A follow-up to Jack's posting at http://lists.wfu.edu/pipermail/gretl-devel/2013-March/004371.html

Now on Linux and Windows I've added some functionality to support choice. If you double-click on a gretl-type file this will launch a new gretl instance, but that instance will now, before showing itself, look around to see if gretl is already running. If so, it'll put up a dialog box asking if you want a new instance. And if you say "No" it'll pass a message to the prior instance requesting that the file be opened, then exit. Thi is implemented via the POSIX signals API on Linux, and the Windows Messages API on win32. This is in CVS and the Windows snapshot. Please test, and report any breakage! Thanks.

Granted, showing the PID (process ID number) in the gretl title may not be super-intuitive. I started out by showing a simple "instance number" but actually that can go wrong quite quickly. Here's a scenario:

Sadly, it turns into an imponderable mess. PIDs are at least unique.

Dear Gretl Team, Some observations and thoughts about the new "instances" feature: (1) Let's suppose a situation where we have two opened Gretl "instances" and we try to open a new data file by double-clicking. How could we determine which of the (already opened) instance will handle this new .gdt file? Now, I think Gretl uses the "older" instances to handle this files (am I correct?).

(2) In Brazilian Portuguese the name "instance" is not intuitive enough. Is it intuitive in other languages? I mean, I'm concerned that the term is clear for Programmers, but not for average users.

(3) I really do not know how difficult, in terms of coding, is to implement the name of the new instances, but I think the PID solution is not good from my aesthetical point of view.

>> (3) I really do not know how difficult, in terms of coding, is to >> implement the name of the new instances, but I think the PID >> solution is not good from my aesthetical point of view. >> > > The name? Like what, "Gretl the third"? Benedict XVI? Please explain. :-) I'm talking about the window titles of the instances. Let me explain using examples: "Gretl", "Gretl (5516)", "Gretl (4376)".

On Tue, 9 Apr 2013, Riccardo (Jack) Lucchetti wrote: On Tue, 9 Apr 2013, Henrique Andrade wrote: > > > (3) I really do not know how difficult, in terms of coding, is to >>>> implement the name of the new instances, but I think the PID >>>> solution is not good from my aesthetical point of view. >>>> >>>> >>> The name? Like what, "Gretl the third"? Benedict XVI? Please explain. >>> >> >> :-) >> >> I'm talking about the window titles of the instances. Let me explain >> using >> examples: "Gretl", "Gretl (5516)", "Gretl (4376)". >> > > My question was: what do you propose instead of "Gretl (pid number)"? You > can write anything you want, provided you know what you want!!! > I agree that showing the PID in the title is not very elegant. However, it is the only way I can think of (within reasonable bounds of complexity) to ensure that when multiple instances of gretl are running, each one has a unique window title.

As I mentioned before, the seemingly "nicer" option of displaying a simple sequence number is not robust: the user can easily break it by (e.g.) closing the first gretl window while leaving the second one open, then starting another instance. Bear in mind that running multiple instances of gretl is not something we'd expect users to do very often. On the Mac you have to make a deliberate choice to do this, and now on Linux and Windows (where previously it was possible to open multiple instances inadvertently) you're asked if this is really what you want.

On Wed, 10 Apr 2013, Henrique Andrade wrote: Dear Allin and Jack, > > What do you think about naming the new window with the words "session" > instead of "example"? In fact, in my interpretation, when we open a new > window that is independent from the others, we're starting a new > "session". > Aren't we? > Ahhh, I think I see your problem now, sorry for not having thought about before: in English the word "instance" can be used as a synonym of "example", (especially in the "for instance" phrase) but doesn't have to. Especially in the technical jargon, it is very much used as a vague synonym of "copy" or "repetition", as in "another thing which is distinct from the preceeding ones, but it's basically the same thing repeated one more time". That's why we say "n instances of gretl". In this sense, it's not a synonym of "example" at all. In Italian, the word "istanza" is not a synonym of "example" either (you just don't say "per istanza" as you would say "per esempio"), though it retains its technical meaning (it is also a common word in the law jargon, but it doesn't matter). From what you say, I guess that in (Brazilian, perhaps?) Portuguese, the > association instance/example is much stronger than what I perceive, so you're right, we should look for another word... in Portuguese! Allin, is it too much difficult implement the use of capital letters > (A,B,C,...) instead of the PID? > That'd be just the same as consecutive numbers. As I mentioned before, the seemingly "nicer" option of displaying a simple >> sequence number is not robust: the user can easily break it by (e.g.) >> closing the first gretl window while leaving the second one open, then >> starting another instance. >> >> Bear in mind that running multiple instances of gretl is not something >> we'd expect users to do very often. On the Mac you have to make a >> deliberate choice to do this, and now on Linux and Windows (where >> previously it was possible to open multiple instances inadvertently) >> you're >> asked if this is really what you want. >> >> I think we could put the "instance stuff" inside the Preferences menu. > Something like that: > > "[ ] Double-clicking in Gretl files (.inp, .gdt, .gretl) will open it in a > new instance" > This one I like! ------------------------------**------------------------- Riccardo (Jack) Lucchetti Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali (DiSES) Università Politecnica delle Marche (formerly known as Università di Ancona) r.lucchetti(a)univpm.it http://www2.econ.univpm.it/**servizi/hpp/lucchetti<http://www2.econ.un... ------------------------------**------------------------- _______________________________________________ Gretl-devel mailing list Gretl-devel(a)lists.wfu.edu http://lists.wfu.edu/mailman/listinfo/gretl-devel

What do you think about naming the new window with the words "session" instead of "example"? In fact, in my interpretation, when we open a new window that is independent from the others, we're starting a new "session". Aren't we?

Allin, is it too much difficult implement the use of capital letters (A,B,C,...) instead of the PID?