We need a button to get access to the options via Groovy Pad or just in the app

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JokerNZ
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Joined: 13 Jul 2021, 09:09

We need a button to get access to the options via Groovy Pad or just in the app

Post by JokerNZ »

I have been using FileBot for quite a few years, and its simply the best application I've found for this purpose. And I wouldn't be without it.

BUT, there are some problems I've seen over the years that I'm astounded haven't been addressed yet.

I am running the Microsoft Store version of Filebot (not sure if that matters) and getting to the options to import or export settings are totally impossible unless you find how to open the Groovy Pad.

The video tutorial makes no reference to the option.

It was blind luck I found how to even get to Groovy Pad.

I assume the very non-standard layout and options of FileBot is somehow governed by the tools used to create it.

But it really is almost impossible to find options and instructions for FileBot. Having a Help menu that takes us to the website would seem to be very helpful (but isn't there).

Just having some Settings available to import and export our settings and other settings would be really helpful.

In fact, just having a way of setting where the settings are saved would be really helpful. Since who knows where the settings are stored, and I would really like to back them up.

That's a common problem with Windows apps of course, not just this. But in this day and age where Microsoft seems to think that the best way to fix any slightly hard problem is to reinstall your windows, we really do need to be able to backup our settings.
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rednoah
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Re: We need a button to get access to the options via Groovy Pad or just in the app

Post by rednoah »

All Microsoft Store applications do (and are forced to) store application data to your %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages folder. This universally applies to all Microsoft Store applications.

rednoah wrote: 16 Nov 2011, 16:46 Q: Where is the application data folder?
The default location for application data such as log files is %APP_DATA% on Windows and ~ on Mac and Linux. Please Press F5 if you need help finding your Image Application Data location.

e.g. Windows:

Code: Select all

%APPDATA%\FileBot
:idea: Press Win+R, then paste %APPDATA%\FileBot, then hit ENTER to open the FileBot application data folder.

e.g. Mac, Linux, BSD:

Code: Select all

~/.filebot
e.g. Mac App Store:

Code: Select all

~/Library/Containers/net.filebot.FileBot/Data/Library/Application Support/User Data
e.g. Microsoft Store Store:

Code: Select all

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\PointPlanck.FileBot_*\LocalCache\Roaming\FileBot
:idea: Please read the FAQ and How to Request Help.
JokerNZ
Posts: 2
Joined: 13 Jul 2021, 09:09

Re: We need a button to get access to the options via Groovy Pad or just in the app

Post by JokerNZ »

Ah. Good to know. And that random string on the end of the folder name doesn't change? When we have to reinstall?

I've looked one level up from there I think in the past and found MULTI GB of data that various applications seem to store in AppData/Local and most of it seems to be cache data. Which I certainly don't need or want to back up.

It still frustrates me how hard it is to back up my USEFUL user data and then restore it.

Not the stupid temp directories or caches that applications scatter everywhere.

I see that FileBot seems to store its information in LocalCache\Roaming\FileBot

Normally I would exclude any directory with the name "cache" in it because that implies that this is data that will get regenerated when needed. But it looks to me like that's not the case here.

If I exclude the LocalCache folder from backups, then won't I lose the FileBot settings?
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rednoah
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Re: We need a button to get access to the options via Groovy Pad or just in the app

Post by rednoah »

Well, the problem existed in 1991 and it exists 2021 so I guess there's no perfect solution. I'd copy the entire %USERPROFILE% once in a while (a few GB is a small price to pay for peace of mind) so you've got everything backed up, and then restore the app data folders, case by case, for each application you actually want to restore. (EDIT: some applications use the registry to store your settings though; so you'll want to do a registry dump as well)


:idea: PointPlanck.FileBot_*, LocalCache and Roaming are part of the standard UWP folder structure. There's probably a reason for this kind of naming, but only Microsoft engineers would know.


:idea: If you want to restore the application state, then you need to restore the PointPlanck.FileBot_* folder. It's a blackbox. Don't try to understand it. I don't understand it either. It's a Microsoft thing. Just restore the folder as a whole and don't worry about the details. FileBot itself doesn't even know where the files go. FileBot itself thinks it's using %APPDATA%/FileBot but the UWP runtime transparently redirects file system access to wherever the UWP framework wants app data files to go. (EDIT: on the bright side, the UWP framework will also redirect registry access and save registry settings to a file within the app data folder)
:idea: Please read the FAQ and How to Request Help.
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