On Mon, Sep 02, 2002 at 01:58:58PM +0200, Ulf Lamping wrote:
> 1. Introducing a new submenu item at File, with a "Recent Files" list
> (below print and above exit, I think). The number of files kept in the
> list should be in the preferences, with a default of 8 maybe.
Sounds reasonable.
> This would introduce a new file in the home directory maybe called
> "recent".
Note that at least some desktop environments (Windows, perhaps GNOME and
KDE, perhaps MacOS X Aqua) might provide mechanisms to support this.
Currently, Ethereal doesn't use that desktop environment code (the
Windows version just uses GTK+-for-Windows and a *few* native Windows
interfaces), but it might be interesting to see whether we could arrange
to use them if we did have native-Windows, GNOME, or KDE versions, and
whether doing so would provide any advantages (over and above using
common code with other applications for that desktop).
> 2. Keeping the recent display filter settings after program exit. The
> recent filter list at the bottom of the window is currently discarded at
> program exit. This information could also be kept in the "recent" file
> mentioned above. The number of filter strings kept in the list should
> also be in the preferences, with a default of 8 maybe.
>
> 3. Currently the settings of filters, colorizing and such will simply
> be discarded at program exit, if not explicitly saved by the user.
What are you referring to when you say "settings of filters"?
Are you just referring to the stuff in item 2?
Or are you referring to something else?
For example, are you saying that, if when you exit Ethereal, a certain
display filter is in effect, that display filter should be applied, by
default, to any capture you read in the *next* time you run Ethereal? If
so, I'd consider that an error - a display filter, in and of itself,
isn't a permanent preference setting; you might use different filters on
different captures, depending on what you're looking for in that
capture, and you might use different filters at different *times*.
> This is very confusing for (at least) windows users.
I'll have to check, but I think the Windows-based Network Monitor packet
analyzer (from a company that does have *some* familiarity with Windows
:-); they're located in Redmond, Washington, USA) doesn't save filters
unless you explicitly say to do so.
That application, at least as I remember, also requires you to do an
explicit "save settings" to save the current color scheme as well. As
Ethereal lets you have multiple named color schemes, I'm not sure what
saving the current color scheme would mean.
I don't know what all the "and such" to which you're referring are, but
the fact that protocol preferences have to be saved explicitly is
*quite* deliberate, as, like a display filter, you might want different
settings for different captures, and even different settings during the
*same* capture.