Catalog directories, folder importation

[zarlan]

When one imports a folders to the catalog, the list of directories is filled with each and every sub-folder.
This seems strange, inefficient, and flawed.
If one creates more subfolders, are they not automatically included?
I think that, when a folder is imported, only that folder should be listed.
With the option (when choosing to import, and not after) of only that folder being imported, or that folder and all it's sub-folders. (but with the option to specify certain subfolder(s) as being excluded)
Any later sub-folders one adds, would then be added, whenever the program updates the catalog.

Also, any folder I browse, in the browser, appears to get imported.
There should be an option, to either do that, or only import folders manually. (both have their advantages, and both can be desirable)

[xnview]

you means Settings>Catalog>Import folder?

[zarlan]

Yes.

[xnview]

ok, users would like to import recursively folder, you are the first one that don't. i'll add an option

[zarlan]

ok, users would like to import recursively folder, you are the first one that don't. i'll add an option

WTF?
No, I DO want all of the recursive folders to be included (with the option to exclude individual sub-folders …including the option of excluding all), but what I'm saying is that they shouldn't all be included on the list.
You should just have "[path to folder]" in the list, and that should mean that all recursive folders (current and future) are included.
…with something like "[path to folder] (non-recursive)" if recursive folders aren't included, and "excl:[path to subfolder]" for individual excluded folders.

With the current system, when you import a folder, you get a long list of each and every individual subfolder, in the import-list.
This also implies that any new sub-folder, isn't imported, meaning that not all sub-folders get included.

Also, I remind you that I also stated that it is a problem that all folders one browses, automatically get imported. That's fine, as an option, but not to have it forced. (and what's the point of even having the ability to manually import, when browsing the folders has the same effect? The only way that there is any meaning/point to it, is if there is an option to not automatically import all folders one encounters)

[xnview]

I've tried, if i import a folder, all subfolders/files are imported, you have not that?

[zarlan]

I've tried, if i import a folder, all subfolders/files are imported, you have not that?

…
You clearly don't understand a word I'm saying.
Maybe some screenshots will help clarify.
First a screenshot (actually several, that I've put together) of a mere portion of my list of imported folders (with the exact paths redacted. The ones in red, being folders I don't want, in the catalogue [though they are sub-folders to a folder I have imported] …except for two at the end, as I've noted, in the screenshot), and then an edited screenshot of how that same portion would look, according to my suggestions.

Edit: For some reason, the second image is shown first, and the first image second. Just to be clear, the longer is the one that shows my current list, and the shorter one is how it would look according to my suggestions.
Oh, and to remind you: I've stated that any folder that is imported, without also including recursive folders, would be listed as "[path] (non-recursive)"

The full list, on that computer, would probably be less than ten items, if it worked according to my suggestions.

[xnview]

First it's not easy to understand your problem, i don't know which folder do you import, which folders are imported, which folders are excluded.

1- Why do you have 'c:' as base path? you use different drive for your pictures on multiple computer?

2- 'Import folder' doesn't watch folder, it's like when you browse a folder or open an image file, files info & thumbnails are stored in database. So if you a new subfolder, it will imported only if you browse it.

3- The folders in red are added after using 'import folder'?

[zarlan]

First it's not easy to understand your problem, i don't know which folder do you import, which folders are imported, which folders are excluded.

I do not, at all, understand how/why any of it would be any less than perfectly clear and obvious.
I have absolutely zero understanding, for what could possibly be unclear or confusing to anyone, or how/why it would be.

1- Why do you have 'c:' as base path? you use different drive for your pictures on multiple computer?

I don't remember choosing a base path, so I'm pretty sure that, XnView automatically chose that.
I don't have multiple hard drives (there is only C:), nor do I have a folder that contains all of my pictures.
…and what possible relevance does the base path have, for this issue?

2- 'Import folder' doesn't watch folder, it's like when you browse a folder or open an image file, files info & thumbnails are stored in database. So if you a new subfolder, it will imported only if you browse it.

There are three problems with that:
a: If I import C:\folder1, and want all recursive folders imported, then I'd obviously want all future folders to be imported as well.
b: If all folders I browse, get imported into the catalog, anyway, what is the point of having a manual importation option? (Also: having browsed folders get imported, is a perfectly fine option to have, but to have it forced on you, is really annoying and frustrating)
c: If all folders I browse, get imported into the catalog, that means that folders I don't want to have in the catalog, get imported. (and the Excluded/Included-tab, clearly doesn't do anything. It neither remove folders that have already been imported, nor does it stop folders from being included, if I browse them)

…and the claim that "'Import folder' doesn't watch folder", is clearly and completely false.
Whenever a picture is added/removed from a folder, the catalog is updated.
There is absolutely nothing different, about doing the same for folders.

3- The folders in red are added after using 'import folder'?

Some were added by import folder (as they are sub-folders, to a large media folder …but don't themselves contain media I want in the catalog), others were added by my browsing them. As for which are which, that is hard to say …except for the ones at the bottom, that I explicitly state, in the screenshot, that I never imported or wanted there.
Edit: Actually, as I just remembered that I have actually manually removed a lot of those red-marked folders, from the list …and then they're gotten re-added on the list, because I went to c:\new folder, and pressed on "show recursive", and thereby browsed them. (I'd prefer to be able to exclude them, from the "show recursive", as well, but that's more complicated …though I have made a suggestion in viewtopic.php?f=60&t=43237, which would allow for that, though it would [of course] require more than a single click on a single button)

Edit: Actually, sub-folders to excluded folders, that are included, should be marked as "incl:PATH", to mark that they are an overriding of an recursive exclusion. If the exclusion of the parent is removed, then it the "incl:PATH" should either be removed (if the excluded folder was a sub-folder to an imported folder …with the "incl:PATH" therefore already being included, in the importation of that parent folder) or become "PATH", without the "incl:". (if the parent folder wasn't part of an imported folder, but was simply listed as excluded, to prevent its automatic importation, if one browses it, hence meaning that it needs to be listed among imported folders, to be included, but no longer has a reason to be marked as "incl:")

[xnview]

1- Why do you have 'c:' as base path? you use different drive for your pictures on multiple computer?

I don't remember choosing a base path, so I'm pretty sure that, XnView automatically chose that.
I don't have multiple hard drives (there is only C:), nor do I have a folder that contains all of my pictures.
…and what possible relevance does the base path have, for this issue?

So it's not needed, and XnView doesn't add path automatically... This can explain some duplicate paths

2- 'Import folder' doesn't watch folder, it's like when you browse a folder or open an image file, files info & thumbnails are stored in database. So if you a new subfolder, it will imported only if you browse it.

There are three problems with that:
a: If I import C:\folder1, and want all recursive folders imported, then I'd obviously want all future folders to be imported as well.

Automatically, these folders will never be imported

b: If all folders I browse, get imported into the catalog, anyway, what is the point of having a manual importation option? (Also: having browsed folders get imported, is a perfectly fine option to have, but to have it forced on you, is really annoying and frustrating)

It's the same function, 'import folder' is used to create thumbnails for a large photo collection before to browse them.

c: If all folders I browse, get imported into the catalog, that means that folders I don't want to have in the catalog, get imported. (and the Excluded/Included-tab, clearly doesn't do anything. It neither remove folders that have already been imported, nor does it stop folders from being included, if I browse them)

Browsing & 'import folder' follow the rules of exclude/include settings

…and the claim that "'Import folder' doesn't watch folder", is clearly and completely false.
Whenever a picture is added/removed from a folder, the catalog is updated.

No, the catalog is only updated when you browse the folder or open an image in the folder

3- The folders in red are added after using 'import folder'?

Edit: Actually, sub-folders to excluded folders, that are included, should be marked as "incl:PATH", to mark that they are an overriding of an recursive exclusion. If the exclusion of the parent is removed, then it the "incl:PATH" should either be removed (if the excluded folder was a sub-folder to an imported folder …with the "incl:PATH" therefore already being included, in the importation of that parent folder) or become "PATH", without the "incl:". (if the parent folder wasn't part of an imported folder, but was simply listed as excluded, to prevent its automatic importation, if one browses it, hence meaning that it needs to be listed among imported folders, to be included, but no longer has a reason to be marked as "incl:")

so if i understand correctly, when using 'show recursive' some subfolder (from the exclude list) was added?

[zarlan]

So it's not needed, and XnView doesn't add path automatically...

Yes it does.
On my Windows computer, it's "c:\", and on my Linux computer it's "/".
I certainly never chose either of those.
XnView did.

This can explain some duplicate paths

How could it possibly do so?

a: If I import C:\folder1, and want all recursive folders imported, then I'd obviously want all future folders to be imported as well.

Automatically, these folders will never be imported[/quote]
My point exactly.
That is obviously a flaw …or so I though, until you stated that it's just about thumbnails.

It's the same function, 'import folder' is used to create thumbnails for a large photo collection before to browse them.

That would make it completely useless. Especially for someone like me, who disables thumbnail caching.
If the only reason for the "import folder"-lists is thumbnails, then disabling thumbnail caching, should also clear and disable the "import folder"-list.

Browsing & 'import folder' follow the rules of exclude/include settings

I just told you, that they clearly don't.
Folders in the list, remain in the list, even after I add it as excluded, in the exclude/include settings …and folders I remove from the list, which are in the exclude/include-list, as excluded, get re-added.

No, the catalog is only updated when you browse the folder or open an image in the folder

I would object to that, and give counterarguments …but if it's just for thumbnail purposes, it doesn't really matter.

so if i understand correctly, when using 'show recursive' some subfolder (from the exclude list) was added?

Not just some. All.

[xnview]

So it's not needed, and XnView doesn't add path automatically...

Yes it does.
On my Windows computer, it's "c:\", and on my Linux computer it's "/".
I certainly never chose either of those.
XnView did.

Sorry but no, it is '/' by default for all platforms...

a: If I import C:\folder1, and want all recursive folders imported, then I'd obviously want all future folders to be imported as well.

Automatically, these folders will never be imported

My point exactly.
That is obviously a flaw …or so I though, until you stated that it's just about thumbnails.

Not just thumbnails but file's info & categories, rating too

It's the same function, 'import folder' is used to create thumbnails for a large photo collection before to browse them.

That would make it completely useless. Especially for someone like me, who disables thumbnail caching.
If the only reason for the "import folder"-lists is thumbnails, then disabling thumbnail caching, should also clear and disable the "import folder"-list.

So what do you want to achieve by using 'import folder'??

Browsing & 'import folder' follow the rules of exclude/include settings

I just told you, that they clearly don't.
Folders in the list, remain in the list, even after I add it as excluded, in the exclude/include settings …and folders I remove from the list, which are in the exclude/include-list, as excluded, get re-added.

No, the catalog is only updated when you browse the folder or open an image in the folder

I would object to that, and give counterarguments …but if it's just for thumbnail purposes, it doesn't really matter.

so if i understand correctly, when using 'show recursive' some subfolder (from the exclude list) was added?

Not just some. All.

I can't reproduce, i've tried that:
- create c:\....\folder\1\2\
- add c:\....\folder\1\2 as excluded
- 'import folder' c:\....\folder
- i have only folder & folder\1 in catalog not 2 subfolder

[zarlan]

Sorry but no, it is '/' by default for all platforms...

Good, so you acknowledge that it was set by XnView.
Now: What does it mean/do?
…and how can it lead to duplicate paths?

Not just thumbnails but file's info & categories, rating too

Ah, so it is inclusion in the catalog, in general, as I first (obviously) assumed?
Well, in that case, I'll have to re-respond to several points:

a: If I import C:\folder1, and want all recursive folders imported, then I'd obviously want all future folders to be imported as well.

Automatically, these folders will never be imported

My point exactly.
That is obviously a flaw. When one imports a folder recursively, that will pretty much always mean that one wants all subfolders included …regardless of whether or not those are current folders or future ones.
I see absolutely no possible reason, for why future folders wouldn't be included.

b: If all folders I browse, get imported into the catalog, anyway, what is the point of having a manual importation option? (Also: having browsed folders get imported, is a perfectly fine option to have, but to have it forced on you, is really annoying and frustrating)

It's the same function, 'import folder' is used to create thumbnails for a large photo collection before to browse them.

That answer doesn't, in any way, address my point.

No, the catalog is only updated when you browse the folder or open an image in the folder

1. That would mean that, whenever I browse a folder that is in the imported list, XnView would be able to see if there is a new (not yet imported) folder. If the import-list would be the way I suggeest, this would then mean that (if the imported folder is marked as recursive) XnView would then know to import that new subfolder. This could also be applied to when you browse directly into a new folder, in that XnView can check the import-list, to see if it is a subfolder to a recursively included folder, and import it, if it is.
2. There is a "Update catalog from files" option.
3. If one adds categories (which, of course, are purely part of the catalog) to a file, that isn't in the imported folders list, one should be warned that this requires importing the folder, and asking if one wishes to do so …with a separate and firmer warning, if the file is in an excluded folder.

That would make it completely useless. Especially for someone like me, who disables thumbnail caching.
If the only reason for the "import folder"-lists is thumbnails, then disabling thumbnail caching, should also clear and disable the "import folder"-list.

So what do you want to achieve by using 'import folder'??

Assuming that importing folders is purely about thumbnails, I would want to have NO imported folders, and stop XnView from importating any, ever.
…but as that isn't the case, but that it is importation into the catalog:
I want the folders I import, to be those that the catalog covers …and for folders I mark as excluded (and the files therein), to NOT be included in the catalog.

…and that no other folders (aside from new sub-folders to recursively imported folders) are automatically imported, when I browse!
(unless I mark an option, in the settings, that tells XnView to do so …but only with folders that aren't marked as excluded [or which are subfolders to an excluded folder …unless it's a non-recursive exclusion], of course!)

I can't reproduce, i've tried that:
- create c:\....\folder\1\2\
- add c:\....\folder\1\2 as excluded
- 'import folder' c:\....\folder
- i have only folder & folder\1 in catalog not 2 subfolder

It still happens.
In fact, I manually removed the red folders, and then went to the folders I've excluded, and pressed show recursive.
…and now they're right back in the imported list!
Also:
Why is there a seperate Excluded/Included tab, rather than just having that in the same list?

…and lets not ignore my screenhot (which, I remind you, is only a small part of my full list) and photoshoped screenshot. (showing how it would look, according to my suggestions)
Why should users have to have a lightyears-long list, that is impossible to have any kind of overview of, instead of the far more simple and overviewable list you'd get, according to my suggestion?

[xnview]

Sorry but no, it is '/' by default for all platforms...

Good, so you acknowledge that it was set by XnView.

No, "c:\" was not set by XnView, the default is '/'

Now: What does it mean/do?
…and how can it lead to duplicate paths?

Some users have duplicate paths sometimes when using base path, but currently i have not reproduce...

That is obviously a flaw. When one imports a folder recursively, that will pretty much always mean that one wants all subfolders included …regardless of whether or not those are current folders or future ones.
I see absolutely no possible reason, for why future folders wouldn't be included.

There is no watchers on folders, 'add folder' is the same as browsing folders. The catalog will be filled when you browse it.

1. That would mean that, whenever I browse a folder that is in the imported list, XnView would be able to see if there is a new (not yet imported) folder. If the import-list would be the way I suggeest, this would then mean that (if the imported folder is marked as recursive) XnView would then know to import that new subfolder. This could also be applied to when you browse directly into a new folder, in that XnView can check the import-list, to see if it is a subfolder to a recursively included folder, and import it, if it is.

There is no import folder list, you add files in the catalog. Perhaps the label 'import folder' is not good

I can't reproduce, i've tried that:
- create c:\....\folder\1\2\
- add c:\....\folder\1\2 as excluded
- 'import folder' c:\....\folder
- i have only folder & folder\1 in catalog not 2 subfolder

It still happens.
In fact, I manually removed the red folders, and then went to the folders I've excluded, and pressed show recursive.
…and now they're right back in the imported list!

It's the case, when you 'import a folder' or browse folder, excluded/included list is checked, i can't reproduce the bug. Do you have tried like my test? Do you use '/' as base path??

[zarlan]

No, "c:\" was not set by XnView, the default is '/'

The equivalent of '/', on Windows, is 'C:\'.
'/'='C:\'
In other words:
Clearly XnView (according to what you've said) absolutely does set the path to 'C:\'.
[/quote]Some users have duplicate paths sometimes when using base path[/quote]
Sorry, but I have no idea, what that sentence means.

There is no watchers on folders, 'add folder' is the same as browsing folders. The catalog will be filled when you browse it.

Yes, you have already said that, and I have acknowledged that
…and pointed out that this renders "import folder" completely superfluous and useless.
Also, that automatically adding any folder one browses, is highly annoying and undesirable. (other than as an option, that one can choose, if one so wishes)

A much better setup, would be to have the choice, to manually import folders, with the option of adding recursively, as well as excluding (with exclusions also being either single folder or recursively)
…and with any recursively added folders, meaning that XnViewMP will automatically add any sub-folder one browses.
You say that XnView checks the excluded/included list, before deciding to import a folder.
According to my suggestion, folders would only be added to the catalogue, if they are a subfolder of a recursively included folder. (well, unless one chooses to simply let XnView add all browsed folders, that is)

There is no import folder list

Yes there is. It's a list of folders.

you add files in the catalog.

You add the folders, that XnView has added files from, and (when you browse them again) will add new files from.
In other words: You do add folders. It is a list of folders.

It's the case, when you 'import a folder' or browse folder, excluded/included list is checked

It may be, on your system, but obviously not on mine.
Stop calling me a liar!

i can't reproduce the bug.

Well you clearly haven't tried, to come close to the same conditions, so…

Do you have tried like my test?

You have not, anywhere in this thread, said anything that comes anywhere close to venturing at so much as hinting at any suggestion of a test.
[/quote]Do you use '/' as base path??[/quote]
There is no '/', in Windows.
…
Surely you do use Windows, at least occasionally? …or at least have some familiarity with the OS?
I mean, how can you develop a program for Windows, if you never at least test it on the OS?

Edit: I checked this issue, on my Linux computer, and excluded folders appear not to get re-imported when I browse them, on that system.
It still doesn't work, on the Windows system.