[vbox-dev] QT GUI Snapshot Functionality renamed

[Sander van Leeuwen]

Johannes Rudolph wrote:
> Hi Sander,
> looking at your points i have some questions:
> />2) //multiple snapshots, discard last snapshot is indeed a merge 
> with its parent (diff images merged; parent saved state deleted)/
> how can parent have a saved state?  I always thought saved states do 
> only occur in the deepest level of the snapshot tree?
A snapshot is by definition a saved state plus a set of differencing 
disk images (which can be empty if no disks are attached to the VM).

> //
> />3) multiple snapshots, discard other (non-last) snapshot merges the 
> image diff with its child and deletes the saved state /
> which saved state is deleted? It makes sense the image is merged with 
> the child. Based on this i would rather suggest changing description 
> in UI to something like:
> "Merge Snapshot into Snapshot-Tree" and in the tooltip: "If the 
> Snapshot is at the deepest level of the snapshot tree it is merged 
> with its parent, else with its child snaphot"
The merge only takes place on the implementation level, because of the 
diff. disk dependencies. From the user's perspective the snapshot was 
deleted. There is no need to inform the user about technical details as 
that will only lead to confusion.

Regards,

Sander

> Does that make sense?
> Kind Regards,
> Johannes Rudolph
> On Mon, May 4, 2009 at 12:05 PM, Sander van Leeuwen 
> <Sander.Vanleeuwen at sun.com <mailto:Sander.Vanleeuwen at sun.com>> wrote:
>
>     Hi Johannes,
>
>     Your proposal is not completely correct either. Consider the
>     following cases:
>     1) one snapshot, discard is indeed a merge of the diff image with
>     its parent (main disk image)
>     2) multiple snapshots, discard last snapshot is indeed a merge
>     with its parent (diff images merged; parent saved state deleted)
>     3) multiple snapshots, discard other (non-last) snapshot merges
>     the image diff with its child and deletes the saved state
>
>     So basically the button and popup menu items should change
>     description according to the highlighted snapshot. (1 & 2 merge, 3
>     remains discard)
>
>     Regards,
>
>     Sander
>
>     Johannes Rudolph wrote:
>>
>>     Hi all,
>>
>>     This is my first contribution to VirtualBox, so please be so kind
>>     to notice me if im doing something horribly wrong :-)
>>
>>     I think button naming in QT GUI for the Snapshot functionality is
>>     confusing.
>>     "Discard Snapshot" /is /discarding the Snapshot, however it does
>>     so by /merging /it with the parent. This behaviour clearly is not
>>     described in the current description. As also suggested in this
>>     blog post
>>     http://srackham.wordpress.com/cloning-and-copying-virtualbox-virtual-machines/
>>     i therefore renamed the button to "Merge with Parent".
>>
>>     See also: Bug #1101 <http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/1101>
>>     Just to further underline my point that the current button naming
>>     is causing unnescessary confusion.
>>
>>     I also adapted the German translation accordingly, as its my
>>     native language.
>>
>>     It would also be nescessary to introduce a new button icon for
>>     this, however i'd first like to ask if this patch is likely to be
>>     approved. Im afraid i couldnt submit a correct svn patch, but i
>>     do currently do not have access to a subversion installation. The
>>     two files attached reside in:
>>     trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VirtualBox/nls/
>>     trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VirtualBox/src/
>>
>>     respectively.
>>
>>     Everything i submitted is subject to MIT License.
>>
>>     Would someone please be so kind to provide some feedback about my
>>     suggestion?
>>
>>     Kind Regards,
>>     Johannes Rudolph
>>
>>
>>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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>>       
>
>
>     -- 
>     Kind regards / Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Met vriendelijke groet
>
>     --
>
>     Sun Microsystems GmbH        Sander van Leeuwen
>     Werkstrasse 24               Senior Staff Engineer, VirtualBox
>     71384 Weinstadt, Germany     mailto:Sander.Vanleeuwen at sun.com
>
>
>     ================================================
>     Sitz der Gesellschaft: Sun Microsystems GmbH,
>     Sonnenallee 1, 85551 Kirchheim-Heimstetten
>     Amtsgericht Muenchen: HRB 161028
>     Geschaeftsfuehrer: Thomas Schroeder,
>     Wolfgang Engels, Dr. Roland Boehmer
>     Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates: Martin Haering
>     ================================================
>
>
>


-- 
Kind regards / Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Met vriendelijke groet

--

Sun Microsystems GmbH        Sander van Leeuwen
Werkstrasse 24               Senior Staff Engineer, VirtualBox
71384 Weinstadt, Germany     mailto:Sander.Vanleeuwen at sun.com


================================================
Sitz der Gesellschaft: Sun Microsystems GmbH,
Sonnenallee 1, 85551 Kirchheim-Heimstetten
Amtsgericht Muenchen: HRB 161028
Geschaeftsfuehrer: Thomas Schroeder,
Wolfgang Engels, Dr. Roland Boehmer
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates: Martin Haering
================================================

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