One of the 'wishes' that comes up periodically is for DPScan to
automagically add filename suffixes, eg. /png, to filenames when
saving. I made some mods to DPScan to allow this in December, but
have been sitting on it since then, for reasons that may become clear.
As I implemented it, there is a new Choices option 'Auto add file
extension'. When off, behaviour is the same as before. When ticked
on, then the new extension adding occurs when the image is saved.
This post is to take a straw poll of what users think about certain
features (this is not a binding referendum I hasten to add!).
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Firstly - default behaviour. There are two features of the current
behaviour that still catch me out sometimes.
1. If you raise a save as dialogue, change the filename (eg add /png)
then change the filetype for the save, the filename change you
have just made is immediately lost, the filename reverting to the
previous name. You have to remember to make the filetype change
before changing the name.
2. Following on from the above: suppose you load a file eg. of type
sprite. You then save it as type jpeg. If you now perhaps do a
further edit, and raise the save as again to resave the image, the
new filename is presented in the writable (assuming the filename
did change), but the filetype is the previous one ie. the sprite
filetype of the original image in this example. You have to
manually change the filetype to jpeg if you wish to save it again
as the new filetype, jpeg. If you are on autopilot (which can
sometimes be the case) and simply click OK, you find later you
have a file named pic/jpg, but of sprite filetype.
Should I leave well alone (better the devil you know ...) or should I
make any changes?
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Now we come to the new auto-add extension behaviour. Again,
implementation of features need thought.
The strip current extension / add new extension is implemented and
working. However, it is the anticipating of certain scenarios that
put me into pause mode. Consider when an image is loaded of a
filetype that has a recognised ext, eg. jpg, but the original
filename has no ext. I think that if the image is resaved to its
original location (eg. by clicking OK in the save dbox), no attempt
to add an ext should be made. In other words, the original file is
overwritten.
Now what happens if the image is saved as the original type, but to a
different location. Do we now add a filename extension, or do we
still leave it without an extension?
Changing the saved filetype from the original type would always add
the corresponding /ext if the choice is so set.
I should be interested to hear any comments, before releasing a test
version.
Incidently, I am not adding an /ext for sprite or draw format. That
being so, I do have vague memories from many years ago that there
was/were app(s) on Windows that did recognise the /spr and /drw
extensions and could load the files.
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Chris Johnson
Edinburgh
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