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Various small how-to questions

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Ron Brennan, User (Posts: 40)
May 21, 2017 6:15:35 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Windows 10 Pro; RU 6.6.0.7
Rather than submit numerous questions all at once, I'd like to get answers to questions that might suggest the answers to other questions I have before asking them.

Question 1
After I log in and follow the following documentation, the expected Full Window doesn't open. When I select Full Control and double click the connection, the does open. The former behavior would be preferable for me.
1. Select a connection in the address book
2. Click Full Control on the General tab:
3. The Full Control window will open:
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
May 22, 2017 10:00:01 am EDT
Hi Ron,

I understand what you mean. Previously (an update or two back) the behavior of the ribbon toolbar in the Viewer window was different. The buttons there were used to launch a connection mode for a selected connection right away. This was some sort of a duplication of what could be achieved by right-clicking on the connection icon and selecting the target mode from the menu.

So we decided to change the ribbon behavior so that it would offer an alternative way to run a connection mode. If a user has a connection mode they use most often, they can simply select this mode on the ribbon and then use a double-click on a connection to launch it in that mode.

Hope that helps.
Ron Brennan, User (Posts: 40)
May 22, 2017 6:49:39 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Good evening Conrad,

In my most humble opinion, the previous behavior was superior to the one you replaced it with.

1. It felt right. Pick you object (connection icon) and then send it a message by clicking a connection mode icon (change its connection mode; or if there is no TCP connection already, open a TCP connection and set the connection mode to the one chosen). I'm also not sure the value of having separate login and logout concepts warrants the added conceptual complexity, but that's for another time.

2. Clicking a connection icon and then clicking a connection mode icon is easier than right clicking a connection icon and moving to a context menu item and clicking it. Small differences in effort become significant when you do them often.

3. There are use cases where a user goes fr om one connection icon to the next using the same connection mode each time. Mine is the other high level use case wh ere the user goes from one connection mode to the next while using the same connection.

I submit the previous method was not redundant but rather a superior way of performing the same operation (changing connection/connection mode combinations) for the other high level use case.

Have I made the case to reconsider reestablishing the previous behavior, or are my assumptions and reasoning flawed in some way?

Ron
Benny Tucker, User (Posts: 35)
May 22, 2017 7:14:52 pm EDT
Ron, I for one, prefer the way it works now. Sometimes in my list of connections I might have to do the same operation on multiple hosts. As it is now, I can just click down through my connection list and have each host ready to perform my tasks. Before, I would do as you say and click a connection, then click the connection type, click a connection, then click connection type, click........again, again, again. So, I really, really like the way it works now. Perhaps there could be a switch in settings to change the behavior on demand.
Benny
Ron Brennan, User (Posts: 40)
May 22, 2017 7:19:47 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Hi Benny,

Clicking the connection mode icon, Conrad explained, was considered redundant with the same functionality found in the context menu.

So I think the original behavior and the behavior you prefer should be able to co-exist.

Removing the functionality from the context menu I tried to argue would seem to be the better solution to the redundancy problem.

It's not an important matter. But if the product designers agree that my suggestion would be an improvement, I think it's worth doing.

Ron
Edited:Ron Brennan - May 22, 2017 8:46:06 pm EDT
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
May 23, 2017 6:51:28 am EDT
Hi Ron,

I'm also not sure the value of having separate login and logout concepts warrants the added conceptual complexity, but that's for another time.

The logging on and off feature, although may seem superfluous at first glance, actually serves its own purposes. First,  it allows to see remote screen previews on the thumbnails. Also, it is when you are logged in on the remote computer that you can remotely update the Hosts. Finally, it works as a "preliminary connection" - it lets you connect to a remote PC to check what's going on there before you distract the remote user from their work. For example, you may log in, take a quick look at the remote screen preview, see that the remote user is working and send them a quick message.  

There are use cases where a user goes fr om one connection icon to the next using the same connection mode each time. Mine is the other high level use case wh ere the user goes from one connection mode to the next while using the same connection.

I agree that for this use case the old system was faster.

To sum it up, this is a classic situation when there are two conflicting use cases, so the only way to resolve this would be to simply let the user decide. I will add a suggestion to our wishlist - perhaps we could implement an option that would allow users to set the desired behavior of the ribbon.
Ron Brennan, User (Posts: 40)
May 23, 2017 8:30:27 am EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Hi Conrad,

I'm feeling a bit guilty at this point about taking up people's time on this small matter.

But if you'll allow me one more comment, can you simply enable changing connection modes by clicking a connection mode icon on the ribbon without affecting the current behavior?

I'll just wait to see if the change is ultimately judged desirable and will be happy either way.

Thanks to Benny and Conrad for the comments.

(Don't forget to update your documentation that I cited earlier to reflect the change disabling the behavior we are discussing.)

Ron
Edited:Ron Brennan - May 23, 2017 8:34:25 am EDT
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
May 23, 2017 3:52:53 pm EDT
Hi Ron,

As a software user myself I know that even a small issue can be annoying when the related feature is used on a daily basis. So no problem with your letting us know your concerns. The more, the merrier :)

But if you'll allow me one more comment, can you simply enable changing connection modes by clicking a connection mode icon on the ribbon without affecting the current behavior?



This won't work, unfortunately. I.e. a click on a connection button on the ribbon should only do one action. But we'll consider if we can add an option to Viewer settings which would allow to switch from one behavior/system to the other.

(Don't forget to update your documentation that I cited earlier to reflect the change disabling the behavior we are discussing.)

Yes, some articles in the documentation still require updating. We will do our best to finish with that soon.

Thanks!
Ron Brennan, User (Posts: 40)
May 23, 2017 5:44:14 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial

Benny Tucker wrote:

So, I really, really like the way it works now.

Conrad, whatever you do, don't take this away from Benny! We need this guy. :)
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
May 23, 2017 5:55:57 pm EDT

Ron Brennan wrote:

Benny Tucker wrote:

So, I really, really like the way it works now.

Conrad, whatever you do, don't take this away from Benny! We need this guy. :)

No problem  :)

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