Feature request: Option to open file read-only, automatically reload if changed

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yossizahn
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Feature request: Option to open file read-only, automatically reload if changed

Post by yossizahn »

Hi,
I would like to have the ability to open files read-only and then have them reload automatically if they change. The use case for this is when editing a file in a third party app and printing it to PDF for preview. I often make minor changes and then reprint it under the same file name to view. Under the current behavior of always opening files with write access I have to close the current PDF otherwise it cannot be overwritten. It would greatly smooth the workflow to not have to close the file for each change.
This is quite similar to this request which seems to have been put onto the roadmap.
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Patrick-Tracker Supp
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Re: Feature request: Option to open file read-only, automatically reload if changed

Post by Patrick-Tracker Supp »

Hi Yossi,

I understand what it is you wish to do, and while it seems simple from one viewpoint, actually implementing it would be far more complicated. The only way it would work would be if the third party program you chose to use is specifically set up to send a notice to our software that the file had been changed, and our software was open to receiving these signals.
I'll bring it up at next weeks meeting to discuss the possibility of this feature.
Thanks for your understanding!
If posting files to this forum, you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded.
Thank you.

Cheers,

Patrick Charest
Tracker Support North America
yossizahn
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Re: Feature request: Option to open file read-only, automatically reload if changed

Post by yossizahn »

Hi Patrick,
Thanks for the reply. If what you describe were true it wouldn't actually be that useful.
It is actually far less complicated than that because windows allows placing a monitor on a directory to be notified about any changes in it. Another option would be to setup the editor to check the files last modified date every time the editor is refocused. SumatraPDF and Notepad++ provide a feature for reloading modified files (I have not seen how they implement it).
An even easier enhancement (albeit somewhat more tedious for the user) would be to allow opening readonly and creating a command to manually refresh (probably should be mapped to F5).

Thanks for the quick reply. I am rather amazed at the level of customer support provided by Tracker Software.
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David.P
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Re: Feature request: Option to open file read-only, automatically reload if changed

Post by David.P »

Hi all,
yossizahn wrote:SumatraPDF and Notepad++ provide a feature for reloading modified files (I have not seen how they implement it).
I would imagine that programs (e.g. like the above) which allow the modification of currently "open" files actually do not hold a file open after loading it for viewing and editing.

Rather, these programs make a temporary copy of the original file and open this copy instead. At the same time they watch the original file for changes (possibly by checking the modification date like once a second or so). If the program detects that the original file has been changed externally, they ask the user whether they would like to reload the file in its modified state.

While this can be useful, it obviously can lead to the problem that both the temporary copy and the original file are changed while the temporary copy is open -- which can lead to confusion, to data loss or to the need to merge both files.

Regards
David.P
David.P
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yossizahn
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Re: Feature request: Option to open file read-only, automatically reload if changed

Post by yossizahn »

David.P wrote:I would imagine that programs (e.g. like the above) which allow the modification of currently "open" files actually do not hold a file open after loading it for viewing and editing.
As far as I know that's not actually the case. In the case of SumatraPDF the file is always open read-only since it is a viewer not editor. In the case of notepad++ which obviously is an editor, the complete file is loaded into ram. It's not always feasible to load a complete PDF into ram which is why I would only want the auto-reload feature if the file was opened readonly. This would obviously require an option to open files in readonly mode.
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John - Tracker Supp
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Re: Feature request: Option to open file read-only, automatically reload if changed

Post by John - Tracker Supp »

I am afraid we have no current plans to offer this option at this time.
If posting files to this forum - you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded - thank you.

Best regards
Tracker Support
http://www.tracker-software.com
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