st: wishlist - active dataset name in title bar

[Fred Wolfe <fwolfe@arthritis-research.org>]

I agree with Nick, but would like to suggest that the problem is somewhat 
worse. Right now I have 3 copies of Stata running (Windows XP Pro).

The task bar (the bar at the bottom of the Windows screen) shows:

3 copies of "Stata do file" and I can't tell which is which.
1 copy each of Stata/SE 8.2, 2-Stata/SE 8.2 and 3-Stata/SE 8.2. When the 
task bar gets crowded, I can't tell Stata/SE from Stata do file, as the 
truncation obscures the end of the description.

Given the problems of the world, this is a minor nuisance, but a nuisance 
nevertheless.

Here are some possible suggestions. I recognize that other would do it 
another way.

As I use an external text editor, I paste code into the Stata do file 
window, but never deliberately click in the do file in the task bar. 
Instead, from Stata: control-8, control-a, control-b is much easier and 
runs whatever I need. So would it be possible as an option not to show the 
Stata do files in the task bar? Then I would only have 3 Stata copies in 
task bar, not 6.

Second, could there be different logos on the task bar and/or colors for 
the windows associated with each copy so that each copy could be identified 
more easily. I suspect that this may be difficult to do.

Fred Wolfe

At 04:56 AM 6/2/2004, you wrote:

> The principle of uniformity across platforms
> is very important in Stataland, but not
> an absolute. There are now lots of platform-specific
> features, often tiny details which make things just
> a little easier.
>
> I wouldn't want StataCorp to put something like
> this on the Mac version if it was alien to that
> OS, but at least for Windows, this seems natural
> and useful to me. I often have multiple Statas open, and even
> with two I can get confused on which is using
> which dataset.
>
> On the specific problem, one answer is
> provided by my favourite text editor.
> At present I have multiple copies of that
> open and the bars show names like
>
> whatever.ado (c:\ado\...
>
> somethingelse.ado (c:...
>
> In short, the filename should go first
> and the rest of the path afterwards. There
> is almost never enough space for more than
> a bit of the full name, but there is usually
> enough space to provide some useful information.
>
> Nick
> n.j.cox@durham.ac.uk
>
> David Vaughan
>
> > On 01/06/2004, at 16:33, "Syed Gillani"
> > <syed@saudionline.com.sa> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > I mean that the Title bar (the top blue bar in stata window
> > that reads
> > > "Intercooled Stata 8.2") should mention the name of current
> > dataset in
> > > memory, like "Intercooled Stata 8.2 (abc.dta)" for the
> > first window and
> > > "2-Intercooled Stata 8.2 (lmn.dta)" or "3-Intercooled Stata 8.2
> > > (xyz.dta)"
> > > for other windows, if one has multiple sessions running.
> >
> > No thanks, because it is not a general solution for supported Stata
> > platforms. I am quite happy to see the file name as the header of the
> > Results window for the active data set but putting it in the
> > title bar
> > that reads "intercooled Stata 8.2" becomes the menu bar on Mac. Names
> > somewhat longer than "abc.dta" e.g.
> > "Intercooled Stata 8.2 - Capacity Mid-range November 2003 set 2.dta"
> > do not work quite so well on the menu bar! Please stick to window
> > titling.
>
> *
> *   For searches and help try:
> *   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
> *   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
> *   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/

Fred Wolfe
National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases
Wichita, Kansas
Tel (316) 263-2125     Fax (316) 263-0761
fwolfe@arthritis-research.org


*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/