IrfanView: Saved file reverts to 'Clipboard'?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Terry Pinnell
  • Start date Start date
T

Terry Pinnell

That heading is probably a bit obscure. I'm not sure I'm using
IrfanView correctly. Suppose I've just saved 'Clipboard01' with a
specific filename, xyz.png. That name duly replaces 'Clipboard01' in
the title bar. But now I start to edit it. Let's say I add some text.
As soon as I do so, the name reverts to 'Clipboard01', and I have to
go through the Save As routine again. Is that correct behaviour? Does
it have some merit I'm overlooking? I'm familiar with the standard
approach in which successive edits can be followed (whenever I feel
necessary) by a simple one-click or one shortcut key command,
typically (ctrl+s)?
 
clipboard will only save 1 file at a time for copying or pasting. load your
file, do your playing, then save as, to the folder you got the original file
from but increase the title number, (to say file001), that way you`ve still
got the original. hope i understood you correctly. best wishes..J.
 
old john said:
clipboard will only save 1 file at a time for copying or pasting. load your
file, do your playing, then save as, to the folder you got the original file
from but increase the title number, (to say file001), that way you`ve still
got the original. hope i understood you correctly. best wishes..J.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I probably didn't explain clearly. My question was why
does IrfanView change the name back to 'Clipboard01' after you've
saved it with a file name, as soon as you continue working with it?
This is different to all other image editors I use. Because of this
reversion of a file to 'clipboard status', you cannot use a whole
range of IV editing commands. Nor can you use File>Open with External
Editor.

Try this:
1. Outside IV, copy some image to the clipboard, say using your screen
capture program, or simply the Print Scrn key.
2. Open IV, which opens a blank window, and paste that clipboard copy
in with Ctrl+v; title bar now contains 'Clipboard01 - IrfanView'
3. Use 'S' or File>Save As to save it as Test.png or whatever; title
bar now correctly shows full name, Test.png. That's the name I would
expect it to *keep*!
4. Click somewhere in the image, such as you would do if you were now
beginning to edit it, or merely fidgeting. The filename disappears,
replaced by 'Clipboard01'. And all the normal editing functionality is
lost. To regain access to it, you have to use File>Open, locate the
file again, and reopen it.

I regard that as a design flaw, but I've been wrong so often before
that I'd appreciate comments please. Have I perhaps misunderstood
something basic here, and there's some benefit of this behaviour that
I've overlooked?
 
4. Click somewhere in the image, such as you would do if you were now
beginning to edit it, or merely fidgeting. The filename disappears,
replaced by 'Clipboard01'.
Click to expand...

I get to that point
And all the normal editing functionality is
lost.
Click to expand...

That doesn't happen here, all the editing functions still work
 
Try this:
1. Outside IV, copy some image to the clipboard, say using your screen
capture program, or simply the Print Scrn key.
2. Open IV, which opens a blank window, and paste that clipboard copy
in with Ctrl+v; title bar now contains 'Clipboard01 - IrfanView'
3. Use 'S' or File>Save As to save it as Test.png or whatever; title
bar now correctly shows full name, Test.png. That's the name I would
expect it to *keep*!
4. Click somewhere in the image, such as you would do if you were now
beginning to edit it, or merely fidgeting. The filename disappears,
replaced by 'Clipboard01'. And all the normal editing functionality is
lost. To regain access to it, you have to use File>Open, locate the
file again, and reopen it.

I regard that as a design flaw, but I've been wrong so often before
that I'd appreciate comments please. Have I perhaps misunderstood
something basic here, and there's some benefit of this behaviour that
I've overlooked?
Click to expand...

I've duplicated in version 3.97 what you describe above, except for
the loss of editing functionality. The name definitely reverts to
Clipboard01. I too think it's a design flaw or a bug. You should try
sending your above description to Irfan Skiljan <[email protected]>
who is very conscientious about fixing bugs.

If you prefer, I can send the report to him. I am a registered user of
IrfanView.
 
Vic Dura said:
I've duplicated in version 3.97 what you describe above, except for
the loss of editing functionality. The name definitely reverts to
Clipboard01. I too think it's a design flaw or a bug. You should try
sending your above description to Irfan Skiljan <[email protected]>
who is very conscientious about fixing bugs.

If you prefer, I can send the report to him. I am a registered user of
IrfanView.
Click to expand...

Thanks both. Are you 100% sure you still have access to all
functionality? For example, File>Open with External Editor?

Vic: I'm registered too. Just emailed Irfan.
 
Thanks both. Are you 100% sure you still have access to all
functionality? For example, File>Open with External Editor?
Click to expand...

No, I'm not sure about loosing *all* edit functionality, but I am 100%
sure that I was able to edit > cut selection and edit > crop. It would
take too long to test *all* the editing functions as a QA dweeb would
do.
Vic: I'm registered too. Just emailed Irfan.
Click to expand...

Glad to see you're registered. He'll look into it.

If ever there was freeware that deserved a registration or donation
it's: IrfanView, Mozilla, Total Uninstall, and MailWasher. I couldn't
live without them.
 
........................
Thanks both. Are you 100% sure you still have access to all
functionality? For example, File>Open with External Editor?

Vic: I'm registered too. Just emailed Irfan.
Click to expand...

All editing functionality. No File >Open with External Editor
does not work but then I would not expect it to as it is not a file;
see message at bottom of the window.

I'm not sure that it is a flaw or bug. If you're going to edit
an image off the clipboard why save it first. If you want to keep
track of changes then it's behaving how I would expect it (rather like
Save Copy As) but it's late and need to think it through.
 
Vic Dura said:
Saved file reverts to 'Clipboard'? Terry Pinnell


No, I'm not sure about loosing *all* edit functionality, but I am 100%
sure that I was able to edit > cut selection and edit > crop. It would
take too long to test *all* the editing functions as a QA dweeb would
do.


Glad to see you're registered. He'll look into it.

If ever there was freeware that deserved a registration or donation
it's: IrfanView, Mozilla, Total Uninstall, and MailWasher. I couldn't
live without them.
Click to expand...

Thanks both.

I was mistaken; the *only* functions lost are those that are
associated with files, including that single 'editing' function I
specified. (That gets a lot of use here!) I've now checked all others
and they are retained.

I look forward to Irfan's response, but I'm now sure it's a bug or
design flaw. You should not have to re-open an already saved file to
have IV treat it as a file!
 
All editing functionality. No File >Open with External Editor
does not work but then I would not expect it to as it is not a file;
see message at bottom of the window.

I'm not sure that it is a flaw or bug. If you're going to edit
an image off the clipboard why save it first. If you want to keep
track of changes then it's behaving how I would expect it (rather like
Save Copy As) but it's late and need to think it through.
Click to expand...

True for an image pasted into memory, except that having used File >
SaveAs the user has clearly indicated the intention to save as a file.

However you do have a good point. Consider this: A user pastes an
image into memory and wants to make several changes, each change saved
as a separate file. Then the current behavior would indeed be correct
and logical. The File > SaveAs is taken to mean exactly what is say
Save as A File, not change focus to the file. I can now see a rational
logic for the current behavior. It may indeed not be a bug, but a WAD
(Works As Designed).

In any case, the work-around is to remember to do a File > Open after
a File > SaveAs to change the focus from the image in memory to the
file.
 
..................... Suppose I've just saved 'Clipboard01' with a
specific filename, xyz.png. That name duly replaces 'Clipboard01' in
the title bar. But now I start to edit it. Let's say I add some text.
As soon as I do so, the name reverts to 'Clipboard01', and I have to
go through the Save As routine again....................
Click to expand...

Search for the file xyz.png and see where it is. You could you have
saved the file to an unintended folder and when you edit it you are
working on the original in a different folder.

I have done this :-(
 
Search for the file xyz.png and see where it is. You could you have
saved the file to an unintended folder and when you edit it you are
working on the original in a different folder.

I have done this :-(
Click to expand...

Thanks, but no. See the rest of the thread.
 
Terry Pinnell said:
Thanks both.

I was mistaken; the *only* functions lost are those that are
associated with files, including that single 'editing' function I
specified. (That gets a lot of use here!) I've now checked all others
and they are retained.

I look forward to Irfan's response, but I'm now sure it's a bug or
design flaw. You should not have to re-open an already saved file to
have IV treat it as a file!
Click to expand...

Irfan emailed back. It's *not* a bug, but deliberate design. Here's
his reply in full:

-------
You mean after save?

The main problem is: usually, you are in a folder when you work with
IrfanView. (most people use it for browsing).
Now, if you use save-as and save the file in a different folder AND if
you want to get new name, IrfanView should also change the folder ...
but, this is what most users don't really want, they want to stay in
old folder and browse old images.

=> this is intentional.

Maybe later, as option ...
-------

I see the rationale, but my view remains unchanged. I still think that
having SAVED a file, I should not have to locate and open it again to
continue working on it.

And, in the steps I described, I am not browsing, and have no folders
open in IV. But even if I decide first which folder I want to work in
(i.e. the location for any files I am about to save), and I then start
by first 'browsing' that folder, I still get the same problem, of
course. Having saved the newly pasted image (in that folder), I cannot
continue working on it without re-opening it.

So I hope it does make it into a future release as an option at some
stage!
 
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