Preferences 

The dialog for the preferences of the Digester software shows an overview of the supported units on the left side. The viewing mode may be set to either Options Tree or Symbol List (see figure). Both the symbols and tree nodes are clickable, the settings of the selected units are presented on the right side of the dialog.

By clicking the Cancel button, the current changes may be rejected. You can enter a search pattern in the input field to search for. The matching units are then displayed on the left side, the matches are highlighted on the right side to be easily identified. The search can be stopped with the red X button, then all units are being shown again.

With the arrow buttons above the list you can expand or collapse the tree (tree mode only). These functions can be called also from the context menu of the units (right mouse button). Here you can find the additional menues Restore Unit Defaults and Restore All Units, if you like to reset the settings for a single or multiple units.

When option units are reset your pending changes will be lost. Please backup your preferences prior to resetting, you can use the export preferences function to achieve this. Backups may be imported again with the import preferences function.

The preferences can be displayed also with shortcuts (Windows/Mac) or from the tool bar by clicking a button.

Files

Here you can find the settings for processing files with the program. If OpenPGP files are written, the header may contain a single-line text (Version, optional). This text is arbitrary and may contain information like copyrights or your name or your company's name. The signature files headers created by the generate window are not influenced by this option.

The options Use default icons and types is used to display network files which are listed for instance by the network filesystem window. Here, a file symbol and the file type is being displayed where this pieces of information are provided by the underlying operating system (see file system window). It is not possible for network files so that either default symbols (document) and default types (file, folder etc.) may be shown or as an alternative you may choose the Use local icons and types (costly) option. Here, a temporary local file is created in order to determine the network file type. This may be very costly and may slow down the program's speed significantly. This effect may be reduced a little if a fast cache is used where previously determined file symbols and types may be used again. Please activate the Use fast cache option for this.

File Types

Several file types are already supported by the software. Graphics files in the formats PNG and GIF may be displayed within the document window, XML files may also be edited there etc. The list shows the configured file types with the associated file extensions. If selected then the input field above may be used to edit the extensions. Multiple extensions must be separated with space characters in order to support arbitrary extensions. Changes are being displayed immediately by the list.

You can configure for each file extension how the type should be determined by the program. Normally the option Simple extensions should be sufficient which means that the file types must end with one of the configured extensions. For example the files test.zip, test.ZIP, test.Zip are recognized with a configured zip extension. If the case of writing (lower/upper) should matter then please choose the Case sensitive option.

Regular expressions are much more flexible and also file names beginning with a number or special characters may be recognized. Please choose the Regular expression option for this. You'll find the details on how regular expressions are used in section Regular Expressions.

For some of the listed extensions it can be configured how files should be opened or edited (Open and Edit). This is always possible if the program has an internal feature implemented to view the contained data (document window). You may choose for open or edit action separately if it is executed by the Application or by the System (operating system).

Please keep in mind that the system execution depends heavily on the used operating system and it may show no reaction at all. Under Window operating systems for example the WordPad is opened if this program has been configured as the default viewer for the selected file.

Data Limits

The Maximum number of files to check/generate/synchronize option controls how many files are allowed to check, generate, and synchronize digests/signatures. This option helps to avoid unnecessary program errors (e.g. due to a large memory consumption). If it becomes clear right before the checking that too many files are going to be processed then the GUI version of the program shows a dialog window where you must explicitely confirm to continue. The command-line version of the software will abort at an early stage. Please enter a plausible numeric value into the field (default is 1000 files).

Data limits should be adjusted appropriately also to compensate inout errors to some extent. For example a digest calculation may be started accidentally for a whole drive, then this process may be cancelled before data is unnecessarily processed.

 

Like the number of files also the amount of processed data may be limited. The total size of the processed files is calculated and compared with the value Maximum amount of data to check/generate/synchronize before digests/signatures are being checked, generated, or synchronized. If the maximum amount of data is exceeded, then the GUI version of the program shows a dialog window where you must explicitely confirm to continue. The command-line version of the software will abort at an early stage.

Please enter a plausible numeric value into the field (default is 1G = 1 gigabyte). You may can use the commonly used abbreviations (K)ilobytes, (M)egabytes, (G)igabytes and (T)erabytes here, where a postive number must be specified in the first place. Faulty input is highlighted here.

Download

Here you can setup the download options of the program like the download directory: 

Within the configuration directory of the program (like .digester-1.6.x) which is always located in the user's home directory, a special directory is being created for downloads. Here all downloads of the Digester software may be downloaded (Application download directory). If you like to use a different directory please select the Fixed directory option and click the button with the dots in order to choose a directory. If you like to decide from file to file please select the Ask me before a resource is downloaded option.

Besides the specific limitations for check, generate, and synchronize (see section Data Limits), also downloads can be limited to a certain extent:

The Maximum number of files to download option controls how many files are allowed to be downloaded. This option helps to avoid unnecessary program errors (e.g. due to a large memory consumption). If it becomes clear right before the download that too many files are going to be processed then the GUI version of the program shows a dialog window where you must explicitely confirm to continue. The command-line version of the software will abort at an early stage. Please enter a plausible numeric value into the field (default is 100 files).

Like the number of files also the amount of processed data may be limited. The total size of the processed files is calculated and compared with the value Maximum amount of data to download. If the maximum amount of data is exceeded, then the GUI version of the program shows a dialog window where you must explicitely confirm to continue. The command-line version of the software will abort at an early stage.

Please enter a plausible numeric value into the field (default is 1G = 1 gigabyte). You may can use the commonly used abbreviations (K)ilobytes, (M)egabytes, (G)igabytes and (T)erabytes here, where a postive number must be specified in the first place. Faulty input is highlighted here.

Docking Windows

The docking windows of the Digester software are the central components of the program and allow for several options to be configured here: 

Docking windows may be shown/hidden using either the dock button or the separate window decoration. If a window must be hidden quickly without grabbing the mouse (for example because other persons could read critical data) then the ESCAPE button can be configured for this (option Enable ESCAPE to hide windows).

Some docking windows are often displayed in separate windows (e.g. the sync window). If such a window is being closed different kinds of behavior are possible which may be configured here. In the normal case the window is moved back to the dock in order to show it again at the new place (active window, option Move window to dock and show). A slightly different behavior is the option Move window to dock and hide where the window is not displayed by the dock afterwards. The variant Close window completely finally does not move to the dock but disabled the windows completely. It may be restored at any time with the menu Window -> Docking Windows.

If separate windows exist you can control the behavior here slighty. If the main window is being minimized then also the separate windows can be minimized, too (Automatically iconify separate windows) so that all program windows are in the same state. If the main window is being restored (displayed on the screen again) then also the separate windows can be restored. Please select the Automatically deiconify (restore) separate windows option here.

File System Window

This unit provides settings for the file system window

If the program gets started or the file system window is opened then it shows an initial directory which you can configure here. The Root directory is determined by the underlying operating system, under UNIX this directory is the root /. The User's home directory is determined by the underlying operating system, too, under UNIX this is /home/bobby for example.

If you work frequently with the file system window and it is useful to always start with the previous settings again, then please choose the Restore previous directory option. If you like to use a different directory instead, then the option Fixed directory is your friend. You can choose a directory with the button with the dots.

Network File System Window

Provides the settings of the network file system window

If the program gets started or the network file system window is opened with the menu then it shows an initial set of sessions each listing the files and directories. You can configure this behaviour here.

If you like to start with an empty network file system window then choose the No connections option. If you work frequently with the network file system window and it is useful to always start with the previous settings again, then please choose the Restore previous sessions option.

Please keep in mind that all required connection parameters like user names and passwords must be present in order to successfully reestablish previous sessions. If the password has not been stored the last time then it must be entered now again. Please select the Display settings before connection is established option in Edit Connections. You will be prompted to enter your credentials if the connection is going to be established.

 

  Please keep in mind that the network functionality is not supported by the Basic Edition and the Standard Edition.

Document Window

Shows the configuration options of the document window

If the program gets started ot the document window is opened using the menu then it starts showing local or network resources. Which documents are automatically loaded can be configured here.

If you like to start with an empty document window please choose the No documents option. If you work frequently with the document window and it is useful to always start with the previous settings again, then please choose the Restore previous documents option. Please remember that the resources must still exist and must be accessible in order to be restored (e.g. the network connection must be available).

When a document or the document window ot the whole application are closed then the question is how to proceed with pending document changes. The option Ask me what to do with changed files shows a dialog where you can choose on how to continue (save or reject). The option Save changed files automatically when closed allows one to automatically save changes when a document becomes closed. In order to reject changes by default please choose the Close changed files without saving (changes are lost) option.

When edited documents are closed without saving your pending changes will be lost and may not be restored with the program.

The Maximum number of files to open/edit option controls how many files are allowed to be opened or edited. This option helps to avoid unnecessary program errors (e.g. due to a large memory consumption). If it becomes clear right that too many files are going to be processed then the GUI version of the program shows a dialog window where you must explicitely confirm to continue. The command-line version of the software will abort at an early stage. Please enter a plausible numeric value into the field (default is 25 files).

Like the number of files also the amount of opened data may be limited. The size of the files is compared with the value Maximum file size to open/edit before a file is opened. If the maximum file size is exceeded, then the GUI version of the program shows a dialog window where you must explicitely confirm to continue.

Please enter a plausible numeric value into the field (default is 10M = 10 megabyte). You may can use the commonly used abbreviations (K)ilobytes, (M)egabytes, (G)igabytes and (T)erabytes here, where a postive number must be specified in the first place. Faulty input is highlighted here.

Dialogs

This unit provides the following dialog options:

If tasks like file downloads or digest checks are processed the task dialog is presented by the application by default. Here you can find the messages of the program, the progress etc. If a task has been successfully finished and the Close when finished flag has been selected then the dialog automatically disappears after a certain period of time. Please enter a plausible numeric value into the Auto-close timeout x milliseconds field (default is 1500 milliseconds = 1.5 seconds). Faulty input is highlighted here.

Disabled Dialogs

Here, dialogs can be reactivated (shown again) which have been disabled before. Many of the program dialogs provide support for the Do not show again flag on the left side (text may vary), if the dialog should not be displayed again. This is useful for dialogs that appear again and again showing well-known messages after input errors or due to special program states.

The list shows the dialog type, the description, and the current state of the dialog (enabled/disabled). If the Do not show again flag has been selected for a dialog then the flag in the Enabled column is not selected here. You may reactivate disabled dialogs by setting the Enabled flag so that the dialog will be shown again the next time.

If you like to enabled or disable all dialogs at once please click on the Enable All or Disable All buttons.

Drag & Drop

Files and directories may be easily exchanged between the file system window, the network file system window and other docking windows. Here you can configure which drag & drop actions are allowed. Currently the Digester supports dragging files from the file system and network file system window and dropping into the sync window. Source and targets sets may be assembled very easily this way.

The list shows the drag & drop type, the description, and the current state of the action (enabled/disabled). You may reactivate disabled drag & drop actions by setting the Enabled flag so that the action is possible again.

If the drag & drop turns out to be not useful for your daily work you may disable drag & drop completely with the Enable Drag & Drop flag at the top. If you like to enabled or disable all actions at once please click on the Enable All or Disable All buttons.

Miscellaneous

Here you can find the settings that do not fit into the other categories:

Typically the memory controller is displayed if a certain threshold value is reached (default: 75%). Then memory should be released, dialogs should be closed, or the available memory size should be increased by settings a parameter. For extremely high memory consumption near 100% the application should be terminated in order to avoid data loss. Please enter the value 0 here to always display the memory controller, the value 100 never displays this component.

The program may "hang" in certain situations, the GUI does not respond here. You can easily detect such a state with a look at the integrated digital watch. During a hang the time value is not being updated and the value remains. This behavior may be triggered for example if network connections break down or if the program waits for network drives. Many hang situations may be properly detected and unlocked successfully so that working with the program is possible again.

Please enter a plausible numeric value into the Detect and unlock hanging GUI after x seconds field (default is 15 seconds). Faulty input is highlighted here. If selected the program creates a dialog in such situations. Customers with Premium Support option may send a status report for the error to be analyzed by the Leisenfels support.

Please enter a plausible numeric value into the Scale fonts field (default is 100%). Faulty input is highlighted here. You can use e.g. 125% in order to display larger fonts or e.g. 80% in order to decrease the font size. You can calibrate the font size also with the Fonts menu or with the keyboard shortcuts.

Support

Here you can configure how status reports are being collected. The list shows the available categories for the status report, the description, as well as the current state, whether the category is to be transferred or not (Enabled column). You can reactivate disabled categories by selecting the flag in the Enabled column so that data portions of that category are being collected again. If you like to enabled or disable all categories in the list at once please click on the Enable All or Disable All buttons.

Currently the following types of data can be transmitted within a status report: 

The status report functionality currently is reserved for customers with Premium Support option.

 

Energy Saving

This section contains the functions to save energy (auto-off). If long running tasks are being executed by the application like the search for files then the program may be configured so that the computer is turned off after all tasks have finished. This makes sense for tasks which are started before closing time and that take some time to finish unattendedly. It would be a waste of energy to keep the computer running the whole night through. 

The commands to be configured here are deposited as far as possible. For single operating systems it may be necessary to adjust the commands for specialties (like being run as administrator). For the standby mode the Exit option can be set so that the program is terminated before the computer goes to standby mode.

In order to prevent from accidentally auto-off the program shows a dialog right before the auto-off where the action can be cancelled for a certain period of time. This time to wait in seconds may be adjusted here.

The auto-off function can be started by using the button found in the status bar of the program once tasks are executed in the background.

Additional Links