I have a few issues with the functionality of the macOS version of RM. I am using the trial version.
The red-icon button on a Window or panel in macOS should close the active window but should not quit the application. I had two windows opened. I returned to the main window. I expected my clicking on the standard red-icon close button would only close the main window. But, clicking the standard close-window button also quit from the application.
In all windows that have a right-most panel, I cannot close the right-most panel and keep it locked closed. As I slide the side-bar to the right, let go, and bring my mouse back, the panel re-opens. And then, it stays this way until I click again somewhere inside the currently active window.
(ps … I do not yet see where I can alter the view size of images that I post as I typically can in other Discourse forums. Perhaps I need higher user points???)
Open RM and then the database, especially if you have “Open last closed file” checked in the Settings, Program Settings. Otherwise clicking on a file outside of the program to open it may not open the file you clicked on. This is true for both the Windows and Mac versions.
Right side panel is not designed to close all the way.
This issue of not opening a file by double-clicking it has caught me out on the Windows version of RM9 as well - the “open last closed file” doesn’t actually affect this issue, it’s broken either way. (I appreciate I’m on an old version and maybe something’s changed in newer versions, but it’s not sounding like it). The .rmtree filetype is registered with the RootsMagic application, but trying to open a file from Explorer doesn’t work as per standard Windows functionality:
With the “Open last closed file” option checked, when I double-click a file, RootsMagic opens but it strictly opens the last file I had open, ignoring my request to open a specific file (it should override the “open last closed file” setting).
With the option unchecked, RootsMagic opens with no database, just bringing me to the default Home page where I have to choose a file to open. Again, this completely ignores my request to open a specific file.
On Windows, standard behaviour when selecting the Open action on a registered file-type is to run the application and open that file. Instead, RootsMagic is ignoring the request to open a specific file and is just launching the application.
This was specifically done in version 8 (and the later versions of course). There was some reason given for the change but I do not recall what it was…thus it is not broken by RM standards, it just doesn’t act like we have grown accustomed to programs acting.
Yes. Exactly. Also, two examples where the chosen approach adds friction.
Create a second .rmtree file to start a second family and/or to use as a test database. Now you have to hunt and search from within the RM app to find whatever database you want.
On macOS, option-drag the .rmtree file onto an Idea Space in Curio. This action creates an alias link to the .rmtree file. Unlike every other application (almost without exception), clicking on the alias does not open the file in its source application.
If all other apps can set their documents to open as default on either platform, why not RM?
Not technically. Here is RM when I drag the slider all the way to the right.
In summary, on macOS, the right hand panel can be closed all the way. And it does not lock in that fully closed position as the cursor is moved off the active window.
Otherwise, the ability to resize the right panel to any width is a frustrating distraction. Consider macOS apps such as Curio, OmniFocus, or Devonthink for examples of well-designed approaches to handle placing and resizing a right-hand panel on a main window.
Several others have already commented on this, but RM simply is not designed so as to double click an *.rmtree file and open the file in RM. It’s designed to start RM and then to “pick the file”. Well, “pick the file” can mean manually pick a file, or it can mean automatically open the last file that was closed, or it can mean always automatically open one particular file. But none of those options are particular compatible with “double click an *.rmtree file and the file opens in RM”. RM has worked this way for decades.
I don’t have a strong opinion on ideas to change the behavior. Even though there are lots of other file types where I regularly double click a file to open it in its app, I actually prefer to open the RM app first and then to pick the file to open.
On other Discourse forums, I can edit the raw HTML to include the relative size or I can change the viewing size directly in a three point setting (100%, 75%, 50%). Again, perhaps I am still not at that user level here.
I posit that this approach adds unwarranted friction to certain workflows. Two examples: Find the .rmtree file in a folder and double-click on it → fails! Make an alias/shortcut link to the .rmtree file, paste it as a URL in a workflow management app, double-click on the link → fails!
Please seriously reconsider to allow RM to open an .rmtree file by double-clicking on it.
@DrJJWMac not sure it has anything to do with being new to the forum
The forum changed a few months ago-- you use to automatically see a copy of what you was writing on the right side–which is where you could resize your images BEFORE or AFTER posting the message
Looking at my screenshot below–now you have to CLICK in the little box next to the A ( front of) and then you will see your message on the right and 50%-100% below any image
If you click on the box before the A and it doesn’t give you a window on right ( try a couple of times) then yes it would be do to your user level-- that said you are already at Basic–here is a link to explain the levels
Here is where the option is to use the new Rich Text editor vs. the old Markdown editor may be found. It is the old Markdown editor that shows you in the right hand panel what your message is going to look like.
As a sample size of 1, I find the new Rich Text editor to be a significant downgrade of functionality. But also as a sample size of 1, I find that if I switch back to the old Markdown editor one time, the forum software seems to remember it so that I don’t have to switch back each time I post a message.
If you click on the pencil icon of anything you posted and can NOT change the size of the image in the right panel, then I would assume it would be because of your trust level.
@DrJJWMac There have been several discussion ( mostly abt the same problem in Windows) such as this one on the subject…
Not sure why BUT I look at it this way-- if I’m going to read a PDF file, I just click on the file and I can read it BUT if I want to create it from scratch, I have to open the program 1st–same with Word Pad and almost every game I’ve ever played–in fact, every genealogy program I’ve ever used, I’ve had to open the program 1st–in my case , if I wanted to open RM 11 with file explorer, I would have to click on file explorer --then documents-- then RM 11 and then the file I wanted–whereas I can do it in 2 clicks with the program…
I feel like I’m just repeating myself, but I think the real culprit in the story is that RM has an option that most other software does not have. Namely, it’s the option to open the most recent database automatically when the program starts. I got burned by that option decades ago in the Family Origins database when I got a corrupted Family Origins database that was being opened automatically, and that meant that I couldn’t start Family Origins at all.l After that problem was resolved, I turned off the automatic options and have been a fairly happy camper ever since.
The reason I think this option is the culprit in the story is that I think this option gets in the way of RM being able to be opened by double clicking an *.rmtree file and then having that particular file be the one that’s opened. I’m not sure what the possibilities would be to have your cake and eat it, too. Which is to say, would it be possible to open the RM program directly and haveg it honor the option to open the most recent database, and still be able to double click an *.rmtree file and have RM to open that database instead of the most recent database.
And by the way, the “last database” concept is a little flakey anyway. You can have more than one RM database open at the same time. The “last database” is the last database closed, not the last database opened.
Most macOS apps have an option to define what to do on startup. One common option in this setting is to open the most recently closed window(s). Also, macOS has a global Settings toggle, whereby the default can be to open the most recent file when an app is opened.
In summary, on macOS, having permission settings in an app to toggle whether to open the most recently closed windows (or not) has never gotten in the way of always following a convention that double clicking a file opens it in the app that owns it.
Otherwise, with due respect, I am not asking to remove the current approach, whereby one can open the file(s) of choice after opening RM. Also with due respect to those who swear by the current approach, absent changes to follow macOS standards, RM introduces higher friction in some of my planned workflows.
