Manual synchronization in v3.5.0.0 Beta

Post by **AlexL** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:15 am

Hello.

1) Seems that the new Manual Synchronization feature is usable only in case "Synchronize Vertical Scrolling (Files)" is OFF (currently I keep it always ON). Otherwise I can't understand how to say that line 84 on the left panel and line 109 on the right panel comprise synchronization point.

Usually one needs the manual sync. feature when EDP goes out of synchronization, and thus all lines go to "unpredictable" places on the screen, so the left and right lines of manual sync. point are visually located at different places on the screen. This is why I wanted to specify totally different lines as a manual sync. point.

I suggest to organize possibility to explicitly specify left and right line numbers for sync. point.

2) In addition, I did not find possibility to place the "Synchronize Vertical Scrolling (Files)" option onto the toolbar. I tried to do this in order to enable its fast toggling for controlling manual sync. points in its current release.

3) I tried to move synch. point along the Synchronization Splitter up/down, but could not - the only option that I get clicking on the bar is deleting the point. I assume that this behaviour is by design, but I'm not sure that this is the best solution.

Thank you.

Edit: I did not see the new "Ability to independently scroll views vertically using Alt key" - it helps. But toolbar button would also help.

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:45 pm

1) and 2) The idea is that "Synchronize Vertical Scrolling (Files)" option is a long-lived options that is not changed often. Hence it will require going to the Options to be changed.

Alt-scrolling, on the other hand, will be used temporarily, for manual synchronization or just to scroll one pane at a time (BTW, this feature works for binary and directory comparison as well).

Also, links do not have to be horizontal when you set them up. You can click on one side and drag mouse to set the other end of the link.

3) You should've received the question "Do you want to delete this link?" with an option to not show the message again. We decided that this behavior is what most users want. Moving links doesn't seem necessary, given the simplicity of deleting/adding a link.

Post by **AlexL** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:35 am

Recently I had to place manual sync on line, say, 200 in the left panel and on line 400 on the right panel. How to reach the right part after marking the left part?

1) We can use <Alt>+scrolling of the panels before starting to mark. This works. But what to do if I already placed a sync mark on the left panel?

2) It would be natural if the panel(s) would scroll down when you drag the sync marker down and outside the panel - as it is done in case of selecting text. If you try to select more than fits on the panel, the panel is being scrolled after the mouse, which I move with left button kept pressed. Dragging a sync mark differs from this logical behaviour.

3) To my opinion, it is needed to support pressing <Esc> while dragging a sync marker. E.g., if you drag window border under MS Windows, or column tab width in some table in MS Word, pressing <Esc> cancels dragging and returns to original state. Same would be nice to have in sync mark dragging: pressing <Esc> while dragging would return us to the original state (I think it is the state without sync mark at all) - without recomparing. Otherwise user has to make two extra comparisons: after finishing that dragging that he already wants to cancel (changed his mind), and after deleting this new sync mark. In case of large files it could be a pain.

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 11:51 am

2) I agree. We'll try and add this (scrolling) to the next build.

3) Esc already cancels a dragging operation. Does it not for you?

Post by **AlexL** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:38 pm

psguru wrote:3) Esc already cancels a dragging operation. Does it not for you?

No.

I use ExamDiff.exe v3.5.0.6 whose MD5 is 532B50762DE32BD12DA7BEAEDF78C20C.

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:42 pm

What happens when you press Esc or Return when dragging a link?

Post by **AlexL** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:48 pm

psguru wrote:What happens when you press Esc or Return when dragging a link?

<Esc> - no reaction at all, as if I did not press a key.
<Enter> inserts the mark, as if I released the left mouse button.

Same is true about moving splitter position left/right (<Enter> sets the new position).

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:55 pm

Enter works as it should. But Esc does not (works for me though). I assume that your Esc key is fine, right?

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:13 pm

One more question: what happens when you hit Esc while dragging the splitter itself?

Post by **AlexL** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:23 pm

psguru wrote:One more question: what happens when you hit Esc while dragging the splitter itself?

I thought I told it... Didn't I? "Same is true about moving splitter position left/right (<Enter> sets the new position)."

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:30 pm

I understand that the Enter key works for both scenarios (dragging the splitter and dragging the links). But does Esc not work for both?

Post by **AlexL** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:35 pm

psguru wrote:I understand that the Enter key works for both scenarios (dragging the splitter and dragging the links). But does Esc not work for both?

Exactly. It does NOT work for both scenarios.

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:36 pm

This is something odd. The basic splitting-cancelling functionality is supported by base MFC classes. This would mean that for some reason this functionality doesn't work for you with all MFC-based programs. Could you try to see if the escaping works with EDP 3.4.2?

Post by **psguru** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 4:39 pm

Scrolling on link dragging has been added in build 3.5.0.7 on the web site.

Post by **AlexL** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 1:04 am

psguru wrote:This is something odd. The basic splitting-cancelling functionality is supported by base MFC classes. This would mean that for some reason this functionality doesn't work for you with all MFC-based programs. Could you try to see if the escaping works with EDP 3.4.2?

1) No, it it does not work with v3.4.2.
2) Even install of v3.4.2 does not work, if v3.5.0.6 had been installed (of course, there is no EDP in memory before the installation). I have to delete files of EDP v3.5.0.6 manually (did not try uninstall today), and then install v3.4.2. If I try to install v3.4.2 over v3.5.0.6, I still get ExamDiff.exe from v3.5.0.6. I did not check other files (except ExamDiff.exe). This probably partly explains the crash on registrating (other thread here).

Windows XP Pro XP2.
MS IE 7.
Both MS VC 6 and 7.1+SP1 installed.