Recently Used Files

[Mackx]

I am working on a hack/patch of the R1.7.1 firmware to allow the storage of recently opened files. Eventually I also want to extend this to open the last document at start-up.
The goal of the first version is to:
- Store all opened documents as short-cuts in a folder called Recent (can be disabled in Settings)
- Optionally show the Recent folder after power-up (instead of the Home-folder).

I am looking for some (brave) volunteers to experiment with the first version so it can also be safely used by less 'technical' users (i.e. find installation and usage problems.) In another thread I already volunteered omro , but his DR is in repair.
I will do the first experiments myself.

Is there anyone interested?

[owl123]

I'd be happy to test it.

BTW. Are you aware of Viacheslav's solution? See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...73&postcount=4. It seems to be a bit limited though.

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by owl123

I'd be happy to test it.

BTW. Are you aware of Viacheslav's solution? See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...73&postcount=4. It seems to be a bit limited though.

Thanks,

I hope to find enough time this weekend and beginning next week to do some testing of my own. After that I will give you a ping and send you the changed programs.

I am aware of the solution of Viacheslav, the limitations got me thinking if it would be possible to modify the firmware to overcome the limitations. The big difference is that Viacheslav's solution uses the original firmware, where I am changing the firmware (both ctb and settings applciation).

Both solutions have their pros and cons.

[pthwaite]

I'd have a go too Mackx,
regards

[Mackx]

For those people that want to check the changes I made to the original code to get the initial version of the 'Recent Files'-patch working I attach here my anjuta projects for ctb and settings. (If you want to build/change yourself, you need to use the option --sysconfdir=/etc in the configure call of the ctb!).
Compare them to the 1.7 versions of the code supplied by iRex.

I will sent the binaries to omro, owl123 and pthwaite (my guinea pigs) to do extra testing. If they do not see any strange things I will also post the install files here.

Any comments on the (changed) code is welcome.

[Mackx]

The functionality I created until now only creates short-cuts for all documents that are started and allows you to start-up, after power-up, on the location where the recent-opened-file-short-cuts are stored.

The next step will be to automatically start with the last read document. I can choose between the following solutions:
1) start only with the document that was 'open' during shutdown.
2) start with the last opened document (whether it was still open at shut-down or not).

The reason that I list the second option is because I normally first close any document that I am reading with FBReader before shutting down (I am not sure if FBReader is storing the read position). The 2nd will also be easier to implement ofcourse... For the fist solution I have to detect if the last opened document is still open.
Should both be implemented with a user choice?

What to do if several documents are open? Detect which document is visible (at the top) and use that one? Open all? What if the folder-view or Settings was the 'top-document'?

And then there is xournal, it can be started as an application directly (so it will not be stored as short-cut) or you can start it with a document (will be stored as short-cut) but change to an other document while opened (will not be detected). So what to do after power-up?
Same is ofcourse valid for FBReader, evince, midori.

Please let me hear your opinion, how should a 'Start Last Document' feature work?

[owl123]

Originally Posted by Mackx

The functionality I created until now only creates short-cuts for all documents that are started and allows you to start-up, after power-up, on the location where the recent-opened-file-short-cuts are stored.

The next step will be to automatically start with the last read document. I can choose between the following solutions:
1) start only with the document that was 'open' during shutdown.
2) start with the last opened document (whether it was still open at shut-down or not).

The reason that I list the second option is because I normally first close any document that I am reading with ereader before shutting down (I am not sure if ereader is storing the read position). The 2nd will also be easier to implement ofcourse... For the fist solution I have to detect if the last opened document is still open.
Should both be implemented with a user choice?

What to do if several documents are open? Detect which document is visible (at the top) and use that one? Open all? What if the folder-view or Settings was the 'top-document'?

And then there is xournal, it can be started as an application directly (so it will not be stored as short-cut) or you can start it with a document (will be stored as short-cut) but change to an other document while opened (will not be detected). So what to do after power-up?
Same is ofcourse valid for ereader, evince, midori.

Please let me hear your opinion, how should a 'Start Last Document' feature work?

How about creating some short cuts that could be placed in the bottom bar:

1. one could let you close the device normally
2. one could let you close the device as in option #2
3. the last one would bring up all the opened documents after start up

[pthwaite]

I favour the 2nd option with any other documents that were open, being "stored" in the Recent folders.
WRT xournal, I'd like it such that whatever you were working on would start up to continue from where you left off.

(I still cannot get auto-recognition of xournal files to work, but that's another story)

regards

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by pthwaite

WRT xournal, I'd like it such that whatever you were working on would start up to continue from where you left off.

There are two part here, Start Last Document can start Xournal. But I also need to change Xournal to store the last opened page and use it when the document is opened. (I am considering to add the this feature, but I am lacking spare time to do so in short future).

[owl123]

I've been testing Mackx's Recent Files patch for some hours now and I'm happy to report that everything works very well!

Thanks!

[jaha]

Hi,

I am really looking forward to the version with automatic start of last opened document :-)

May I ask you if you know when you are able to provide an installation file with this functionality?

Thank you in advance :-)

Jarle

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by jaha

Hi,

I am really looking forward to the version with automatic start of last opened document :-)

May I ask you if you know when you are able to provide an installation file with this functionality?

Thank you in advance :-)

Jarle

Hi Jarle,

This is a good opertunity to give an update of my progress.

I) I plan to add the functionality in several stages, the first stage is to create short-cuts for all files that have been opened in a specific folder. This feature has three modes:
- disabled: do not create short-cuts
- enabled: store short-cut of all opened files in the 'Recent-folder'
- show: At startup, do not start with the Home-folder, but with the 'Recent-folder'

II) Once this is working, tested and published, I want to add a fourth mode to automatically start ... something... I am choosing between one or more of these:
-a- the last opened document (whether it was open during shut-down or not)
-b- the last opened document that was opened at the moment of shut-down
-c- all documents that were open at the moment of shut-down
-d- An application like mxCalendar

III) Once this is working, I will go crazy adding al kinds of addtions.
- Adding keywords to documents and a view to sort/select with these keywords
- Add an extra icon in the status-bar (right-side) to change the mode for Recent-Files and those mentioned in item III) above.
- Select multiple files to delete (or add keyword)
- Have an extra menu item to add short-cut of document a configurable folder e.g. in the 'Files to Read Queue'-folder.
- add more positions in the left part of the status-bar (for menu-items)
- allow other applications to add icons to right side of statusbar (I would want this for Xournal)
- etc
This should keep me going for 2010...

The status:
The code for the first stage is now under-test by 'my guinea-pigs' owl123 and pthwaite. They gave some very usefull feedback on problems and improvements (and they seem to be pleased with the patch). There is one problem for which I have to find a solution. For some reason when the ctb starts-up with the "Recent-Files"-folder the screen is not updated properly. The screen shows the folder and its content, but it is a little fuzzy, you also still see a fuzzy logo that you normally see during start-up. Due to different timing during startup, a proper refresh of the screen is not executed. This is very difficult (time consuming) to debug, since it only shows on the real device and not on the emulator.

I know that it very dangerous to give release dates on this forum , but I hope that I will find enough time between Christmas and New Year to fix the refresh problem and post the stage I patch on this forum.
(If iRex still decides to create a new firmware update, then I have to wait for them to publish the code for new firmware and apply my patches again...)

PS: If you are very eager to use the update/patch, I could send you a version that has the refresh problem and add you to my 'guinea pig farm'. Send me a PM with your e-mail address.

[tjdean256]

Mackx

I am interested in this function, but am not in a position to help with the debugging. But it seemed that this approach would work for a find file utility - populate a folder with shortcuts to files that match a search expression. Is that feasible?

Again, thanks for you work in improving the utility of the DR.

td

[Mackx]

Hi all,

The last weeks, together with the 'guinea pigs' (owl123, pthwaite, jaha and curbarthedog) , I managed to get a first version of the Recently Used Files patch working, with all obvious bugs removed (many thanks to the 'test guinea pigs').

This version is stage I) as described in earlier posts:
I) The first stage is to create short-cuts for all files that have been opened, in a specific folder. This feature has three modes:
- disabled: do not create short-cuts
- enabled: store short-cut of all opened files in the 'Recent-folder'
- show: At startup, do not start with the Home-folder, but with the 'Recent-folder'

The attached zip file should be unzipped on your SD-card. It will add 2 short-cuts in Home->Documents->Programs->Install:
Apply Recent Files Patch and
Restore Recent Files Patch.
One to install and one to un-install the patch.

Before you try:
THIS PATCH MODIFIES THE FIRMWARE (replaces 'ctb' and 'settings') SO APPLY AT YOUR OWN RISK. ONLY USE FOR VERSION 1.7/1.7.1 OF THE FIRMWARE.

The posted version is used by 5 people, they have not found disturbing problems, but still you should be aware that you are modifying your firmware. Also note that the patched is applied the original versions of the R1.7/R1.7.1 firmware so DO NOT USE when you have another firmware installed!!! If something went really wrong, I have no reason to believe that you would not be able to fix it with a firmware re-install.

Use:
- After the restart, you should go to the settings dialog
- You will see a new icon called "Recent Files" clicking on it gives a new dialog that:

allows you the enable the feature (i.e. enable creation of short-cuts in the folder called Recent)
allows you to enable the feature to show the Recent folder after startup

- The third option can be selected, but will not have any effect...yet...
- The files will be added to the folder: Home->Documents->Recent.
- When you are in the Recent folder and starting short-cuts, the last started will be the first one in the folder after you closed the document.

Known Problems:
- The Recent-Files folder only grows, old files will not be removed automatically.

Please let me know what you think of it (bugs, improvements, other questions, ...)

[Mackx]

This is the source code for the patch posted above (my Anjuta-projects with some large files removed). You can compare them with the original code that iRex posted on their website.
Any improvements are welcome