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  #1  
Old 10-28-2017, 07:53 PM
martin martin is offline
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Default Default folder for song files

If I set a default folder for song files and save a song in a different folder, when I then try to open a new song, Composer takes me to the most recently opened folder rather than the default folder. This is not behavior as expected... do you agree?

Martin
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  #2  
Old 10-29-2017, 05:07 AM
Reinhold H. Reinhold H. is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Martin,

Thank you. This is a bug.

Reinhold
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  #3  
Old 10-29-2017, 09:30 AM
Reinhold H. Reinhold H. is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Martin,

I had a closer look and need to withdraw my immediate statement "it is a bug". In all versions that I have available back to Composer 2.5.2 the behaviour is the same as you have described. Since version 3 we have displayed what the default directory is. When the user opens Composer the first time then the default directory is used but while he/she works the current directory is used. Same as for saving files.

It looks to me that there is some history here where I would like to ask Sherry for her expertise.

Reinhold
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  #4  
Old 10-29-2017, 01:11 PM
dj dj is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Hi, guys:

I think the thinking was that, having changed the directory for a current session, that new directory is the desired one -- until is changed again.

The default then returns with the next boot-up of Composer.

I've often wished for the ability to set different default directories for .not, .mid and so on.

David
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  #5  
Old 10-30-2017, 12:00 AM
ronaldstone ronaldstone is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

I have several different places where I store songs that I am working on. When I work on a song, I will work on it for a very long time. That's why I would not want to see it go back to a default directory, but keep me coming back to that same area that I have been working on. If I want something else I'll change where Composer should look.

Ronald
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  #6  
Old 10-30-2017, 07:39 AM
martin martin is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

You are not forced to use a default folder in Composer. If you have ever chosen one in the past by ticking the box on a folder , you can un-check it and immediately move to a new folder to open a song. From then on Composer just uses the most recent folder you used, even if Composer has been shut down. There will be no default folder from then on until you check a box to set one. I think this is normal behavior for a lot of Windows programs. The problem I had when I raised this issue is that having chosen a default folder, Composer does not honor it. Save a file in a new folder and Composer seems to behave as if there were no default folder ( until you restart the program).

All this is no big deal really because Windows file managers have a shortcut to recently used folders. I use these shortcuts until the problem is solved.
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  #7  
Old 10-31-2017, 01:26 PM
ronaldstone ronaldstone is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Thank you for your explanation. As I use Composer, I keep discovering little roads that present themselves off the main highway. I keep making the statement, "What a wonderful piece of software". I just love this program.

Ronald
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  #8  
Old 11-05-2017, 08:54 PM
martin martin is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

I agree. So much useful music software packed into one great program.

Martin
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  #9  
Old 11-07-2017, 03:46 AM
Reinhold H. Reinhold H. is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Ronald, Martin,

Thanks. Your comments are very motivating. The market of music software is harshly competitive these days. However, we try to find unique features which others do not have. In this context direct input from our customers is essential to us. We take all input seriously and try to immediately take action if this is possible but will not lose focus.

Again thanks to all.

Reinhold
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  #10  
Old 12-15-2017, 02:35 PM
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Sherry C Sherry C is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Hi guys,

Thanks again for the thoughtful discussion on file handling. We've given it a lot of thought and looked at a lot of other programs and how they handle mutliple filetypes.

When the current behavior was implemented, we gave a lot of thought to what a user would be doing during any given session. We also understand that our different users have different methods of organizing their files, and it would be impossible to have a system that is perfect for all of us.

We have indeed expanded the number of filetypes that Composer can open and export. There are other programs that open and export various filetypes too, and our software is pretty much in line with "standard" behavior in the area of default folders or "last used" folders.

So, we came to the conclusion that "if it's not broke, don't 'fix' it." In other words, we will be leaving the file handling (default folder, file opening, and file saving/exporting) features as they are currently.

Thanks again!
Sherry
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  #11  
Old 01-14-2018, 10:57 PM
sospiri sospiri is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Hi Sherry,

I really think you have to look at this issue again as it seems possible for a Windows user switching between an earlier version of the O/S and Windows 7 to get trapped in NoMansLand and be unable to access their files or create a new folder.

Some time ago I was an XP user and starting to find my way around Composer 2.6 where the default Save folder is different to Windows 7. I had saved some basic ,not files in the XP default folder and was working to and from that.

I then, because of other interests stopped using it and shortly afterwards updated my OS to Windows 7 x64 & upgraded to Composer 3. Of course it couldn't find the old XP default folder. I then downloaded a MIDI file from the web and Composer 3 appeared to be able to read it OK. But it was still trying to load into the old non-existent XP folder if I tried to modify and save.

Note, none of the controls on the Save screen are operable, so I cannot change folders by any mechanism. I reopened Composer again expecting to see the file gone from RECENT FILES, but it wasn't and it opened & played, but I could not modify or save.

It took me a lot of investigations to find that there was a copy of the original file still in my Downloads folder & Composer must have found it in there. I deleted the file from my Downloads file, reloaded Composer and it could find nothing.

No point in downloading the file from the web again, I don't want to use my Downloads folder as my default folder under any circumstances. I think that the least we could expect is to be able to change the folder on the Save screen, as would any Windows user. It's part of normal Windows functionality. Is by any chance this folder name stored in Windows Registry?

Maurice
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  #12  
Old 01-15-2018, 04:08 PM
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Sherry C Sherry C is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Hi Maurice,

The differences in the beginning default folder location between versions of the Windows operating system are strictly due to the requirements of program and file management of the different Windows operating systems - in other words, we have to put our default locations based on where the operating system allows that. Microsoft made a big change between the Windows XP operating system and Windows Vista (and later) about where data files (eg. song files) could be stored versus program files (eg. the "working code files" of the software).

Our software provides the option of setting a different default folder for your own personal file management preferences. If you're switching back and forth between operating systems by manually copying over folders please understand that our software (nor anyone else's) will scan your entire hard drive searching for files. If you copy files from one machine to another, you'll need to then open the files in the software to have them show up on the Most Recently Used (MRU) list when the software opens. You can do this by navigating to the folder where you copied the files to, and then opening the song from there.

Quote:
Note, none of the controls on the Save screen are operable, so I cannot change folders by any mechanism.
For my own situation, when I use File/Save (or Save as), I get the following dialog:

SaveDialog.jpg

If this (or something like) is what you're seeing but the options aren't operable, then that's a Windows OS issue that you'll want to get fixed on your machine.

If the above is not what you're referring to, please take a screen shot and post that here with an explanation of what you've tried to do and we'll do our best to help you out.

Quote:
I reopened Composer again expecting to see the file gone from RECENT FILES, but it wasn't and it opened & played, but I could not modify or save.
I'm not clear here about whether you mean you couldn't save the file with a different name in a different location, or whether you couldn't edit the song within notation composer 3.

Quote:
It took me a lot of investigations to find that there was a copy of the original file still in my Downloads folder & Composer must have found it in there. I deleted the file from my Downloads file, reloaded Composer and it could find nothing.
Composer could not find the file because it was deleted from the folder where it was stored. If you open a .mid file but close it without saving it, then the file remains unaltered in the folder where it was originally.

Hopefully something in the above is helpful - if not, we can explore further.

ttfn,
Sherry
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  #13  
Old 01-15-2018, 05:36 PM
sospiri sospiri is offline
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Default Re: Default folder for song files

Hi Sherry,

Many thanks for your reply. Having given this some thought, I have decided that since no serious data is involved, it will be easiest to uninstall the whole lot and reinstall. I have backups of the original zipped package together with the email containing my Licence Number. Should I hit any problems, I'll be in touch again. Regards,

Maurice
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