AIM Suggestion: Automatic filename generation

[g3nrw]

Bob

To save time, to help avoid mistakes, and to help with documentation, would it be possible for you to introduce an automatic copy/paste of a scan title into a file name?

For example, to be specific:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Click on "Save Graph"

2. Type a filename into the "Enter a Comment" box, then click on Enter

3. AIM automatically and invisibly copies the Comment to the clipboard

4. When the "Save Scan File" dialog box appears, AIM automatically pastes the comment from the clipboard into the "File name" box
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This way, the filename is the same as the title (but you can obviously change it if you really want it to be different from the title).

I have frequently used this technique when programming Word template macros, and found it saves users from making mistakes (and having to type the same thing twice).

[Programming hint: If the Comment string contains certain characters like slash, colon etc, they have to be mapped to something else, such as a dash, as they are not valid Windows filename characters].

--
73
Ian, G3NRW

[Burt]

I second this idea. Quite often I save graphs and having to enter names twice is time consuming. As it is, I swype to highlight the first entry and then "Contol+C" and then "Control+V" to copy it over to the file name.

Burt, K6OQK

May 15, 2011 6:22:15 GMT -5 g3nrw said:

Bob

To save time, to help avoid mistakes, and to help with documentation, would it be possible for you to introduce an automatic copy/paste of a scan title into a file name?

For example, to be specific:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Click on "Save Graph"

2. Type a filename into the "Enter a Comment" box, then click on Enter

3. AIM automatically and invisibly copies the Comment to the clipboard

4. When the "Save Scan File" dialog box appears, AIM automatically pastes the comment from the clipboard into the "File name" box
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This way, the filename is the same as the title (but you can obviously change it if you really want it to be different from the title).

I have frequently used this technique when programming Word template macros, and found it saves users from making mistakes (and having to type the same thing twice).

[Programming hint: If the Comment string contains certain characters like slash, colon etc, they have to be mapped to something else, such as a dash, as they are not valid Windows filename characters].

--
73
Ian, G3NRW

[Bob]

This is a good idea. I'd like to have this feature too.

Unfortunately, the "Save As" dialog doesn't have a provision for setting the default file name. It seems like just adding one more parameter to the function call would do it, but apparently it is not that easy.

If someone knows how to do this, please let me know and I'll see about implementing it

--73/Bob

[g3nrw]

Hi Bob

I have already programmed this feature in Word VBA, so I know it can be done -- that's why I suggested it here in the first place :-) It was written for a client whose document names included the document version number. Users were always getting the format of the filename wrong, so I wrote a template that automatically computed the filename, presented it to the user in the SaveAs box, and most times the user just had to click OK.

I've just re-read the VBA code for the first time in about 7 years, and I can hardly understand it! But give me a little time and it should all come flooding back. Once I've found the relevant code fragments I will get back to you.

By the way, what language do you code the AIM software in?

--
73
Ian, G3NRW