preferences apply doesn't seem to do anything

[cmbarton]

Pressing the apply button in preferences seems to have no effect on the current session.

[martinl]

It should, can you give an example?

[cmbarton]

I went to test this and I cannot do so because the settings dialog is modal in GRASS 6.4.2. So I can't tell if any setting changes are sticking when I press the "apply" button. Because I cannot exit the settings dialog to check until I press OK.

Michael

[martinl]

Replying to cmbarton:

I went to test this and I cannot do so because the settings dialog is modal in GRASS 6.4.2. So I can't tell if any setting changes are sticking when I press the "apply" button. Because I cannot exit the settings dialog to check until I press OK.

are you speaking about GUI Settings dialog? There is no OK button, only Cancel, Apply and Save. Dialog is not modal, and Apply closes the dialog.

[hamish]

Replying to martinl:

There is no OK button, only Cancel, Apply and Save. Dialog is not modal, and Apply closes the dialog.

so IIUC [Apply] uses the new settings without saving to the wxrc? I was wondering about that. which leads to the question of why call it "Apply" and not "Ok"? (I think Apply is kinda weird in most software, nothing grass specific)

shrug, Hamish

[cmbarton]

Replying to martinl:

Replying to cmbarton:

I went to test this and I cannot do so because the settings dialog is modal in GRASS 6.4.2. So I can't tell if any setting changes are sticking when I press the "apply" button. Because I cannot exit the settings dialog to check until I press OK.

are you speaking about GUI Settings dialog? There is no OK button, only Cancel, Apply and Save. Dialog is not modal, and Apply closes the dialog.

I meant "save" instead of "OK".

This settings dialog is modal in GRASS 6.4.2 so I cannot test whether or not the settings are applied or not without saving.

Michael

[cmbarton]

Replying to hamish:

Replying to martinl:

There is no OK button, only Cancel, Apply and Save. Dialog is not modal, and Apply closes the dialog.

so IIUC [Apply] uses the new settings without saving to the wxrc?

Right. That's how it's supposed to work AFAIK. That way you can make some settings for the current session but not have to save them for future sessions.

I was wondering about that. which leads to the question of why call it "Apply" and not "Ok"? (I think Apply is kinda weird in most software, nothing grass specific) shrug, Hamish

The second, somewhat related use of "apply" is so that you can change some parameters from a dialog and not have the dialog close (which is often the default behavior when the "OK" or similar button is pressed).

[martinl]

Replying to cmbarton:

This settings dialog is modal in GRASS 6.4.2 so I cannot test whether or not the settings are applied or not without saving.

why the modal dialog is problem? When you press button 'Apply', the settings is stored for current session and the dialog is closed.

[martinl]

Replying to hamish:

so IIUC [Apply] uses the new settings without saving to the wxrc?

yes, similarly behaves other settings dialogs (vdigit, 3dview, georectifier).

I was wondering about that.

why? Check button's tooltip:

self.btnApply.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.OnApply)
self.btnApply.SetToolTipString(_("Apply changes for the current session"))
self.btnSave.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.OnSave)
self.btnSave.SetToolTipString(_("Apply and save changes to user settings file (default for next sessions)"))

which leads to the question of why call it "Apply" and not "Ok"? (I think Apply is kinda weird in most software, nothing grass specific)

Why OK rather then Apply? Apply seems to be more appropriate for this functionality.

[cmbarton]

In most cases, including in many or most GRASS cases, pressing "apply" allows the dialog to remain open non-modally to do something with the new settings of whatever apply works with.

I did some spot checking.

The following items changed in settings also show up in the current GRASS session when the "apply" button is pressed. -ask when removing map from layer tree -expand all (element list) -status bar mode (need to open a new display for this to register)

The following items changed do not show up in the current GRASS session with "apply" and only show up when the "save" button is pressed. -command font (NB: only some fonts, maybe only 2, show up even with "save"; but font size always affected by "save") -display font -close dialog when command is successfully finished

[cmbarton]

Here is a reformatting of my results for easier reading

The following items changed in settings also show up in the current GRASS session when the "apply" button is pressed.

-ask when removing map from layer tree -expand all (element list)
-status bar mode (need to open a new display for this to register)

The following items changed do not show up in the current GRASS session with "apply" and only show up when the "save" button is pressed.

-command font (NB: only some fonts, maybe only 2, show up even with "save"; but font size always affected by "save")
-display font
-close dialog when command is successfully finished

[cmbarton]

This is now working on the Mac. On other platforms? Maybe we can close.

Michael