Changing an image filename in "Object attributes" causes CPU usage surge and hard-to-understand search behavior

[Daniel Wagenaar]

Inkscape version: 0.91 r (inkscape-0.91.0+47-ubuntu1) on Ubuntu 15.04.

In previous versions, when I changed the file name of a linked image object in the "Object attributes" dialog (reached by the "Image properties" context menu item), the image would be replaced by a red cross and the text "Linked image not found", until I had correctly typed a name of another existing image file. In the new version, inkscape tries to be smarter, which is generally a good thing. On the terminal, messages like the following flash by:

** (inkscape:3080): WARNING **: <image xlink:href="/tmp/foo.jpg"> did not resolve to a valid image file (base dir is /tmp/bar), now trying sodipodi:absref="/tmp/bar/baz.jpg"

where "baz.jpg" is usually the old file name associated with the object. Resolving missing links is generally nice, but there are several problems:

(1) Inkscape becomes unresponsive to user input for several seconds during the search. (As it repearedly loads my admittedly rather large "baz.jpg" file.)

(2) Inkscape never updates the "sodipodi:absref" link to the original file, even after a new file is found.

(3) The behavior is not transparent to the user, as no warning messages are shown in the GUI: If my new file is similar but not identical to my original file, I may be tricked into believing the new file has been linked into the document even if it hasn't.