Libraries, using

[Char Jackson]

The "problem" was having folders that were of no use to me.

Oh, ok, so not really a problem, per se, but more of a housekeeping
thing. Removing unnecessary clutter. That makes sense.

My Win7 machine is for work only and I prefer to have all
project related data in totally separate folders with
minimal possibility of "cross contamination".

Libraries don't break that usage model, but I understand you just
wanted to remove some clutter.

I see no need to have links to the files when I spend
all of my time in the true directories anyway.

You lost me there. What do "links to files" have to do with Libraries?
Nothing, as far as I can see.

However, I do understand the use of link folders.

<snip>

Fine, but "link folders" have nothing to do with Libraries, just as
"links to files" has nothing to do with Libraries.

 

[Wolf K]

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:53:21 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch"


Thanks. Over the years I've had multiple people tell me in real
life that I'm smart or intelligent or similar, but in every case they
either want something or it's a lead-up to telling me they're
disappointed in me. ;-)

I'm not disappointed in you. ;-)

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

Fine, but "link folders" have nothing to do with Libraries, just as
"links to files" has nothing to do with Libraries.

Guess I don't understand Libraries.
Aren't the folders and files that you see in
the libraries just links, or "pointers" if you prefer,
to their real storage locations?

I had assumed that if you delete a library
the real data is not deleted since its elsewhere
in other folders, other drives, etc.

 

[Char Jackson]

Usually when I was called smart, it was just the first syllable

BTDT

 

[Char Jackson]

Guess I don't understand Libraries.

Yeah, I figured that. You're not alone.

Aren't the folders and files that you see in
the libraries just links, or "pointers" if you prefer,
to their real storage locations?

Nope, they're the real deal.

I had assumed that if you delete a library
the real data is not deleted since its elsewhere
in other folders, other drives, etc.

From the Win 7 Help FAQ entry on Libraries:

If you delete a library, the library itself is moved to the Recycle
Bin. The files and folders that were accessible in the library are
stored elsewhere and therefore aren't deleted.

If you delete files or folders from within a library, they're also
deleted from their original locations.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Thanks. Over the years I've had multiple people tell me in real
life that I'm smart or intelligent or similar, but in every case they
either want something or it's a lead-up to telling me they're
disappointed in me. ;-)

Can you be sure I'm not like them?

I got a good chuckle out of SC Tom's remark

 

[Char Jackson]

I'm not disappointed in you. ;-)

So you want something?

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Guess I don't understand Libraries.
Aren't the folders and files that you see in
the libraries just links, or "pointers" if you prefer,
to their real storage locations?

Only the folders are links.

I had assumed that if you delete a library
the real data is not deleted since its elsewhere
in other folders, other drives, etc.

Not so. If you delete a Library folder, yes. But if you delete a file
that you see in a Library folder, the file itself is actually deleted.

That's one thing that bugs me about folders. YMMV, and Char Jackson's
mileage *does* vary. It's one of our local controversies here

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

Yeah, I figured that. You're not alone.


Nope, they're the real deal.


From the Win 7 Help FAQ entry on Libraries:

If you delete a library, the library itself is moved to the Recycle
Bin. The files and folders that were accessible in the library are
stored elsewhere and therefore aren't deleted.

If you delete files or folders from within a library, they're also
deleted from their original locations.

Thanks Char and Gene for the clarification.
IMO, it would have better to have what is in the
libraries be shortcuts or links.
I like them even less now.

 

[Jeff Layman]

That's an extremely weak article, not even scratching the surface on
the topic. I suspect it will do nothing to relieve the fear that so
many in this group have shown. Personally, I think Libraries work
fine.

I think the OP's a troll, actually. He's never come back, and posted -
as you rightly state - an old, very weak article. We've been through
this Library thing so many times before in the NG even "déjà vu" doesn't
cover it enough! Maybe déjà vu, déjà vu, déjà vu...

Out of interest, anyone know if they're in Win8, or have MS decided to
call them something else? If in Win8 do they work in exactly the same
way as in Win7?

 

[Dave-UK]

Out of interest, anyone know if they're in Win8, or have MS decided to
call them something else? If in Win8 do they work in exactly the same
way as in Win7?

They're still there, and they seem to work just the same as in Win7.
(I haven't done an in-depth comparison because I don't use them.)

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:03:14 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch" <not-
(e-mail address removed)> wrote in article

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:56:21 +0100, "Gordonbp"


No less reasoned than your reply saying there is 'no "problem"' with
libraries and that you presumed they deleted them without
investigation. There was much discussion in this group about the
problems with inconsistent behavior using the libraries. Some of those
that disliked the behavior were inclined to remove the libraries (as
much as you can) but it wasn't arbitrary as you assume.

I found Gordonbp's self-referent criticism especially amusing. Without
his own investigation, he "presume" that Paul in Houston deleted his
libraries without investigation.

Indeed, I was quite amused at the response. Anyone with even a passing
familiarity with the regulars here would never presume that anything
was done without a full investigation.

 

[Paul]

They're still there, and they seem to work just the same as in Win7.
(I haven't done an in-depth comparison because I don't use them.)

Seems to work the same.

I was testing the concept, to use WMP in Windows 8 as a media server,
and I needed to set up a few folders in the video library, to
offer some videos to serve. Seemed to work as expected. Once
I figured out what crappy movie formats WMP supported, it worked OK.

Paul

 

[Dave-UK]

Seems to work the same.

I was testing the concept, to use WMP in Windows 8 as a media server,
and I needed to set up a few folders in the video library, to
offer some videos to serve. Seemed to work as expected. Once
I figured out what crappy movie formats WMP supported, it worked OK.

Paul

I wanted a water-proof radio for use in the shower and I got a Pure Oasis Flow model.
I knew it was an internet radio but I didn't realise I could stream music via Windows
Media Player to it. Works a treat!

 

[Wolf K]

Guess I don't understand Libraries.
Aren't the folders and files that you see in
the libraries just links, or "pointers" if you prefer,
to their real storage locations?

I had assumed that if you delete a library
the real data is not deleted since its elsewhere
in other folders, other drives, etc.

Yes. See:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/libraries

But beware: when you delete an item _inside_ a Library, you delete the
real thing.

HTH

 

[Wolf K]

So you want something?

A banana split would be nice right now....

;-)

 

[Char Jackson]

On 30/08/2012 9:20 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
]
Just accept your smartness, no questions asked

Thanks. Over the years I've had multiple people tell me in real
life that I'm smart or intelligent or similar, but in every case they
either want something or it's a lead-up to telling me they're
disappointed in me. ;-)


I'm not disappointed in you. ;-)

So you want something?

A banana split would be nice right now....

;-)

A banana split would be nice almost any time!

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Recommended reading for Win 7 users.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Working-with-libraries

You can save yourself a lot of grief by bookmarking this one!

John Ferrell W8CCW

Yup, been using the Libraries for a while now, makes searching specific
stuff quite easier.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Yousuf Khan]

The "problem" was having folders that were of no use to me.
My Win7 machine is for work only and I prefer to have all
project related data in totally separate folders with
minimal possibility of "cross contamination".
I see no need to have links to the files when I spend
all of my time in the true directories anyway.

I have a system with an SSD, 5 internal HDD's, and 3 external HDD's, a
lot of data is split between them, and libraries makes it that much
easier to keep them in a logical order. It might not be much use for the
typical system with only one storage device inside it.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Having installed the Classic Shell from sourceforge I don't see these
libraries at all.

Oh, that's terrible, now I can't see myself using the Classic Shell at all.

Yousuf Khan