Close result window when no longer files in it?

[ubacher]

Would it make sense to have a result window close automatically when it is (has become) empty?
There is not much it is usable for at that point. Just clogs up the display.

( One question would be if empty at current filtering or when empty without filters.)

[Mario]

Some people may want to close empty result windows (actually, all files somehow deleted or moved from the scope).
Some users would want this only when no filter is applied. But some also when a filter is applied which produces an empty result window.
Too many options, to many workflows...

Even a new global command similar to "Close All Result Windows" aka "Close empty result window" would need to check for the same conditions.
A lot of added complexity for one, two, five users who will ever need or use this?

I think it is not too much of a burden to close a result window? Click the X or press Ctrl+F5 or Ctrl+W,C...
But feel free to add a feature request so we can see how many users would like to have this.

[sinus]

Maybe a stupid question:

How can a result window be empty? 

I work more and more with result windows, and I wonder, if there are some files in it, how can I "unassign" some files from this result window?

[ubacher]

You have to delete files in the result window to make it empty.
I seem to do this a lot where I select potential delete candidates and put them in
a result window. I later delete files, often until none is left.

In combination with filtering it is easier to have files "disappear" from the result window.

[sinus]

Thanks, ubacher

I work also with result windows, but because I cannot "unassign" files from a result window, I select the wished and open a new result window.
Sometimes a bit akward, but finally quite good.

I like result windows to "drill down" some selections.

[Darius1968]

I've discovered that result windows are a handy feature for the case, in which, ie., my filtering has narrowed down the number of Folders/Titles/Headlines/PersonInImage/etc. 

Right off the bat, these new values - because of the filtering - would not be reflected in Filter Panel->Value Filter (Folders/Titles/Headlines/PersonInImage).  Because, the value filter considers all files in the scope; Not the files because of filtering. 

Problem solved with Ctrl+G+R...A new result window (with the entire scope, restricted to only filtered-relevant files)! 

[Jingo]

I love result windows and use them quite a bit... they are just a simple and quick way to get things into a new file window that is clean.  However, I am hoping to one day finish my APP that allows you to ADD images to an existing  result window...  it is backlogged under a pile of "real work" that needs to get done first!

[sinus]

I love result windows and use them quite a bit... they are just a simple and quick way to get things into a new file window that is clean.  However, I am hoping to one day finish my APP that allows you to ADD images to an existing  result window...  it is backlogged under a pile of "real work" that needs to get done first!

Adding files to an existing result window would help a lot, and I am sure, you will finish your app one day. 
And if we could also unassign (of course not delete) files from a result window, wow, would really be cool.

I have done such things some time with "events", but finally it is not the right thing.

[Mario]

Adding files to an existing result window would help a lot, and I am sure, you will finish your app one day. 
And if we could also unassign (of course not delete) files from a result window, wow, would really be cool.

Mhm. That's what is very easy to do with a (temporary) category, right?
I keep a few of them around to persist results, work on results etc. You can quickly create a category from a result window via the button in the Category Panel.

[JohnZeman]

Mhm. That's what is very easy to do with a (temporary) category, right?

That's what I use Bookmarks for, works great.

[sinus]

Mhm. That's what is very easy to do with a (temporary) category, right?

That's what I use Bookmarks for, works great.

Yes, John,
but what do you do if you want "drill down" your results?
Say, you have 100 bookmarks, and you want work with 20 of them for something, with 40 something else and the rest is also for something.
Then bookmarks does not more work.

And using categories is not that quick and easy like result windows, they disappear also, if you close IMatch. Categories not.

[JohnZeman]

I don't understand what you're asking me Markus.

If I have 100 files bookmarked and want to do some work to some of them, once I am done doing that work I remove them from the bookmarks collection.  Or if it's more complicated than that I'll assign them to a temporary category as Mario suggested.

[ubacher]

Say, you have 100 bookmarks, and you want work with 20 of them for something, with 40 something else and the rest is also for something.
Then bookmarks does not more work.

One way to distinguish would be to use  RED, BLUE and GREEN pins distinguish the files, triplicate the result window and
filter each for the appropriate pin. (Or you assure yourself that no other files have pins assigned and then use the appropriate collections.

I handle this now by creating an event for the first 20 files, another for the next 40 and yet another for the rest.

Could create 3 result windows instead but you can not name the result window to help you distinguish them.
( And the events persist after restarts. And you can add and remove files from them!))
It's just since the introduction of the event  timeline it is harder to find such add-hoc events.

[Mario]

Use n categories instead of n result windows.
Make favorites for them so you can quickly assign/remove whatever selection you have with one click or keyboard shortcut.
This gives you individual names, you can add and remove files from these "result categories", they are persistent automatically, etc.

Result windows are not the best tool for everything. They have been invented to show the result of queries and visual queries.
The ability to create a temporary and short-lived result window from a selection has been added later, as a convenience.

If you feel the need to add or remove files to/from a result window, persist it or manipulate the scope in any way, result windows are not the tool for that.
Use collections or categories, which have been designed for this purpose.
No need to implement features which already exist for categories on top of in-memory short-lived result windows.

[jch2103]

All this discussion is very interesting. Perhaps some of it should be captured in https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?board=46.0 or somewhere else?

IM offers so many possibilities, it's easy to lose track of them...

[sinus]

I don't understand what you're asking me Markus.

If I have 100 files bookmarked and want to do some work to some of them, once I am done doing that work I remove them from the bookmarks collection.  Or if it's more complicated than that I'll assign them to a temporary category as Mario suggested.

John,
thanks a lot. That is fine, you do it very good!

Sometimes I think IMatch is like a chess game.
But if I have a clearly won endgame, I have to play it first, and there are (usually) several ways to do that.
And I tend to find the most elegant and, above all, the fastest way.

That's why I may want to do certain things with IMatch that seem curious.

[Jingo]

I agree with the options.. and I too use pins/bookmarks/labels/categories etc.... but, I often find it is just so easy to use result windows.. and you can give the result window a header info.  Someday my app will allow you to add images to the result window... AND ... persist the result windows across sessions.  In checking the app, it appears I have about half already coded... just need to find the time to work on it!

[ubacher]

Here is my problem:
I - after some work - have a set of files. I now get interrupted and I need to remember the files
to avoid having to repeat my find/select work. It might be many days or weeks I have to keep such sets!

But how should I mark the files. Use a bookmark? I might already have files marked with bookmarks
from some previous work. I need to first look at all collections to see which is free to use - or free one up first.
And dedicated categories have the same problem.
And then there remains the problem of remembering what set of files is stored under what collection!

So I select all files and make an event - give it a good description - done!

By assigning a specific event category to such stored sets I can find them somewhat easier.
( I will post updated ideas on using events elsewhere.)

[Mario]

If you create a new event, it stands to reason that you could as easily create a new category (under a parent category you reserve for this purpose).
I do it this way it and it works a treat. That said, I don't have to remember arbitrary sets of files that often, this is just not part of my typical workflow.

What I do:

I select the files I want to remember in a File Window.

I have Favorites for 3 categories below the Remember category for quick assignments / un-assignments.

I can always see in the Category Panel if any of these are empty.
If so, I click the Favorite and I'm done.
Otherwise I can either empty one of the categories and then assign or select my "remember" category in the Category Panel and click on the "Create Category From Selection".

I use color-coding for these categories, which allows me to immediately see in File Windows if I have remembered a file, and for which purpose.

[sinus]

I can always see in the Category Panel if any of these are empty.

Not always. Only if you are in the Cat-Panel.
I have done this with categories also from time to time. But if you are not in the category - panel, you see not, if a specific category is emtpy. You have to check it, and this is akward.
In the very old IMatch-days I had a visual basic specially for this problem. I hit a button and the app-window told me, what of 3 cats are empty and would I like to empty one (automatically) or append the current files. And this worked wherever I have been and I used it very often.

And the the problem, what ubacher describes, it exactly also from time to time my problem.
For me, result windows are very cool for such things, from my point of view.

[Mario]

I can clear any of my remember categories via the favorite (secondary action). So I click twice, unless I really want to keep the already remembered contents and not add the new selection on top.

Every use is different and has different preferences. And there are usually several ways to do things in IMatch.
Result windows work for many users, but not for all users, all situations or workflows.