[Feature Request] Set Default Folder for new objects

[rich-biker]

Background New objects are created in their 'home' folder (Strategy, Business, Application etc). To be tidy I like to move them around to named subfolders (by object type, project etc). This often involves the excellent Search -> Filter Options to chose all objects of a certain type to move them around. Maybe everyone is ok to do this?

Feature Suggestion I've noticed some tools offer a folder right-click to 'set as default'. So that from then on, any new objects are created into that folder. Obviously you need a 'Set it to default home folder'.

[peterprib]

Have the same issue about folder but my solution would be to have a new property on a folder which is filter based on regex string. When object is created or changed from default name then if only one match auto moved. If more than one match is list of targets presented. If rename then I not sure if it should subjected to same logic but could be made a preference.

[rich-biker]

Now we have jArchi, it is now possible to run scripts to move objects into a folder after it's been created. I've created a script that does this by element type, but I do like to organise my elements by what they represent. My problem is that when I'm modelling on the fly, my elements are all over the place in their tool default locations and I'd like to pre-empt this.

[Phillipus]

Simple "default" folder logic:

set "default" attribute on a Folder when calling getDefaultFolderForElement() look for this attribute if found use it, if not use top folder for that type

Anything more complicated such as rules based, regex, what they represent, etc would be more complex to implement and take some time.

[jbsarrodie]

Simple "default" folder logic: set "default" attribute on a Folder when calling getDefaultFolderForElement() look for this attribute if found use it, if not use top folder for that type

That might be a good start and would answer some use-cases. But this "default" attribute might not be persisted in the model itself. I see this more as a per-user attribute, meaning that it should be stored in the preferences file of the local Archi setup.

[rich-biker]

And you'd have to worry about defaulting into the wrong domain area. For example, if the nominated default was under the Business top level, Technology elements shouldn't go there.

[Phillipus]

But what would be stored in the prefs file? The folder path?

Each default folder might be different per model. I might have a folder "My Folder" that I want to set as default for Business elements in one model. But another model might have a folder called "That Folder" for default.

[Phillipus]

If stored in Prefs would have to be something like:

DefaultBusinessFolder=/SubFolder/My Folder DefaultApplicationFolder=/SubFolder/Another Folder DefaultTechnologyFolder= DefaultViewsFolder=/My Views

And also if default folder doesn't exist would have to create it (and any parent folders if a sub-folder) when adding a new element from the Palette. And also check for its existence, and add UI to manage default folders...

(Needs to be well thought out first!)