Open file dialog - default search directory

[gg]

I work in some different directories, so it would be handy for the default browse directory to be set to where I'm currently working. Any easy way to do this would be to use the location of whichever file I'm currently looking at.

George G

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

The start directory of the file/directory browser dialog is the last location visited by the browser dialog. The files of a project are grouped in one directory so it is convenient when the last visited directory is the start directory of the browser dialog. After you open a file probably the next opened file of the project is located in the same directory.

Best Regards,
Sorin

[ggorman]

Thanks for your reply Sorin. I hadn't been using Projects to organize my data for different, eh, projects -- but it seems like a good idea.

I've now saved two projects for different areas where I've been working. I felt that I wanted to save all of my Project (.xpr) files in a common area -- I chose "My Documents/Oxygen Projects/". Now I can quickly switch from one project to another to return my Oxygen environment to where I left off with that project.

But, I'm not finding that it helps with my "open file" dialog issue. When I open a project, I get the files I was editing for that project -- which is good. But when I click on the main toolbar's "Open..." icon or go to "File->Open...", the file open dialog starts me off in "My Documents/Oxygen Projects" -- while I was expecting the directory where the files for that project exist. In fact, the Main Toolbar's "Open..." icon and the Project Toolbar's "Open Project" icon seem to give identical results -- as do "File->Open..." and "Project->Open Project...".

I hope this hasn't been too confusing. What I'd like to see, then, is for the Main Toolbar "Open..." icon and "File->Open..." to remember the directory of the files for this project and start the Open Dialog there (or use the directory of one of the files opened) -- and for the Project Toolbar "Open Project" icon always remember the directory where I store my Projects (that is, where I last loaded one from).

George G

[ggorman]

I see now that opening a Project file sometimes changes the default directory in a subsequent "Open..." dialog to one of the files in the Project as I wanted.

By sometimes, I mean when I use the Projects Toolbar "Open Project" icon or "Project->Open Project... " menu selection.

If I use the Main Tool bar "Open..." icon or "File->Open..." menu selection;find an XPR file; then answer yes to the "Open as Project?" dialog, a subsequent use of the "Open..." dialog will default to "My Documents\Oxygen Projects" directory. By the way, answering "No" leads me down a bad path because Oxygen then doesn't know how to edit the file. I think the "Open as Project?" dialog should have only "Yes" or "Cancel" options.

So, the behavior is better than I had thought -- except that the Project Toolbar's "Open Project" should always default to the directory where I last opened a project file -- not the current project.

Also, I'd like to revert back to my original request. Often, the files associated with my project are not in the same directory structure. The XSL often is in a different part of the world (quite literally) than the XML that I'm running it on for this project.

The behavior I'd like to see, then, is this when in a Project:

• -If I click on an XML file that I have open, then select Open..., I want to select from a list of other XML files from that direcory
  -If I click on an XSL file that I have open, then select Open..., I want to see other XSL files in that directory

And so, I'd like the default directory in the "Open..." dialog be the same as the current active file.

George G

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

I felt that I wanted to save all of my Project (.xpr) files in a common area

...

for the Project Toolbar "Open Project" icon always remember the directory where I store my Projects

I think your situation is not frequent. Usually each project file is stored in a different area, where the files of the project are stored.

Best Regards,
Sorin

[sorin_ristache]

The behavior I'd like to see, then, is this when in a Project:

• -If I click on an XML file that I have open, then select Open..., I want to select from a list of other XML files from that direcory
  -If I click on an XSL file that I have open, then select Open..., I want to see other XSL files in that directory

And so, I'd like the default directory in the "Open..." dialog be the same as the current active file.

We will think about the request. Is it useful for other users ?

Best regards,
Sorin

[ggorman]

Thanks Sorin - I hope other users would find this behavior intuitive. For those with all related files in the same directory, this implementation wouldn't have a negative effect in any case.

GG

[Radu]

Hello,

We made changes so that the default directory in the "Open..." dialog will be the same as the current active file in the editor.
The changes will be available in the next Oxygen version.

Regards, Radu.

[ggorman]

Thanks Radu, I look forward to this enhancement.

GG

[ggorman]

I've installed the new 6.2 version and appreciate the new functionality of the Open dialog boxes.

Thanks -- GeorgeG

[ggorman]

Hi, I've just installed the new 7.2 version and found right away that this feature is missing. Have other folks found it inconvenient leading to its removal? Is it configurable?

To clarify, the function I liked is for the Open dialog default to show the directory of whatever file is currently selected in the editor. Now, the function has changed back so that the Open dialog defaults to show the directory of whatever file was last opened. If I'm looking at xml and also schema that's in different directories, it takes me several clicks to find another file in the xml directory, for instance.

GG

[george]

Hi,

Yes, I also found it inconvenient.
There is a simple way to change the current folder for the open dialog in oXygen. If you organize the project linking to external folders (see the Link to external folders from the project contextual menu) then you can just select that folder in the project view and the open dialog will start in that folder.

Best Regards,
George

[Mircea]

Hi,

The start directory for the file choosers is now configurable from options. The alternatives are:
- The file of the current edited file (default).
- The last visited directory.

This enhancement has been added in the current development stream and will be available in the next release.

Regards,
Mircea.

[bmaisonny]

Just to confirm that at least 1 other person found this feature convenient: I am missing it in 7.2 and I look forward to 7.3, now!

Cheers