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[dougc]

Dougc,
The right click menu has it's 3 top items adjusting to the last 3 commands used. Each time you use a command it remembers which you used last and saves it to the top of the menu. It's similar to the Windows XP start menu where it remembers the last used programs.

If you are doing a lot of tagging this means that your tagging tools will be one click away - great. If your going through your songs playing them as you seem to be, then it will remember this and show the 3 play commands you used most at the top so they're where you want them.
It means it's adapting to whatever task your doing so that that task is easier and faster. It's amazing once you get used to it.

Thanks for the response.

I understand what the right click menu is doing.  It's a most recently used cache of actions.  The problem is that you can't get used to it.  It may be similar to the XP start menu but it's not nearly as sophisticated.  The XP start menu won't put something in the MRU list just because you run it once, it doesn't put trivial stuff like about boxes in the list, it replaces rather than moves items when adding new ones to the list and the number of items can be configured.

Any of the following would be reasonable compromises in my opinion:  make the menu lockable like the XP taskbar or IE6 toolbars, make it possible to disable the MRU cache and use a static menu as before, push the MRU cache down in the menu and restore the old static items at the top.  There are probably other good solutions.

As it stands now, I think when this program is released people are going to be doing a big old "what the?" when they see that menu changing just because they brought up the about box.

Doug

[nila]

Doug,
Your right about many of your points.
It's not as sophisticated and thats because it's only JUST been added. MJ might be in late beta development stages but this feature was only added around 3 builds or so back and so is relatively new and unsophisticated. It's more like in it's alpha stages than late beta and is going to be worked on I'm sure over the coming builds quite a bit.

Some items dont belong stuck at the top - about boxes definitely dont, rating -5, probably doesn't either unless your planning to give all your songs the same rating as you gave the last one etc.
All these things I'm sure will be tweaked though if you just give it a chance.
In terms of useability it makes MJ sooo much faster though and more adaptive to the tasks that are currently being performed.

I think you'll find people will go: 'what the?' when they first see it. Followed by: 'wow, thats so cool' after they've got used to it.

Give it a chance to develop and I'm sure you'll love it too

[dougc]

Give it a chance to develop and I'm sure you'll love it too

Yeah, that's no problem.  I'm just whining to help make sure it develops in the right direction .

Doug

[nila]

lol.

I was just soo happy when my whines finally resulted in it developing in the direction it's in now.
The sticky top was purely a case of MJ doing what they always do though.
Taking our ideas, then making them 10 times easier and better than we suggested before implementing them.
I think they just like to get one up on us


I'm guessing your british too from the fact your on so early.

[dougc]

I'm guessing your british too from the fact your on so early.

Nope, I'm actually in Ohio, USA.  I just have a bad habit of staying up all night.

Have a good day.

Doug

[Marty3d]

Noticed one thing about this feature though... There is a song that refuses to go away, and I have no idea what I might have done to get it on the list it just says:
8. Pretenders - Get Close - 10 - Hymn to her

Cheers!

[Doof]

The sticky thing actually doesn't help me at all.

I tend to do 4 things to every song I add (once the tags are filled out correctly).

1. Clean File Properties.
2. Rename File from File Properties.
3. Analyze Audio.
4. Move\Copy Disk File to its new location.

So once I'm done, guess what? I have to start all over again as the step I'm currently working for has been pushed off the list. And If I've just played something, then it just exacerbates the problem.

If it held the last 4 items, it would be better.

But I'm constantly finding some items that I wish would just stay at the top level permanently. Like Play (just plain Play). And Delete. I don't mind hunting down a level for the other things I mentioned above. I had to do that before.

Play & Delete just seem, to me, to be the absolute most common commands I use. I don't know about anybody else.

Maybe there should be two sections of the sticky part? One where the Last Used items go, and one where the Most Often Used items go?

[nila]

Hopefully, it'll eventually just evolve to the XP start menu where you can choose:

• How many items it remembers
  
• Right click on items and choose 'stick to start menu' so that they always show and are never pushed away.
  
• Items that never stick
  
  If this happens it'll solve everyones problems.
  It's early days though so we'll just have to see.
  Also the fact they're rushing to release it for some reason or other (to be revealed to us shortly so says Jim ) means it probably wont happen till MJ9.1 - the sequal!

[Doof]

How do you right click on an item that's in the right click menu?

[nila]

lol.
It's possible, you just right click to bring up the menu, from that point on your just browsing it and using your normal mouse button. It could be programmed to give you options if you right click on it

Alternatively however there's always the solution of making an options screen for the menu.
It would have:

• Number of sticky items
  
• a list with all the actions in it. For each action you could then choose one of the following options:
  - Stick to Right Click Menu
  - Never Stick
  
  These are all just ideas though. I'm sure they're going to refine it in time.
  Dont pin me down, I'm just guessing the future (hides his crystal ball)

[Doof]

In any standard Windows GUI, right clicking on a menu item inside a right click menu causes that menu item to be activated.

I think it would probably take some substantial amount of work to override that behavior. And even if they could do it, I don't think they should. Breaking standards is a no-no. You could end up with new users not even knowing the feature was there, and people (like me) who instinctively click on a right click menu item with the right mouse button. I started the action with the right mouse button, I intend to finish it with that button.

Some sort of customization screen for the menu would be nice, but again, you're looking at some substantial amount of work to incorporate that.

I have a feeling we won't be seeing anything like that anytime soon. Probably not even in 9.1 or even 10. But who knows? MJ8's MEGA-ME skinning was a big suprise, and a real late addition. It would be nice, though, if we could completely customize the menu.

For now, I would be happy if the number of sticky items would grow to about 4. Even happier if its behavior was changed slightly to keep the Most Used items at the top instead of the Most RECENTLY Used.

Most Recently Used changes so frequently that it's quicker to assume that the item you're looking for isn't there, than it is to first check and see. Most Used would change more slowly, and would actually adapt more to your individual usage.

[nila]

lol.
Like I said, I was just throwing ways of doing it around with the 'right click the menu item thing'. It wasn't suggesting they'd do it like that.
Way too complicated to manage (which items have I right clicked etc to not stick blah blah blah).
An options screen would make more sense but again, I'm just saying. For me it works great so I'm not complaining.

Most used is good in terms of long term useage but the problem is that it just kind of forms a long term permenant menu.
The current one adapts to what your doing which is perfect for me as it has the tools I need when tagging, the ones I need when playing, the ones I need when burning etc etc.

Customising the number remembered would probably sort out most people. Anyway, I'm happy
lol.