Closing or Opening a Play List. A Bug?

[jdavia]

I have several Play Lists in Hoster.
There is no close in File on the menu bar for a play list.
Exit will close the program, but the list is still open when you reopen the program
You can only use New, Open, Save and SaveAs.

PROBLEM:
If you had a list named def014.hst opened,and wanted another list. You would have to click New to close it and then click Open to open another list.
But clicking New makes a new list named def014-new.hst of the same file half the time
Is this a bug?

[Beavis]

i dont think so, you always had to delete it manually through explorer.

[George]

I believe that is that way to get you up and running fast if you ever had a glitch at a show and had to shut down or re-boot.

Then you'd be mighty glad that playlist came back up.

At Least that's my understanding of it.

George

[jdavia]

George, the part about it opening up with the list opened is fine. I have no problem with that.

The problem is:
There should be a "Close" for that list so you can "Open" another one. "New" seemingly should mean "open a new list", not create one. but it makes one and names it against your intentions. "SaveAs" that should do that task. Look at any other program in "File" on the menu bar.

[George]

Sorry I misunderstood.

I don't think what you want is a bug in the program.

You might want to consider posting your desires in the Hoster New Features Request forum. MTU pays close attention to all suggestions.

George

[Beavis]

there is no close option, it just keeps saving the def. in oder starting with the #def001. the only way to get rid of them is to delete in explorer.

[jdavia]

You might want to consider posting your desires in the Hoster New Features Request forum. MTU pays close attention to all suggestions.

Thanks George. You are right George. I will

there is no close option, it just keeps saving the def. in oder starting with the #def001.

Right there is no close, New is doing that with unwanted results.
That is the action that SaveAs or Save should have. I think it is the defaults in the program that keep the last opened list file opened.

the only way to get rid of them is to delete in explorer.

No quite so.
But you can delete them from the Context window where you select them from without opening Windows Explorer.

[Beavis]

No quite so.
But you can delete them from the Context window where you select them from without opening Windows Explorer.[/quote]


thats what i meant if your advanced. i dont know how advanced you are.

[jdavia]

I think advanced enough to know that the tasks on under "File" are not completely standard with Windows. Advanced enough to write my own code for web pages from scratch, and advanced enough to be a President of a computer club of more than 100 members.
A program should not intentionally create something that forces you to delete if you didn't ask for it. It doesn't do it to all play lists. That is the reason I am calling it a bug, because it is not consistant with all lists. Maybe adding the Close task will actually close the file so you can open another one, not a newly created one.
What ever state you close Hoster in, that is how it will open. It has nothing to do with the other tasks on the File menu.

I believe that is that way to get you up and running fast if you ever had a glitch at a show and had to shut down or re-boot.

I think you know better than that Gearge. Are you telling me that what I discovered is normal, and as these files are created, I should merely delete them and the problem is solved. Just so the program has a safety device.
I think when MTU reads this thread we will understand more about it.
The program operates too good to have such a small thing spoil it.

[Beavis]

J, i didnt mean it with disrespect ! im not a member of your club, so i dont know your ability.

lighten up.

[George]

jdavia,

The reason I say it is not a bug in the program, is everything functions as it is designed to, including the options under the FILE menu. I can find no inconsistancy in the way the playlists function, and none have been reported.

That's not to say you may not be experiencing an anomaly of some sort in your system, assuming of course you've thoroughly digested the section of the manual covering PLAYLISTS, and can point out a specific problem area.

Now you may disagree with the way the program is designed to operate. That is your prerogative, and why I suggested you post your concerns and suggestions for improvement in the proper forum.

MTU has been proven to be highly receptive to suggestions for change put forth in a positive manner.


George

[jdavia]

I answered your remark to let you know that I am advanced, I am not upset with you. I would very much like to express my heartfelt thanks to you or anyone for a positive answer though. I am explaining the problem the best as I can.
Do you or anyone else get a Playlist file created with the word "New" in it? Is the question I am now asking.
Def001.hst
Def001-new.hst
Def002.hst
Def002-new.hst
Def003.hst
Def003-new.hst

The manual says:
If you ever need a second Playlist, click the File menu New command. This immediately creates a new Playlist .hst file in memory and saves it to the hard drive when you add the first song. It stores in the \Playlist folder. The file is automatically named "def002.hst" for the second one created, which automatically increments to 003, 004, etc. for each new one created.

I understand what the manual says and it does works correctly. But that is for new files that you will create. Mine are already created.

Question #2 and #3
I have Def001’hst opened. How do I close it and open Def002.hst.
I've been using the New command, then the Open command. And I see the newly created file in the context window Def001-new.hst. Am I doing something wrong? Why is the file being named as such? The manual doesn't say that.
Save will not open the context window. I can use SaveAs then I have to name the file. I can only close the file by using New.

Here is the rest of the manual on the subject:
Clicking the File menu Save Command updates your Playlist file on the hard drive. However, Hoster automatically saves the Playlist with every change as part of its Crash Recovery protection.
Save As a New Project

The File menu Save As Command creates a copy of the open Playlist with a new filename in the same or a different folder. It always presents the default Hoster\Playlist folder, which we recommend using so you always know where they are. Choosing a different folder changes the default folder that appears the next time.

[nreel]

The NEW Command is for creating a NEW Playlist...this is the same in MSWord and any MS Product.

You want to CLOSE your current Playlist and OPEN another Playlist that has a different name.

To do this Click FILE, and Click OPEN, and choose one of the Playlist Files in the Box that opens.

Upon selecting a different Playlist File to OPEN, the CURRENT Playlist will, automatically, CLOSE.

In other words, you don't, and can't, CLOSE the Current Playlist before Opening a Different Playlist. Hoster is designed this way...so that one cannot open Hoster WITHOUT an ACTIVE Playlist. And, I'm sure, if one could CLOSE the Playlist, someone would, and then forget to open another Playlist, or, not know how to get a Playlist back Open and would lambaste Hoster because of that.

And, as stated earlier, if Hoster Closes, for whatever reason, as soon as one Opens Hoster up, the Playlist is there and ready to go.

Hope this helps,

Norm

[Beavis]

all is good

norm beat me to the answer. thanks norm

alot of programs are like that, you need to open a new file to close the old one.

[George]

I might also add that if a button were added to turn the automatic playlist save feature off, it would be self defeating to a failsafe feature.

With the save feature turned off, guess when Murphy's law would take hold

and a crash would occur.....yep.

George

[Beavis]

im just curious, whats the difference if you hit "new playlist" and it closes the old playlist which inturn opens a new playlist?

just a question.

[jdavia]

Thanks for all the responses.
Here is what I am getting when I follow the advice I get.

I might also add that if a button were added to turn the automatic playlist save feature off, it would be self defeating to a failsafe feature.

The button is there, it is alled "New" It closes the playlist.

im just curious, whats the difference if you hit "new playlist" and it closes the old playlist which inturn opens a new playlist?

Explain that please! The difference from what.

1 "New" will close the file and generate a new file (unseen for now) and the context box doesn't open when you click "New".
I must then click on "Open" after the file closes to open the context box, then I see the newly created file with the word NEW in it. That isn't what I expected. The instructions do not say that.

2 If I click "Open" at first, it will open the context box and not close the opened one. What happens is any playlist I select will be added to the opened playlist. That isn't what I expected.

3 If I click "Save" it just saves any changes I make to the playlist.

4 "SaveAs" will open the context box and I have to give it a name. I can't open a playlist from there.

So where do I click to open a different playlist without duplicating one that I already have but with a new name? NOTE I am using duplicate now instead of create.

I tried to rename a playlist to "my001.hst" thinking I can solve it. Uh Uh, It duplicates a new file called "my001-new.hst"

[George]

Quote George:
I might also add that if a button were added to turn the automatic playlist save feature off, it would be self defeating to a failsafe feature.

Quote jdavia:
The button is there, it is alled "New" It closes the play list"

No, it's not. What we were talking about is the feature you want that would disable saving the playlists. That's where this all started. That's what would be self defeating to the program.

NEW does not disable the automatic playlist save feature

[jdavia]

The NEW Command is for creating a NEW Playlist...this is the same in MSWord and any MS Product.

No, in those products a context box opens and you can create your own files. In Hoster one is created for you automatically as the next in order. If you had 5 playlists and had #3 open, Clicking "New" will create a new (duplicate) playlist of #3 with the word new in it. Only the last file in the order will create a file without the word new it. The file will open but will be blank until you add a song.

You want to CLOSE your current Playlist and OPEN another Playlist that has a different name.
To do this Click FILE, and Click OPEN, and choose one of the Playlist Files in the Box that opens.
Upon selecting a different Playlist File to OPEN, the CURRENT Playlist will, automatically, CLOSE.

Not completely so in Hoster. The CURRENT Playlist remains opened and the different Playlist files are added to it.

I'm sorry disagree, none of this really helps in solving it.

Can't MTU step in so we can hear what they say! I did post this in the request forum with a link to this forum.

[jdavia]

OK I've done a little more work on this and came to this work around.

I have a Playlist named def003.hst and want to open another Playlist.
I click New the list closes and creates a Playlist called def003-new.hst.
I do not delete this file.
I now keep all my original Playlist together with the newly created list with "new" in them.
def001.hst
def001-new.hst
def002.hst
def002-new.hst
def003.hst
def003-new.hst

Now when I click "New" it will write over the same Playlist with the "new" in it. thus not add to the clutter of the context box.

Not really happy about it but it works for now.
Thanks to all that responded.