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#746 - 11/06/02 02:13 AM More 2.40 beta 1 stuff
jbrunette Offline


Registered: 08/30/99
Posts: 35
Saw a few more things worth mentioning :-)

Double-clicking in a timeline graph causes the trace display at the top to stop updating. Double-clicking the timeline graph again refreshes the trace display data with current data, but it still doesn't update itself anymore.

*Bonus fun*: clicking a hop in the trace display while the above problem is happening causes that hop's data to be refreshed to the current data. Whacky. :-)

Right-clicking the timeline graph and selecting "Reset focus to current" fixes the problem. Running a different trace or "Reset and Restart" of current trace also gets things working again.

Not sure what the intended result is of double-clicking the timeline graph, but un-freezing the trace display (or "getting out of that 'mode'", depending on the intent) is currently non-obvious.


Column resizing issues

This isn't specific to this beta but it's something I've noticed while playing around with the beta.

In my PP (eww...say that aloud in a crouded room <img src="/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif" alt="" /> ), the last two columns in the trace display are "Cur" and "Graph". If I grab the column sizer between the two and move it all the way to the right and release, then move it back to the left, the "Graph" text label for the column header "disappears" (or is no longer centered). This is a blocker and must be fixed prior to shipping. <img src="/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Unusual behavior is exhibited, though, if you move that gripper all the way to the right then close PP. Opening PP again shows some of the columns sized very small (in my case, "DNSName" becomes very thin). The "Graph" column also is much bigger than it was when we closed PP (possibly taking the space my "DNSName" column gave up).


Serious nitpick alert: Not specific to this beta really...but menu options that open a modal window (blocking access to the main window) which requires specific user interaction (changing a setting, saving a file) should really end with an ellipsis ("Load sample set..."). <img src="/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Don't get me wrong. I love this program and use it every day. I'm just trying to be helpful with the beta.

I love playing with my PP! <img src="/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Jason

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#747 - 11/06/02 11:07 AM Re: More 2.40 beta 1 stuff [Re: jbrunette]
Pete Ness Offline



Registered: 08/30/99
Posts: 1106
Loc: Boise, Idaho
Hi, Jason.

First off, the issue of double-clicking on the time-graph is "as designed". This is a hugely powerful feature in Ping Plotter (at least *I* think so). Double-clicking on the time graph focuses the upper graph on the period you double-clicked in the lower graph. This is combined with the "Samples to include" to allow you to really investigate some period in the past. So when the display freezes, you're actually looking at some period in the past (and the period can be identified by the focus rectangle painted in the lower graph). Right-clicking and selecting "Reset focus to current" does just that - and things start auto-updating again.

Another cool thing about this "focus" thing is that you can set your "samples to include" to something like 100 - and then double click a suspect / problem period while looking at a 48 hour graph. You see details on the top graph, but then you can also change the scale of the lower graph, and Ping Plotter will keep the selected period in view on the lower graph.

As for the sizing issue - both of the things you're seeing are related. It looks like when you skinny up the graph column that much, it's actually not skinnying up - but moving over a bit. This means that column is wide, but mostly invisible. When you close and restart, Ping Plotter fits it all back in to the window again - and the only two columns that can give up space are the graph and the DNS name columns (all other columns stay fixed in width when you resize Ping Plotter). Definite bug - I've got it logged.

As for the ...'s - this is a convention that I am unaware of - thanks for bringing it to my attention.

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#748 - 11/06/02 02:01 PM Re: More 2.40 beta 1 stuff [Re: Pete Ness]
jbrunette Offline


Registered: 08/30/99
Posts: 35
Regarding double-clicking the timeline graph, I can see how that would be useful to the experienced user. However, to a new or casual user, this could easily look like a problem in the software. They might think they broke it and become confused/upset, etc.

Hell, *I* thought it was a bug. :-)

This might be one of those cases where we could use an alert box that pops up upon double-clicking the timeline graph, briefly describing what that functionality is for and how to return to normal operation...accompanied by a "Do not show this in the future" checkbox.

I just feel that this is too easy to trigger and it's not obvious what the purpose is or how to undo it.

Thanks!

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