Wireshark-dev: Re: [Wireshark-dev] Save button removals

From: Ulf Lamping <ulf.lamping@xxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:52:23 +0200

Guy Harris wrote:

So if I want to change a protocol preference and *not* have the change (or any other changes I've made) saved to a file, how do I do that?

First of all, that's not the thing most users of Wireshark are require / demand - belief me.

Discussed with many person about WS - the "Save" button logic was a *very* frequent discussion point - it's just not what a user expects.

So you just can't do your scenario with the standard "Ok" / "Apply" / "Cancel" buttons most other programs work with (even the "Apply" button is often not available/required). None of the programs I know of is doing it different than this - there might be reasons.

Providing a strange usage behaviour to serve a very minor number of "power users" might be a very bad idea IMHO.

If you want the old behaviour, simply switch on the "Save" button again (new setting in the Preferences) and use "Ok" and "Apply" buttons in WS as always before.

(Eventually, the right fix is

... now implemented ;-)

probably to have protocol "preferences" which are the default values and which are saved when changed and protocol "settings" that can be changed from the defaults and that aren't normally saved but that can be saved with a "make these the default" button. We might also want to have that button update only the defaults for the protocol being changed.)

At first sight, doesn't sound easy to understand and work with.

The former discussed "profiles" might be more helpful in this regard. But also "profiles" have their usability drawbacks.

Regards, ULFL