitoring forums, do not assume that a change in a major version of software necessarily leads to incompatible file format changes of which the application does not even notify me.
I am not planning to use 0.9.0, as I use a personal custom-developed version of FreeMind, but if I were a user of 0.9.0, I would be rather disappointed.
--Dan
I am setting the priority to 8, based on my estimation. The issue does not necessarily lead to a data loss, but is related to data loss in that users are unable to open mind maps created in 0.9.0 in an older version of FreeMind, and have no FreeMind-supported way of turning their 0.9.0-formatted mind maps into mind maps usable in an older version of FreeMind. --Dan
Fixed in 0.9.0 RC7, by my tests. What has been fixed is the point (a): the user now gets the option to reject a conversion from an old format to the new incompatible one. The point (b) was not fixed, but it is not critical. I consider this issue solved. --Dan