Family Historian User Group

It is always the small things that push one over the edge.

Not sure if this will get much uptake but here goes.

Please move the Open Project button from its position as the middle button in the screen to the far left or at least away from the centre. For some reason, I instinctively click on the leftmost button when I open a project. Normally this is not an issue but I have been switching between projects frequently in the last while and I continually try to accidentally create a new project. It is making me want to do nasty things to my screen. Am I the only person who seems to have this programed in their head after years in the workplace?

A clear enough request, but it would mean all existing users having to retrain their muscle memory. That might be too high a price to pay, but if you don’t ask you don’t get...

Mark just said what I was going to say.

Can't remember if this is the case in every version of Windows supported by FH, but If I pin the FH icon to the taskbar or start menu, and hover on it, I get a list of recent and pinned projects to choose from, so I bypass that screen altogether on startup (unless I want to create a new project).

Or maybe get into the habit of double-clicking the name of the Project you want to open and ignore the buttons.

What about redesigning the way the Project names and the buttons are enabled/disabled?
When the File > Project Window... is opened, no Project name is selected and the Open Project button is disabled.
When a Project name is selected the Open Project button is enabled with perhaps the New Project button being disabled.
Clicking the selected Project name could deselect it and return the two buttons to their original state.

With that change, the New Project button can only be invoked when no Project name is selected.

tatewise wrote: ↑

19 Jan 2023 12:36

... When a Project name is selected the Open Project button is enabled and perhaps the New Project button disabled.
Clicking the selected Project name could deselect it and return the two buttons to their original state.

With that change, the New Project button can only be invoked when no Project name is selected.

I would say that process has logic - but it might cause just as much muscle memory confusion, given that normally clicking New-Anything goes straight there and it might not be obvious why the New-Project button is disabled.

I just checked and the standard Windows arrangement for menus puts New first and Open second. OK, this isn't a menu but I probably translate top (first) to left and get the current arrangement.

Perhaps unhelpfully I so seldom use the Project Window that I read the options with care. Whether I select then click Open, or double click, I don't know - especially now that you've asked me....

I was only half serious when I posted this last night in a moment of frustration after a long day. I understand that there are many ways to achieve the same end and all of them are perfectly acceptable.

I don't believe we are ever to old to learn new things but old instinctive habits become more deeply ingrained as time goes by. After years of working in software development and support I learned that, what seemed silly from my big picture point of view (e.g. button placement), was often the very thing that altered a client's day to day experience and ultimate satisfaction with the product. Providing alternate solutions would help, but investing a half day every once in a while to deal with those seemingly silly issues often created a positive perception and bought me a ton of good will when the really big issues had to be dealt with.

That said, this is certainly not a hill on which I am willing to make a last stand.

ColeValleyGirl wrote: ↑

19 Jan 2023 08:34

Can't remember if this is the case in every version of Windows supported by FH, but If I pin the FH icon to the taskbar or start menu, and hover on it, I get a list of recent and pinned projects to choose from, so I bypass that screen altogether on startup (unless I want to create a new project).

I found this interesting and I tried it with my Windows 11 but it does not work as you explained. I found the same was true for word and and other apps. Windows 10 use to provide this functionality ... but not in 11. Wish it did. Going to look and see if there is a registry hack for this.

Anyone else confirm win11 doesn't do this our is it my install?

I don't get the list of recent and pinned projects when I hover over the icon in the taskbar in Windows 10 either.

Bill

The list appears when I right click, but not when hovering. Windows 11.

Odd. For me it doesn't appear if I right click either.

Bill

I think what you are seeing / not seeing is the "Recent Items" list.

Details here on how to enable it.

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/recent-i ... kbar-icons

Item 1 in the instructions at the web site did enable the recent file list when I right click. Still nothing if I hover over the icon. When I hover over the icon I get a thumbnail of the program window if the program is open and just the name of the program if the program is closed.

Thanks,
Bill

ColeValleyGirl wrote: ↑

19 Jan 2023 08:34

Can't remember if this is the case in every version of Windows supported by FH, but If I pin the FH icon to the taskbar or start menu, and hover on it, I get a list of recent and pinned projects to choose from, so I bypass that screen altogether on startup (unless I want to create a new project).

As others have said, hovering over an icon only shows the name of the application or a thumbnail if it is running.
It is only a right-click of the icon that provides the 'jump list' available since Windows 7 and the same in Windows 10.
IMO Helen is mistaken to say hovering provides the 'jump list'.

tatewise wrote: ↑

26 Jan 2023 16:45

IMO Helen is mistaken to say hovering provides the 'jump list'.

A view of my start menu when I hover over the FH icon.
Agreed I'd have to right-click if it was pinned to the toolbar; my memory let me down there as I don't invoke FH from the toolbar at present.

Edited to add: Apologies -- I'd forgotten I'm using Start11. It's so long since I saw a naked Windows that I'd forgotten I didn't have one!

Helen, is your Windows 11 setup 'customised' in some way as nobody else seems to have that feature, and it always used to need a right-click to get the 'jump list' displayed? I'm still on Windows 10 which needs right-click.

[ EDIT: So it is a feature of Start 11 and only available with right-click otherwise. ]

Interesting! Neither my taskbar nor my start menu looks anything like this. What version of Windows is this?

Harold, that is Windows 11 customised with Start 11.

tatewise wrote: ↑

26 Jan 2023 17:21

Helen, is your Windows 11 setup 'customised' in some way as nobody else seems to have that feature, and it always used to need a right-click to get the 'jump list' displayed? I'm still on Windows 10 which needs right-click.

[EDIT: So it is a feature of Start 11 and only available with right-click otherwise. ]

It's a feature of Start11. £7 and worth every penny.

OK... that explains it.

Bill

Closing as not required.