XnView Software

Does the portable version make the image cache memory on the HDD or on the USBflash itself? Also refering to all the Metadata and Thumb.db info that picture cache could make once viewed. Does the portable version keep trace on the HDD of picture you viewed?

Well, no reply to my post. I guess you guys did not understand my question then ?


I am only asking if XnView program or the XnView Portable program keep trace of what picture you viewed on your hard drive. Probably some where in a cache memory folder , like explorer Thumbnail are saved ''Microsoft\Windows\Explorer''

I have disable the caching option in '' Tool/Browser/Thumbnail/Cache'' , if i enable it , would love to know where those cache are saved in my Hard Drive.

By default, the user folder is used, but you can change it in option>Integration

Sorry in advance for my bad english


XnView MemoryCache --> ThumbnailCache , PathBrowseCache and other cache memory.



Well, i have done some test, that basically explain where are those CacheFiles, how to change their location and try
to explain the function for each of these files.




I found that XnView default setting store some Cache memory in this folder directory:
In that folder we can find 3 files;
a) XnView.db
b) category.db
c) category.bak

e) XnView.db-journal (this is when thumbnail are cached)


ThumbnailCache

b) category.db



This files is necessary for thumbnail cache data. It is modified when you watch your pictures in thumbnails mode, i think its the data for
the folder thumbnails wich is displayed in 4 little thumbnail.

You can change it directory folder in Tools>>Options>>System Integretion>>Folder used for other files

a) XnView.db

This files is necessary for thumbnail cache data.''category.db'' is modified when you watch your pictures in thumbnails mode.

You can change it directory folder by Tools>>Options>>Browser>>Thumbnail>>Cache>>use folder

OtherCache

c) category.bak


This file is modified each time you open Xnview, might a kind of restore point if Xnview Crash.

You can change the directory of these files Tools>>Options>>System Integretion>>Folder used for other files



e) XnView.db-journal (this is when thumbnail are cached)

This is when thumbnail process are generated in cache
You can change the directory of these files Tools>>Options>>System Integretion>>Folder used for other files



PathBrowse

Unfortunately i found no way to change the directory of that cache file. You can find it in that directory:
Its a .ini file, to change the pathbrowse you must modifies the entry of the pathbrowse.
OpenAll=
ParamsSavingMode=
PathAvi=
PathBrowse= <----- Scribe the directory you want your xnview to load when you start it
PathCache=
PathConvertSave=
PathLoad=
PathPalette=
PathSave=
PathScript=
PathSlide=








=====================
Not necessary to read. This is only some test that been made to understand some of the cache files.

Test 1
------

9:29:10 am
The first test consist to change this directory to a new one and see what it does. This can be done by changing setting in
Tools>>Options>>System Integration>>Folder used for other files. As default, this setting is set to ''User'', for the first test, i have set
it to ''Custom'' and change it to any other Directory. I take for example this directory;

*D:\XnView Cache

9:29:15 am
Conclusion: a) Make new setting, by changing the default directory to a new one.
b) Want to see what it does.


Test 2
------

9:29:40 am
Second test consist to check what happen in this directory when applying the new setting. There is nothing new, i presume the .db file of the default setting
is not moved into the new directory when applying the new setting, so i guess it will need a restart of XnView. Before reopen it, i make sure the window of the new directory (D:\Users\XnView Cache)
is open. Why that? Well because i want to know what will happen in this folder when i will open XnView.


9:30:05 am
I reopen XnvieW with the new Directory and note what change i see. I note that ''category.db'' have been created. The 2 other files are still in the C:\Users\'x'\AppData\Roaming\XnView
,let call this directory ''Roaming 1'' for easy future purpose. I don't want to delete the 2 other files in the ''roaming 1'' yet, because i want to make some comparison
later (you will see in other test).


9:30:31 am
After watched a couple of pictures in thumbnails format, i have see no modification in my new directory. Only seen some habitual
modification in the ''roaming 1'' folder, such as XnView.db-journal (this is when thumbnail are cached) and like wise, i seen the ''XnView.db'' size grow up.


9:40:56 am
Conclusion: a) Test 1 successfully proceed, but needed a restart to creat files. Only one file been created
''category.db''. Maybe some details concerning thumbnails data or something to do with the PathBrowse.

b) ''XnView.db'' have nothing to do with the new setting. Wich mean, when changing Options>>System Integration , that file is not affected.
b.1) Why? because at 9:30:05 of test 2, the ''Xnvew.db'' file was still processing in the same folder as ''roaming 1'' directory.

c) ''category.bak'' still in the ''roaming 1'' directory. Maybe that file cooperate with the ''XnView.db'' a kind of back up for .db file ?
Maybe it have something to do with the PathBrowse ?

d) Regarding to ''category.bak'' and pathbrowse. I suppose when i have made the new setting, the new
pathbrowse did not scribe right after. I think Xnview must close , to scribe the new pathbrowse script, so when
you restart it you come back where you was. But after restarting, the .bak file was still not in the new
directory and Xnview have open at the same pathbrowse than before. Maybe ''category.bak'' have nothing to do with the pathbrowse.

e) Due to no clue, i will restart Xnview again.


Test 3
------

9:45:05 am
Restart Xnview again after watched some thumbnails, to see if ''category.bak'' will be created.

9:45:10 am
The ''category.bak'' have been created and Xnview started to the same pathbrowse. No ''xnview.db'' been created. Concerning the ''roaming 1'' still only the
the ''xnview.db'' had some modification, after watched some THumbnails.


9:47:34 am
Conclusion: a) I am now 100% sure that ''xnview.db'' have nothing do do with Options>>System Integretion.
b) I am kindly sure that ''category.bak'' have nothing do do with the pathbrowse and the ''Xnview.db'' since he had no modification in the
''roaming 1'' same thing for the ''category.db'', there is no modification in ''roaming 1'' since the new setting.

c) Since ''roaming 1'' look to have no more modification for ''category.bak'' and ''category.db'' i will now delete those 2 files from this folder.



Test 4
------

9:50:01 am
Deleting ''category.bak'' and ''category.db'' from ''roaming 1''. Then reopen Xnview.

9:51:09 am
All is ok, the new setting look to work properly. The 2 files are modified. ''category.db'' get modified when i watch some thumbnails, which is logical, and
''category.bak'' get modified every time i reopen Xnview. Like wise, i think the .bak file is created at the beginning, to prevent to lose
your current view/data if Xnview crash.

9:55:11 am
Conclusion: a) Setting of test 1 working.




Test 5
------

10:20:10 am
Trying to change the directory of ''Xnview.db'' . This can be done by changing setting in Tools>>Options>>Browser>>Thumbnail>>Cache>>use folder.
As default, this setting is set to ''User'', for the first this test, i have set
it to ''Custom'' and change it to any other Directory. I take for example this directory;

*D:\XnView Cache


10:21:20 am
Setting take effect imidiately, but won't copy ''Xnview.db'' from the default directory. It just creat a new ''Xnview.db'' for your new setting.

10:22:23 am
Watching some picture in thumbnail view, and i see the ''Xnview.db'' size modifing in my new directory. All works fine.
Note: The ''Xnview.db'' from the old directory won't get deleted. You must do it manually after setting your new directory.

10:24:28 am
Conclusion: a) Test 5 successfully proceeded
b) Need delete the ''Xnview.db'' from the old setting directory

Since XnView only stores one thumb size/label layout per cache ...

Once can use different caches depending on need. Specifically for me, a "large thumb" cache and a "small thumb" cache have proven useful.

To switch easily between caches, it is convenient to use different INI files and load the one you want on the XnView command line.