File Open dialog forgets settings

[Alvin Penner]

Windows XP, Inkscape 0801141510
File|Open dialog does not remember the last-used directory or the file type when re-opening Inkscape next time.
Both of these settings are remembered properly by the File|Save As... dialog.

Inspecting the preferences.xml file, the File|SaveAs info is stored as :

    <group
       id="save_as"
       default="com.kaioa.export_gimp_palette"
       append_extension="1"
       enable_preview="0"
       path="C:\Program Files\Eudora\Attach" />

The File|Open info is stored as :

    <group
       id="open"
       enable_preview="1"
       path="C:\Program Files\Inkscape\APP\arcs1.svg\" />

There are 2 differences between these two items:

1. The File|Open has no attribute called 'default', so it cannot store the file type.

2. The File|Open stores the filename instead of the path name. The appropriate value for the path would be "C:\Program Files\Inkscape\APP" without the file name arcs1.svg\ and without the \ which is redundant.

[Alvin Penner (apenner)]

Let me re-phrase that :

2. In order to make this path name consistent with the File|SaveAs dialog,
the appropriate value for the path would be "C:\Program Files\Inkscape\APP" without the extra file name \arcs1.svg and without the final \ which is redundant.
The final \ makes this look like a directory name, even though it contains a file name.

[Jérôme Borme (jerome-borme)]

I would like to explain the annoying consequence of this bug. The File/open dialog has a unconsistent behaviour:
* it opens to the last path used if the current file was opened with File/open (the last path is stored somewhere)
* it opens to the $HOME directory if inkscape was opened through a file manager or through the File/open recent dialog
Meanwhile, File/save has a consistent behaviour and always defaults to the path of the current file.

The file manager and the File/open are typically used by the user to fast open its files.
* The file manager can be used only once (because a second opening would launch a separate Inkscape instance preventing copy/paste between files)
* The Open/previous is fast but limited to the few latest files
But then this bug is slowing down the workflow.

Opening files from the same folder is just what is expected, and what Inkscape provides when a file has already been open through File/Open dialog. Not provding the correct initialization, there is always an overhead at the second file that the user opens (let's say the first was opened when the file manager launched Inkscape), and the user is obliged to seek through the whole file system to locate the file.

[Alvin Penner (apenner)]

Jerome, which version of Inkscape are you running, and which OS?
I believe this behaviour has been fixed in the development version of Inkscape, my original bug report was based on Inkscape 0.46 stable release, Windows version. In the development version of Inkscape, the home directory is no longer used, as far as I can tell.

[Jérôme Borme (jerome-borme)]

You are absolutely right, it is now fixed! (r21051, linux). I am very sorry for commenting on a solved bug, I saw the status was "confirmed" so I assumed it was not fixed yet. Now that I tested the development version, I am (as usual at every release) absolutely amazed by the new features. You guys make my life easier everyday.

Alvin, as the reporter, could you update the status of the bug as resolved?

[Alvin Penner (apenner)]

yes, I'll mark it as fix released.
Thanks for reminding me about this bug, I had completely forgotten about it.