The manner profiles are implemented
Greetings:
I thought of a simple solution for this issue.
First let me restate the issue more plainly:
For myself and many other users, we do not always want our changes to our chart layouts to be saved automatically in the current profile, but we want to make *temporary* changes to our chart layouts that we do *not* want saved to the profile automatically when exiting the profile. Most often, we want to load one of our profiles as a *fixed* profile file that did not change on previous exit -- unless we desire to manually save changes to that profile.
As it is now with your platform, any time you exit the platform -- or any time you change to a different profile, any changes you made -- only intending them to be temporary, are saved against your will to the currently exiting profile. Users want to exit a profile, without having to delete all their tempory changes before they exit.
Simple solution:
How about an option in preferences, which is a check box: "Save profiles automatically on exiting profile." You place a check for "yes", and uncheck it for "no."
This option would accomodate both. This option would allow us to keep our profiles *fixed*, as that is how most often you want them to remain, and appear.
-------
An important note on the concept of "profiles":
The Windows operating system uses "profiles." However, an operating system, like Windows, is a different *type* of program animal than a trading *platform*, and each of these software types have completely different purposes. Lets look at both:
1- Operating Systems:
In an *operating system*, it is a practical thing to have your changes saved *automanically* to a profle, but this standard is not necessarily practical with a trading platform -- two completely different types of software. With an operating system, it is a practical thing to save your customizations to the *user interface* automatically on exit. However, *charting* software is an "application" wherein specific work is done every day. Because *specific* work is done, the user needs to save and restore various chart layouts which do not change unless by his/her own desire and action, manually saves changes.
Word processing is an *application* you use to do specific work. When you load a word processing document, you want it loaded exactly is you left it. Your document is *specific* work that you didn't want changed unless you *manually* saved by your own choice and desire. Charting software is also an *application* you use to do specific *work.* Loading chart layouts should appear as you last saved them manually by your own specific desire to save your work.
2- Trading Platforms:
Trading Platforms, as opposed to operating systems, are a completely different software animal with entirely different purposes and functionality. Forcing the user to save profiles in trading platforms automatically *every* time is *not* practical. Saving them automatically *every* time tends to defeat part of the purpose of profiles. Why? Often times, the user wants to add new charts, make changes to charts, etc. -- but does not want these *temporary* changes to be saved to a profile that he/she wants to remain *fixed*.
The user wants his/her specific work changed and saved *only* when he/she desires their work to be changed and saved.
I am also aware that many users are frustrated with having their profiles messed up when they want them to make temporary changes, but want their profile to remain *fixed* -- without having to delete all their tempory changes before they exit.
Chow
I thought of a simple solution for this issue.
First let me restate the issue more plainly:
For myself and many other users, we do not always want our changes to our chart layouts to be saved automatically in the current profile, but we want to make *temporary* changes to our chart layouts that we do *not* want saved to the profile automatically when exiting the profile. Most often, we want to load one of our profiles as a *fixed* profile file that did not change on previous exit -- unless we desire to manually save changes to that profile.
As it is now with your platform, any time you exit the platform -- or any time you change to a different profile, any changes you made -- only intending them to be temporary, are saved against your will to the currently exiting profile. Users want to exit a profile, without having to delete all their tempory changes before they exit.
Simple solution:
How about an option in preferences, which is a check box: "Save profiles automatically on exiting profile." You place a check for "yes", and uncheck it for "no."
This option would accomodate both. This option would allow us to keep our profiles *fixed*, as that is how most often you want them to remain, and appear.
-------
An important note on the concept of "profiles":
The Windows operating system uses "profiles." However, an operating system, like Windows, is a different *type* of program animal than a trading *platform*, and each of these software types have completely different purposes. Lets look at both:
1- Operating Systems:
In an *operating system*, it is a practical thing to have your changes saved *automanically* to a profle, but this standard is not necessarily practical with a trading platform -- two completely different types of software. With an operating system, it is a practical thing to save your customizations to the *user interface* automatically on exit. However, *charting* software is an "application" wherein specific work is done every day. Because *specific* work is done, the user needs to save and restore various chart layouts which do not change unless by his/her own desire and action, manually saves changes.
Word processing is an *application* you use to do specific work. When you load a word processing document, you want it loaded exactly is you left it. Your document is *specific* work that you didn't want changed unless you *manually* saved by your own choice and desire. Charting software is also an *application* you use to do specific *work.* Loading chart layouts should appear as you last saved them manually by your own specific desire to save your work.
2- Trading Platforms:
Trading Platforms, as opposed to operating systems, are a completely different software animal with entirely different purposes and functionality. Forcing the user to save profiles in trading platforms automatically *every* time is *not* practical. Saving them automatically *every* time tends to defeat part of the purpose of profiles. Why? Often times, the user wants to add new charts, make changes to charts, etc. -- but does not want these *temporary* changes to be saved to a profile that he/she wants to remain *fixed*.
The user wants his/her specific work changed and saved *only* when he/she desires their work to be changed and saved.
I am also aware that many users are frustrated with having their profiles messed up when they want them to make temporary changes, but want their profile to remain *fixed* -- without having to delete all their tempory changes before they exit.
Chow
My concern with your manner of implementing profiles would not be a problem if we could save chart **layouts** for reloading.
Here is what I mean, in other words.
As it is now, profiles are saved *automatically* when exiting. This means that every change you made to the chart configurations, *not* intending your changes to be saved, are saved *automatically* to the profile when you exit or switch to a different profile. I don't want my saved chart layouts to be saved automatically or changed -- unless I specifically save them *manually* by my own intent.
The solution could be to give us the ability to save "chart layouts." You would still have your "profiles", but now you would also have a way to pull up your chart layouts *exactly* as you last *manually* saved them.
Hence, layouts would not change just because you exit. A layout of charts would be re-loaded and appear exactly as they were the last time you saved *manually.*
Being a programmer myself, I know that layouts could be easily implemented in your platform: Just use mostly the same code as for profiles -- but instead of saving layouts automatically when you exit -- layouts would only be saved manually by the user's explicit intent. That would be the main change in code. Of course you would need to add a minor change to the fle menu.
----------
Windows uses "profiles." An operating system, like Windows, is a different *type* of program entity than a trading platform. In an *operating system*, it is a practical thing to have your changes saved *automanically* to a profle, but this standard is not necessarily practical with a trading platform -- two completely different types of software.
Traders, and myself, need to have our trading platform to be able to pull up multiple chart configurations, or chart layouts, exactly as I last saved them *manually* with my explicit intent to do so.
Thank you for reading this. Thank you for your great platform in many ways.
Please consider making this addition.
Trade Eagle8