'Arrange into folders' popup does nothing useful

Mechanio · 11-30-2016, 01:20 AM

If I use 'Arrange into folders', and the files are *not* already in those folders, the editor moves them into the folders silently.

If I use 'Arrange into folders', and the files are *already* in those folders, I get a popup that says:

"The files in this book are already arranged into folders"

The exact same outcome - the files are where you wanted them to be - but two different responses; instead of succeeding silently this non-actionable message pops up. Not because it failed... it's just telling us that it didn't have to do any work to do what we asked it to do, because everything was already where it belonged. Unlike, e.g. the popup telling how many CSS rules were deleted when "Remove unused CSS rules" is run, this popup does nothing useful.

1. Is there a way of disabling this? (A "don't show me this again" checkbox would be ideal - on almost every popup - and there is already an option to "Reset all disabled confirmation dialogs" in Preferences/Behavior, but this specific popup doesn't give the option to disable it. It does give the option to "Copy to the clipboard", strangely enough.)

2. Is this the right place to ask about this?

Thanks/sorry/what?, as applicable.

kovidgoyal · 11-30-2016, 02:48 AM

When nothing happens, it is only polite to informt the user as to why nothing happened. Or I will have to deal with posts like 'Arrange into folders does nothing, period'

DrChiper · 11-30-2016, 04:34 AM

Apparently the OP is blessed with a very fast machine as I get always the info notation: "Renaming and updating links..." when the tool does its useful work.

Having a fast machine sometimes does has its disadvantage as displayed info can be very brief ...

Mechanio · 11-30-2016, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrChiper

I get always the info notation: "Renaming and updating links..." when the tool does its useful work.

Me too! But the key term was "useful work". I get that handy "yes I am doing something useful", goes-away-on-its-own info when it actually has to move and rename things, but when I import a new file - usually a font, because I work with a lot of math and physics books - sometimes it happens to go into the correct place, sometimes it doesn't, so I click "Arrange into folders", it has nothing to do, and it pops up an alert telling me it didn't do anything.

(Clicking "Arrange into folders" twice without importing anything triggers this behavior too.)

Since the end result is the same, a momentary "Renaming and updating links..." message would be fine... even if it is lying because the files are already where they need to be. A modal popup telling me "I did nothing" just seems arcane.

Mechanio · 11-30-2016, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Or I will have to deal with posts like 'Arrange into folders does nothing, period'

I get that, and thanks for the care you have put into this, I'd be dead in the water without Calibre.

(A little "I know how this works, don't bug me again" checkbox would make this work for everyone. But if I'm the only one bitching about this tiny annoyance in an otherwise excellent app, I'll cope.)

kovidgoyal · 11-30-2016, 07:26 AM

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...59047923f1cc44

DrChiper · 11-30-2016, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanio

... but when I import a new file [...] sometimes it happens to go into the correct place, sometimes it doesn't, so I click "Arrange into folders" ...

Kovid, I think here is a second issue the OP mentions. As I have seen this behavior also, I briefly summarize:
- when the epub is already arranged
- and (a) new file(s) are added
- you expect calibre to place the new file(s) in the existing (sub) folders

Most of the time calibre does not do this (you can see the new files appearing outside the folder structure) , and I have to manually invoke "Arrange in folders" again.

As calibre can determine that a epub has already file arrangements in place, calibre could also invoke automatically "Arrange in folders" when file(s) are added to adjust for the new files. It would be a mild optimization to support the user. Just a suggestion.

kovidgoyal · 11-30-2016, 08:43 AM

Detrmining a folder arrangement is in place is a lot of work, not really appropriate to be run everytime a new file is added.

DrChiper · 11-30-2016, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Detrmining a folder arrangement is in place is a lot of work, not really appropriate to be run everytime a new file is added.

A valid consideration IMHO. For me, I can live with a manual user interaction, that's why I didn't mentioned it before.

Mechanio · 12-02-2016, 01:34 PM

Dhanyavad, Kovid.

- M

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...59047923f1cc44

11-30-2016, 01:20 AM	#1
Mechanio Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2016 Device: Nexus 7	'Arrange into folders' popup does nothing useful If I use 'Arrange into folders', and the files are not already in those folders, the editor moves them into the folders silently. If I use 'Arrange into folders', and the files are already in those folders, I get a popup that says: "The files in this book are already arranged into folders" The exact same outcome - the files are where you wanted them to be - but two different responses; instead of succeeding silently this non-actionable message pops up. Not because it failed... it's just telling us that it didn't have to do any work to do what we asked it to do, because everything was already where it belonged. Unlike, e.g. the popup telling how many CSS rules were deleted when "Remove unused CSS rules" is run, this popup does nothing useful. 1. Is there a way of disabling this? (A "don't show me this again" checkbox would be ideal - on almost every popup - and there is already an option to "Reset all disabled confirmation dialogs" in Preferences/Behavior, but this specific popup doesn't give the option to disable it. It does give the option to "Copy to the clipboard", strangely enough.) 2. Is this the right place to ask about this? Thanks/sorry/what?, as applicable.

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11-30-2016, 02:48 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	When nothing happens, it is only polite to informt the user as to why nothing happened. Or I will have to deal with posts like 'Arrange into folders does nothing, period'

11-30-2016, 04:34 AM	#3
DrChiper Bookish Posts: 907 Karma: 1803094 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: PC, t1, t2, t3, aura 2 v1, clara HD, Libra 2, Nxtpaper 11	Apparently the OP is blessed with a very fast machine as I get always the info notation: "Renaming and updating links..." when the tool does its useful work. Having a fast machine sometimes does has its disadvantage as displayed info can be very brief ...

11-30-2016, 07:26 AM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...59047923f1cc44

11-30-2016, 08:43 AM	#8
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Detrmining a folder arrangement is in place is a lot of work, not really appropriate to be run everytime a new file is added.

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