"Protect" option for presets

[rick42]

Often I need to make one or two changes (target directory, overlay, etc.) in an existing preset before executing it.

These changes are usually a one-time need and only affect a small part of what the preset does, so I do not want to keep the changes afterwards.

The presets now always keep any changes made. This means I have to check every element in my presets before use, instead of being able to rely on a consistent starting point every time I select one.

It would be very helpful to be able to choose to protect a preset, so that any changes (unless they are intentionally saved) made during a session are discarded when I am done with them.

Thank you
Rick

[sinus]

Yep, I would also Like this!
+1

[Mees Dekker]

+1

[ubacher]

+1 - we are talking about batch processor presets here.
(a thought: would this possibility not also apply to/be useful for D&P?)

[sinus]

...
(a thought: would this possibility not also apply to/be useful for D&P?)

From my point of view, in D&P there is no change necessary.
If you change something in a preset, D&P asks you, if you would like to store the change. You can then say No or yes, And of course you can save it with another name.

[RobiWan]

+1

[Mario]

I have implemented this change for the next IMatch release.
The Batch Processor now asks you if you want to save your changes (if you made changes).
Else it will use the modified preset for the current run, but not store persist the changes.

I thought, this was easy to do. But I thought wrong, looking back...

All import & export modules share the same preset mechanism and manager. Many things work automatically and correctly behind the curtain.
I had to dig into this and add a comparison and switch at the proper place. And then disable the convenient auto-save for presets implemented in the Batch Processor UI in several places, like switching between presets, pressing OK in the dialog box etc. Quite many changes to do, way more than I'd initially anticipated.

There was also the extra complication of the sequence number, which (when used) has to be incremented for every processed file - and IMatch keeps track of this sequence in the preset. So the preset, in its current state, is saved after each run, when the sequence number was changed. I've pondered this for a while and then I decided that the sequence number must be incremented and persisted, even if all the other changes done to the preset by the user are undone after the run. To many edge cases, and maybe even data-loss due to unexpectedly overwritten files otherwise.

I think I have it all working now, and I will run some additional tests over the next weeks.

[rick42]

Thank you!

[ben]

Thanks!
Is this change also implemented in the renamer?

[Mario]

Thanks!
Is this change also implemented in the renamer?

Feel free to add a new feature request.
Explain why so so often have to temporarily change Renamer Presets that such a feature would be helpful, etc.
If a sufficient number of users +1 your request, I will look into this.

After spending an entire day on the weekend just to make this work for the BP, I'm not too keen to spend another day on the Renamer without very good reasons.

[rick42]

Now that three months have passed since the feature was introduced, I can confirm that I am grateful for it every time I use or edit a preset - thanks again!

[Mario]