Interface Suggestions and Experience Remarks

1. When more than 1 concurrent downloads allowed and link names are the same, there are frequents skips ('File already downloading') while no attempts to get file names for such downloads were made by FRD.

[2.] Plugin Updates window needs Select All / Deselect All checkboxes / context menu items. - Added in 0.9u2

3. I wasn't able to find a place where one can view / set default download directory.

4. Download location is not being asked when importing links from file.

5. Unless a file name is known, download link (not link name) should be displayed in Name column and be editable.

6. Calculated Average Speed should remain after file was downloaded.

7. Log File Max Size needs to be configurable.

8. Less items with better titles in right-click menu would improve ergonomics. Nothing should promise to or delete files.

Great program, thank you!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2013 08:31PM by Goofy.

1. This was added a few versions ago. I think it causes too much trouble and should be removed. What do you think Vity?

2. We'll check if we can implement this.

3. FRD remembers the five last download directories and the previous one is selected automatically.

4. Known issue. At the moment it chooses the previous download directory -- the same one that is automatically selected when adding links.

5. But then you'd just see "http://rapidshare..." on every row. I guess we could tweak the tooltips though so that you see the link when you hover over the name column.

6. It's a good idea. I'm not sure if the speed is stored in the database though.

7. It shouldn't really grow out of control, unless you have debug logging enabled. In any case, the log is cleared on every startup.

8. All of the functionality is important though, and we would prefer not to hide it away. Do you have any specific suggestions?

2. Also it takes too long to get to Plugins Window.

3. Usually each download has its own directory and you need some place with enough space for general links. So it's not alright when you get new links downloaded to previous location (may not have enough space, be removable, etc., etc.) and there is a need for some default directory for miscellaneous stuff (would workaround issue #4 too).

5. Now I just see some general name which isn't very helpful too. Since there is service icon, you may leave displayed just core link difference like 3216935832/book3.rar instead of https:/ /rapidshare.com/files/3216935832/book3.rar. I also suggest a link to be editable in Download properties (saves time when correcting a link).

6. Well just let it stay until link removal / application closure.

7. It easily grew to 3 MB last night with only a handful of links. I don't really like / find useful larger than 1 MB logs.

8. You did use submenus, they may be a solution.
There's no column to reflect download limit.
If no DL link is selected, there is no reaction to right click on any of them. - Fixed in 0.9u2
Items that must be readily available (first tier): Properties (you may move DL limit there), Copy Link, Open Directory, Remove Link(s).
No Delete File(s) from within FRD. Sometimes it takes so much effort and time to DL a file that you really don't want to lose it by some stupid misclick or confusion or whatever. It must not happen.
I suggest Est. Time column to go pink on error listing just the cause (and Progress to have different or no background).



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2013 05:17AM by Goofy.

7. That doesn't sound right. Are you sure debug logging isn't enabled? What does the log contain?

7. I'm not sure where I can check this. Log file contained full pages of unsuccessful 4shared.com downloads with some extra from FRD after each one.

Great program, thank you!

Why were the 4shared.com downloads unsuccessful? If it's a plugin problem, we can fix that.

I elaborated here.

Great program, thank you!

1. I don't understand this problem. Just links to the same file are skipped.
4. Select imported files, go to properties and change target dir.

6. Why do you need this information?

7. You are downloading tens of files and you care about 3MB? Hmms...

8. All deletions are confirmed by YES/NO dialog. Don't make misclicks.

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1. This is because there is a lot of naming confusion in FRD (issue #8). Like calling link removal a file deletion, etc.
The basic three: download link, link name and file name - must be differentiated.
Download link is complete path to a file hosting service (FHS) webpage.
Link name, or download name, is a name of a download displayed by FHS webpage.
File name is a name of a file as you receive (download) it from FHS webpage (in rare cases reported file name and received file name are different, but we shall disregard it for now).

Example:
http:/ /uploaded.net/f/i71ucv - links folder
http:/ /ul.to/8axhgenm - short download link
http:/ /uploaded.net/file/8axhgenm - download link
http:/ /uploaded.net/file/8axhgenm/from/i71ucv - extended download link
debOS-375-gFSA-Live_Install…rar - download name, or link name
debOS-375-gFSA-Live_Install.part1.rar - file name

Since after link check FRD displays link names instead of download links, it sometimes wrongly assumes that debOS-375-gFSA-Live_Install…rar is already being downloaded while in reality debOS-375-gFSA-Live_Install.part1.rar is being downloaded and debOS-375-gFSA-Live_Install.part2.rar is the next in queue.

4. I never said it was impossible. FRD tends to autostart downloads, so you may have to cancel imported downloads to change destination folder.

6. Why is this information presented then? People may need to know speed of downloads that are completed (and they cannot stare at FRD half-day). Using this data they can compare true speeds: at different times of day, between FHSs, with different credentials, etc.; figure out whether or not a FHS limited download rate due to some quota exceedance and so on.
Also by definition average speed can be precisely calculated only after a download is finished.

7. That's diversion from the subject. I rarely download to the same drive where I have programs installed. I assume there may occur a situation when disk space on that drive becomes low. And it may be even more realistic if FRD was started from some pen drive, etc.
What if I imported 300 links, set error retry to 5 and left it for a night, how many MB would it be?
Unlimited log files are bad by design. Possible solution is to record only last error, since virtually no one investigates several cases of failed downloads at the same time, especially post mortem.

8. If you don't want to correct this - no problem. But you won't convince me that people may somehow stop making misclicks / wrong decisions when facing broad choice of link / file removal. Even more so when remove item is nested deep and delete item is jumping at them. We are only human.
I firmly believe files should be deleted from file managers not download managers. If not, then I would like to encounter first anything related to links in a download manager.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2013 07:34AM by Goofy.

1. To stop files with same 'name' being skipped add this into startup.properties (in the FRD folder)

-DcombinedDownloading=false

4. To import links in Paused state
uncheck "Start downloads from decrypters and folders automatically" in Options > Preferences > General tab

5. Name column is editable by pressing F2 (changes are ignored when downloading starts/continues)