Opus cannot retrieve icon from filepath containing a GlobalVariable

[Leo]

@brianm

the reason is that I find it easier to use the ManageDopusVariables script you've kindly provided here, to manage that sort of config.

This script: Global Variable Management Dialog ? (That's by another user, not from us, FWIW.)

That's a UI for editing variables. Not much different to the UI for editing aliases.

In fact, at the bottom of that thread I suggested you use aliases instead of variables for what you are doing:

Global Variable Management Dialog

See wowbagger's post just above for the correct syntax for using variables outside of scripts. You may also want to look at Folder Aliases as an alternative to variables for what you are doing. These two pages describe most of their details: Basi…

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@brianm

I regularly use Opus from a USB-stick,
and at client sites, I can't always change its drive letter to something consistent.

There is a built-in /homeroot alias which will get you the root (drive letter) of the drive which dopus.exe is on. You don't need to create any aliases (or variables) if that is all you need.

You can also use the User Data folder within your Opus config directory. If you put your icons into there and reference them via /dopusdata/User Data then they will always be available via that alias, whether on a SSD/HDD or USB install, and they will also be included in config backups as a bonus.

@brianm

However, it seems from this and other occurrences, that when GP adds
a feature, GP doesn't go through and systematically analyse all the places
it might be used, and ensure (i.e. test) the correct operation of the feature.

Aliases can be used almost everywhere.

Variables are a lot more specialised and esoteric. There is no reason to be using variables for what you're doing.

@brianm

........ but the ManageDopusVariables does not make it clear which one of those
........ it manages (i.e. global), one has to read examples to gain that clarity.

We didn't write ManageDopusVariables. It's nothing to do with us.

@brianm

Also, in terms of variable use,
and in particular making Opus on USB easily configured to re-use local configuration,

The /home, /homeroot and /dopusdata aliases all take care of that. Everything you need should be handled by built-in aliases.

@brianm

As another example, some years ago, I suggested that collections would benefit from being able to be displayed in flat view.

The response I got was "why would anyone want to do that".

I'm not sure what relevance that has to this discussion? But Collections are already a flat view of things from multiple folders so the idea needs some explanation if you want us to implement it. If you want to advocate for that, please start a separate thread.

@brianm

OK , flat view, in the file system
... so where else do we find files but not in the file system

1. Obvious, FTP / SFTP
2. Ahhh, add value unique to Opus - in Collections

I am not sure what this means, sorry.

@brianm

GP did this for file descriptions, using the descript.ion system for non-NTFS
file systems.

The descript.ion system dates back to the MS-DOS days, and predates NTFS description support in Opus. We didn't invent it. (Not sure how this is relevant to getting icon paths either.)