11-Nov-09, small update: We've been working on the auto-categorization rules, based on the feedback got from the users (thanks Nefycee, mrdna and Jfw!) we realised that we need:
1) to differentiate in the db the
tabbles that has been linked manually from the user (typically file to tabble) from the
tabbles linked from a rule (typically interaction between a folder and a tabble) since the latter can be ambiguous. On the GUI side we need to tell the user that he's creating a rule and give him the choice to make it
"volatile" (as the file is moved out of the folder, the
tabbles are unlinked) or
"sticky" (the files linked to the
tabbles even after moving).
2) It's just about time we improve the un-tagging mechanism (yes mrdna, we're using the Quick window) since the current one is cumbersome and pretty slow.
This is pretty much what we're doing
until the 1.2.1: we're aiming for
some time next week for the release.
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After that:
WMI (rescheduled): Maurizio gave a deep thought to moving the
file system watcher from the current Win32 API to the more powerful WMI. It turned out that:
1) it would take (at least) 1 week to implement and 2 weeks to debug: a bunch of testing would be needed as moving from Win32 to WMI means that each time there is a "C:\" in the db, that would be translated to the serial number of the disk
2) the development cost/benefit is indeed not very attractive: we just realized that Vista (and therefore Win 7 too) remembers the letters of your external USB disk (not the usb sticks though) therefore the need for
Tabbles to "understand" which disk you're really using becomes smaller.
Ok, what are we doing then? Before you read further please read the following line 3 times:
no promises here! now, before you read further, please
fasten the seatbelt:
Shared tabbles:Yes guys, you got it right
What we're thinking about is:
1) a function to tell
Tabbles "take this tabble and save it in a separate .xml file (on a network drive) and then update it automatically each time I link/unlink any file to it".
2) another function to tell
Tabbles "read this .xml file, import it's
tabbles (and linked files) and check it every 5 mins". One more similar function telling Tabbels to "read and import all the .xml files in this
shared folder, and check them every 5 mins".
The effects and the workflow: each user will share some of his
tabbles (e.g. the projects he's working on where he needs his colleagues to find some files) and all this
shared tabbles will go into a folder on the "\\Company_fileserver\Shared_tabbles". This folder will effectively become the the equivalente of a server.
The limitation: the
shared tabbles can be written only by the author, BUT (
):
- along with the
shared tabble are exported all the files linked to it as well as the
tabbles linked to them.
=> if the same files/
tabbles appear in several
shared-
tabbles, everyone will see they're categorization in their
Tabbles...
Basically everyone will categorize some files based on how they use them, and everybody else can browse the other people's categorization as well as adding something on top... How does this sound?
Once again, most of the code written is there already... all we need to do is to test it out on the field
P.S.: we'll be feature in a couple of magazines, one in Italy and one India around Xmas time, and we're aiming to 1st of December to release the stuff we mentioned in the post...we'd like to get as much press coverage as possible: anyone who has any suggestion/conncections/tips/anything, now it's time to talk!
Andrea and Maurizio (who has a cable plugged into his neck going directly into Visual Studio)
).
That's a big job, a rewrite of most of it I'd say...