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No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 9:19 am
by cking2
Product, version and build: 7.2.82
32 or 64 bit version of product: 64
Operating system: win 10 1511
32 or 64 bit OS: 64

I just went to the 2016 version and either cannot find the file browser tab or it is no longer available.

If that is the case, please bring it back. Frankly, I need it. (yes, NEED)

thanks-ck

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 9:29 am
by Alexander Riedel
We always make an effort to improve speed, start-up and eliminate unused features and UI clutter.
The file browser was mostly unused and, since it is very easy to just drag and drop files from the Windows File Browser, mostly just duplicated functionality. That being said, what is it that makes you say you NEED it?

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 9:48 am
by cking2
I have had some issues around the way I work with PrimalMerge as well. I log onto my machine using what I will call my normal account. This is used for email, web browsing or any non-admin task.

All of my admin tools are run as my admin account. Using my admin account I have z: mapped to my scripts share. I don't have access to them using my normal account.

If I run PrimalScript using my admin account I see that mapped drive in the file browser. Works great. Love that. Sure the ones I edit often show up in the recent but as an admin, I am constantly editing old files (usually for other people) and going back to the repository for scripts that might have not be touched for a while.

As you know you cannot easily run explorer.exe using elevated credentials, hence the plethora of explorer replacements. The one I use (cubicexplorer) DOES allow me to drag a file from that elevated instance to an elevated instance of PS but I find that quite tedious. Maybe your an ultra dexterous mouse user :D but with my 3 screens, I often 'drop' that file on the way and it makes my wrist hurt.

So, can I live without it? Sure, but why force me to leave my integrated scripting environment? Frankly, startup speed of PS has always been pretty darn fast so not sure why that is even a concern. I just check with this version and it took 3.5 seconds.

Thanks for listening to my rant but I have been using PS for a looong time.

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 10:11 am
by Alexander Riedel
Thanks for the feedback. I will play around with this for a bit and see how it feels.
If I may, I would like to ask one additional question. If you spend all day fixing and editing scripts, why do you not have the location where they are stored available to your normal logged on user id? The main purpose of the split admin token is to prevent you form having to run elevated tasks for regular everyday work. This setup seems to defeat this purpose. I am not trying to criticize, I am just trying to understand better what the underlying need is.

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:38 am
by cking2
Alexander Riedel wrote:If you spend all day fixing and editing scripts, why do you not have the location where they are stored available to your normal logged on user id? The main purpose of the split admin token is to prevent you from having to run elevated tasks for regular everyday work.
Hmmm, that sort of goes against what I think...I think the main purpose is to use a lowly account for the everyday (email/web browsing/downloading malware) and use elevated to do the real work. Maybe this is a SysAdmin versus DevType thing. :evil:

I don't spend 'all day editing scripts' -- not strictly. The end game is to run/debug scripts. Most of the scripts will only work as a domain admin (or some elevated role/identity). So naturally I don't want to log onto my machine and read email (for example) as an admin.

I know every dev type here is a local admin/etc. and I get that but as a SysAdmin I might have a different take on things.

Now, your probably right, I could edit the scripts as a normal user (if I gave myself permission to them) but then run them as admin (outside of PrimalScript). Frankly, that is actually what I do in regards to the running of PowerShell scripts. I don't really use PrimalScript to run any PowerShell scripts. (I do usually run my older vbs scripts within PrimalScript)

But in either scenario, I still like having the file browser.

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 1:58 pm
by Alexander Riedel
Hmm, ok. Difference in perception I guess. At any rate, I just want to point out for clarity that you can run and debug scripts from PrimalScript elevated even if you do not run PrimalScript elevated.
3-1-2016 1-52-13 PM.png
3-1-2016 1-52-13 PM.png (27.1 KiB) Viewed 6613 times
You can also tag specific scripts to launch elevated from PrimalScript with meta comments (an old feature really)
https://www.sapien.com/blog/2010/12/02/ ... ap-part-2/

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 1:01 pm
by cking2
Alexander Riedel wrote:Thanks for the feedback. I will play around with this for a bit and see how it feels.
Any additional thoughts? I am sure with the new release you are very busy but ironically, the file browser toolbar is the only one I even use. Maybe I am not your typical customer but as I have been using PS since '98 (not 1898) I sure hope you can help me.

I rolled back to 2015 version for now so no rush but just curious if your leaning towards putting that functionality back in.

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:36 pm
by Alexander Riedel
I honestly cannot tell you what I will do at this point. I am doing at the moment what I usually do:

a) wait if anyone else has input on this. So far no one else seems to have noticed that this is gone.
b) analyze WHY you want this in the first place. Normally a problem specific to one person can be
thought of as a more general problem for everyone, that maybe they are not aware of.
c) Dream up a solution that will be better than the original solution that has a broader application.

But, as you can imagine, that will take a little more time :D

Re: No File Browser anymore?

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:28 am
by cking2
Well, I have been analyzing how I actually work to make sure I am just not being an old stick here stuck in my ways.

Typically I open PowerShell scripts with the open command which remembers the last folder location. If I do need to open VB Scripts, I use the file browser which also remembers the last folder and has a nice tree view.

These locations are different so for me that has worked well. I will continue to use open for my PowerShell scripts but have experimented with having an Explorer window open to the scripts share.

Using the Edit with PrimalScript context menu has been working well and other than having to click in a different window it is nearly as seamless.

So at this point I am saying that it seems less of a deal a week later.