[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       lyx-devel
Subject:    Re: working example
From:       Jean-Marc Lasgouttes <Jean-Marc.Lasgouttes () inria ! fr>
Date:       2000-06-30 12:47:13
[Download RAW message or body]

>>>>> "Asger" == Asger K Alstrup Nielsen <alstrup@diku.dk> writes:

>> That's what a windows application would do. And then this will
>> break many other applications which work in the same directory.

Asger> No. It will only break applications with that rely on
Asger> directories names not to change. Which applications require
Asger> this? For sure, LyX does not.

Most applications keep a "recently used files" list (meaning that LyX
should update its own list...). Remember that you want to code this
feature for really dumb users (who can't rename themselves). So any
small glitch in other applications is a big problem for them.

Asger> Come on, you can't be serious!

I am, even though today is the day.

Asger> It can only go wrong when these two conditions are met at the
Asger> same time:

Asger> 1) The user has *changed* documents open in another application
Asger> from the same directory. 2) The user does not read the warning,
Asger> and chooses to rename the directory from with in LyX without
Asger> considering the consequences.

I read a thread about ILOVEYOU on slashdot a few weeks ago where a
sysadmin explained that he sent for testing to his users an e-mail
with a link to a program. When run, the program would pop up a dialog
saying "in order to continue, I have to reformat your harddisk.
Continue?". Then the yes/no answer was sent back to him as an e-mail.

The result is that 1/3 of the users replied "yes".

Asger> I think you are paranoid if you think this is a dangerous
Asger> solution.

I think it is a misleading solution. You want to code a complicated
thing (which will certainly break in small ways in some obscure case)
for the sole reason of easing the job of a few non computer-savvy
people. I am not sure that they will finally be pleased ("LyX keeps
renaming my directories after showing an error I did not understand. I
rename this back, but then they are changed again. That's a bug for
sure.").

I know a fairly large number of people that just type 'return' at
latex errors and believe this is the normal thing to do. It does not
occur to them that there could be an error and that they could fix it.
There is always "somebody who knows" who told them it was the right
way to handle LaTeX errors.

Asger> The users previews the user guide, and LaTeX goes away
Asger> rendering all the fonts. Then, the disk runs out of space, and
Asger> the user can not save his documents in other applications.

Asger> So, should we disable previews because there is a danger that
Asger> the user will be affected negatively from LyX doing something?

No. LyX should not try to do "clever" things when there is some
possibility that this is not clever. It is like when you use word and
it knows better than you what you are trying to do and change styles
behind your back. 
  A weak idea + code to write to make it work == time lost for everybody.

So let's put an error box or whatever and that's it.

JMarc

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]