Some bugs for the first sight

[Kiemc]

Let me notice you about some bugs of your software.

The very first: when I try to start the jar, an error message appers, connected with the language files - it can't open them, and they won't be loaded. I see that they are in UTF-8. I needed to save them as ANSI so that they can be read by the program.

There's something like this while importing-exporting as well. When I try to import ANSI scripts (including MyDefrag's own scripts), nothing happens. But when I try to import a recently exported script, an error message appears, similar to those about language files. It's because MDSC exports in Unicode. It seems it's not able to import Unicode files.

Let me speak now about problems setting a script. First, the volume selection. I chose from the list of volumes. These are the drive letters. But they appear in the script as labels! So you need to distinguish labels and drive letters. (I saw that in Custom mode you wrote Label, but in Easy mode they appear as drive letters.)

Another problem is that while setting zones, when I add a Setting line among zones, and I edit it in Advanced mode, it allows me change not only Title, but also Description. And the calling of Description function appears in the script too. But it can't be called inside a VolumeActions! So you should remove Description field from this window.


And some functions I miss: I can't set anywhere DeleteJournal() and ReclaimNTFSReservedAreas(). I think these are both useful, and should be allowed to be chosen by the user.

And there's on more thing. I see you allowed the users to set AND or OR relations between statements in setting filegruops. (There are your Add and Filter settings.) I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten about it. But there's one question: which one's precedence is higher, AND's or OR's? For example: I set in MDSC Size(...) FILTER CreationDate(...) ADD System(...) FILTER Virtual(). It appears in the script as Size(...) AND CreationDate(...) OR System(...) AND Virtual(...). And what does it mean?
(Size(...) AND CreationDate(...)) OR (System(...) AND Virtual(...))
or
Size(...) AND (CreationDate(...) OR System(...)) AND Virtual(...)

I think it should be clear for users - it's not clear even for me, I don't know anything about precedencies in MyDefrag Scripting Language. And, anyway, users should be allowed to connect statements by brackets, for example when they want to do something with their large media files: mp3 files above 10MB and avi files above 1GB. Or in any similar situations. So this feature should be added in the future.



These are my remarks for the first sight. To tell you the truth, now I haven't had too much time to study your software. I might find more bugs if I continued analysing, but I don't have the time at the moment - and I think it was enough for the first time.

And I want to tell you that apart from all these little problems, you have done a great job, this software is very good, and I appreciate your efforts very much. I think I know how much work is in a program like this - thank you for your work very much.

[Chris]

Hi Kiemc,
thanks for your extensive bug report, I appreciate it.

The very first: when I try to start the jar, an error message appers, connected with the language files - it can't open them, and they won't be loaded. I see that they are in UTF-8. I needed to save them as ANSI so that they can be read by the program.

That's strange. The program should handle ANSI, UTF-8 and UCS2. I haven't had problems opening them. Could you give me the exact error message you've received?

There's something like this while importing-exporting as well. When I try to import ANSI scripts (including MyDefrag's own scripts), nothing happens. But when I try to import a recently exported script, an error message appears, similar to those about language files. It's because MDSC exports in Unicode. It seems it's not able to import Unicode files.

As stated above, my program shouldn't have problems with Unicode, it works fine for me. Which JRE do you have installed?

Let me speak now about problems setting a script. First, the volume selection. I chose from the list of volumes. These are the drive letters. But they appear in the script as labels! So you need to distinguish labels and drive letters. (I saw that in Custom mode you wrote Label, but in Easy mode they appear as drive letters.)

You're right, I have to use Name for the drive letter. ( I seem to mix these two constantly  )

Another problem is that while setting zones, when I add a Setting line among zones, and I edit it in Advanced mode, it allows me change not only Title, but also Description. And the calling of Description function appears in the script too. But it can't be called inside a VolumeActions! So you should remove Description field from this window.

I see, I've reused a class where I shouldn't have. I'll fix it in the next version.

And some functions I miss: I can't set anywhere DeleteJournal() and ReclaimNTFSReservedAreas(). I think these are both useful, and should be allowed to be chosen by the user.

Of course, you will be able to in next version, see above problem

But there's one question: which one's precedence is higher, AND's or OR's?

It's simple: first come, first served.
The file booleans are processed in a linear way, there is no priority. Of course, a statement inside a parenthesis is processed first.
As for the easy view: There not even a priority. What you've excluded will be excluded and what you've included will be included. The up and down arrows in this view are just for your convenience.

And, anyway, users should be allowed to connect statements by brackets, for example when they want to do something with their large media files: mp3 files above 10MB and avi files above 1GB. Or in any similar situations. So this feature should be added in the future.

That's an interesting idea and it is already possible to do so with the advanced or custom view, although it is a bit complicated. And that's what I fear will happen if I do it in another way: It's getting too complicated to use for the average user. But I'll put it on my list for future implementation. Maybe you have an idea how it would look like?

And I want to tell you that apart from all these little problems, you have done a great job, this software is very good, and I appreciate your efforts very much. I think I know how much work is in a program like this - thank you for your work very much.

Thank you.   

[Chris]

And, anyway, users should be allowed to connect statements by brackets, for example when they want to do something with their large media files: mp3 files above 10MB and avi files above 1GB. Or in any similar situations. So this feature should be added in the future.

To get back on you request: I've made a little change in 0.2.0 which now allows you to do it this way:
1. Create a global file group, select all .mp3s and filter (MyDefrag-And) all files over 10MB (You have to use the Advanced view for this)
2. Repeat this with the .avi files.
3. Create a file group in Easy view and add both file groups.
Voilà: You know have a group with all .mp3s bigger than 10MB and all .avis bigger than 1GB.

While playing around, I've noticed that I have to improve the file group managing, like making it possible to add new groups into other groups without the "global" trick. (And apparently, it's impossible to open an easy view with a file group inside   )

[Kiemc]

That's strange. The program should handle ANSI, UTF-8 and UCS2. I haven't had problems opening them. Could you give me the exact error message you've received?

At the weekend I'm going to analyse the problem more deeply (trying other formats, and such). Next week I'm going to share the results with you, topped with the got error messages.

Anyway, it's possible that the problem occurs because of the different char coding (I use ISO-8859-2). We'll see.

Which JRE do you have installed?

The newest one, version 6, update 22.

To get back on you request: I've made a little change in 0.2.0 which now allows you to do it

Sounds good, I'll try it at the weekend. As well as the whole 0.2.0 version, which I've just noticed about.