Libraries, using

Char Jackson · Aug 31, 2012

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 · Aug 31, 2012

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 · Aug 31, 2012

Char said:
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 · Aug 31, 2012

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

BTDT

Char Jackson · Aug 31, 2012

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 · Aug 31, 2012

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 · Aug 31, 2012

I'm not disappointed in you. ;-)

So you want something?

Gene E. Bloch · Aug 31, 2012

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 · Aug 31, 2012

Char said:
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 · Aug 31, 2012

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 · Aug 31, 2012

Jeff Layman said:
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 · Aug 31, 2012

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:03:14 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch" <not-
[email protected]> 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.

Click to expand...

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 · Aug 31, 2012

Dave-UK said:
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 · Aug 31, 2012

Paul said:
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 · Aug 31, 2012

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 · Aug 31, 2012

So you want something?

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

;-)

Char Jackson · Aug 31, 2012

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. ;-)

Click to expand...

So you want something?

Click to expand...

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

;-)

A banana split would be nice almost any time!

Yousuf Khan · Sep 1, 2012

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 · Sep 1, 2012

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 · Sep 1, 2012

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

Libraries, using

Char Jackson

Wolf K

Paul in Houston TX

Char Jackson

Char Jackson

Gene E. Bloch

Char Jackson

Gene E. Bloch

Paul in Houston TX

Jeff Layman

Dave-UK

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Paul

Dave-UK

Wolf K

Wolf K

Char Jackson

Yousuf Khan

Yousuf Khan

Yousuf Khan