Hello Pablo, Pablo Sanchez wrote:
> For this example, let's assume the following state of affairs: > > Snapshot 1 > +---> Snapshot 2 > +---> Current State > > and our VM is currently paused. > > Summary of Changes > ================== > For those folks who don't want to read all the details, here are > suggested menu label changes for Snapshots: > > Menu Labels > Current Suggested > ---------------------------------- ----------------------------- > Revert to Current Snapshot Revert to Current State > > Discard Current Snapshot and State Discard Current State and the > Previous Snapshot > > Discard Snapshot Merge Current State with the > Previous Snapshot The two last terms are at least too long for menu labels (which is one of the basic requirements). But see more below. > Use Case with Comments > ====================== > What I'd like to do is run through a scenario and provide the feedback > at distinct steps. > > Use Case > -------- > If I select 'Current State', I'm allowed three options: > > 1) Revert to Current Snapshot > 2) Discard Current Snapshot and State > 3) Take Snapshot > > If you select 1), it means any changes to the VM from when the > 'Current State' was snapped, will be lost. We revert to when the > Snapshot was taken. > > Feedback > -------- > I think the menu label 'Revert to Current Snapshot' should be changed > to > > Revert to Current State It's not really clear for me why you want to replace the term "Current Snapshot" with the term "Current State". The current state is what is happening now, it is not what was snapped. The term "Current" applied to the snapshot only means that this particular snapshot is what the current state is "based" on. Here, "based on" means that the current state inherits all the settings and hard disk data of the current snapshot and uses them as its own unless some setting is changed or a hard disk sector is written (in which case the current state is no longer identical to the current snapshot unless reverted to it again). > Use Case (cont) > --------------- > If you select 2) (Discard Current Snapshot and State), we end up with: > > Snapshot 1 > +---> Current State > > Feedback > -------- > I believe to match what's being displayed in the tree, it might make > sense to change 'Discard Current Snapshot and State' to: > > Discard Current State and the Previous Snapshot > > It's a subtle difference but it ties the menu item with the graphical > label. Also, it works well with the next suggestion below. (Or I > think it it does! <g>). Same replacement of "snapshot" with "state" as above. > Use Case (cont) > --------------- > Re-create my previous environment, I have the following: > > Snapshot 1 > +---> Snapshot 2 > +---> Current State > > If I select 'Snapshot 2', I have one option: > > Discard Snapshot > > When I select it, I end up with this: > > Snapshot 1 > +---> Current State (changed) > > What's happened is the 'Current State' has been merged with > 'Snapshot 2': any changes made in 'Current State' are rolled into > 'Snapshot 2', with the results creating a new 'Current State (changed). Using 'Merge' instead of 'Discard' is the key point here I see. Both terms have a right to live, but I already posted to this list why I don't like the former: it requires two objects (merge what with what) while the latter requires only one. As I understand, others don't like 'Discard' because it means they will lose their data. But it's true. They will indeed lose: a) All VM settings stored in Snapshot 2 (i.e. what media was attached when this snapsgot was taken, what video memory side the VM had by then, etc.). b) Contents of those hard disk blocks that were later overwritten while the VM was running in the current state after taking Snapshot 2. For example, if, by the time Snapshot 2 was taken, file C:\my.txt contained the text "123" that was later changed to "456", then after discarding Snapshot 2 the version of my.txt that contained "123" would be permanently lost. So "merge" and "discard" are basically two different points of view to the same operation. "Merge" looks from the current state's position while "discard" looks from the discarded snapshot's position. I don't think it really makes big difference once you understand all the details. And if you don't understand them properly, ether of the words may cause you to make a mistake :) Anyway, as Michael already said the new Snapshot UI is being prepared; we'll see what we will eventually get. Thank you for your interest, -- Regards, Dmitry A. Kuminov _______________________________________________ vbox-users mailing list [email protected] http://vbox.innotek.de/mailman/listinfo/vbox-users
