Added memory of directory and filename to export & save dialogs

[Patowhiz]

Fixes #5606
Also Fixes #5589. (minor design changes)
Also Fixes #5602
Also Fixes #5590

This PR affects 4 dialogs dlgExportDataset, dlgExportGraphAsImage , dlgExportRObjects , dlgExportRWorkspace , dlgSaveAs

@africanmathsinitiative/developers this is ready for review

[lloyddewit]

@Ivanluv Please could you review this PR? thanks

[Patowhiz]

@lloyddewit @dannyparsons upon looking this code much further, I realised that the consistent code repetition has reached my threshold of warranting a custom control. In this case, I'm thinking of a custom control that has a ucrInput and a browse button. This control can be implemented in a way that it handles the click events (for both ucrInput and the browse button), processing of file paths, memory functionality, in a more generic way. With this kind of implementation then we can reduce the lines written in these dialogs (and other similar dialogs) by a huge factor (almost down to 1 line of code).

So @lloyddewit as you go through the code please check if my thoughts resonate with yours in regards to this, if they do, I can create an issue about this and have further discussions with the team.

[Patowhiz]

On a separate note, I noticed that there are design changes that will conflict with @lilyclements changes in PR #5880, So this PR should not be merged until that PR is merged. I will sort out the conflicts.

[lloyddewit]

@Patowhiz PR #5880 is now merged. I understand that this allows you to prepare this PR for peer review? thanks

[Patowhiz]

@lloyddewit thanks for the notification. Yes I have resolved the conflicts. This is ready for your review. Please also take a look at my comment. Thank you

@lloyddewit @dannyparsons upon looking this code much further, I realised that the consistent code repetition has reached my threshold of warranting a custom control. In this case, I'm thinking of a custom control that has a ucrInput and a browse button. This control can be implemented in a way that it handles the click events (for both ucrInput and the browse button), processing of file paths, memory functionality, in a more generic way. With this kind of implementation then we can reduce the lines written in these dialogs (and other similar dialogs) by a huge factor (almost down to 1 line of code).

So @lloyddewit as you go through the code please check if my thoughts resonate with yours in regards to this, if they do, I can create an issue about this and have further discussions with the team.

[lloyddewit]

@Patowhiz yes, good suggestion. There is a lot of repeated code across the 5 dialog boxes. I agree that the best solution would be to create a new custom control (repetition could be handled in other ways but a new ucr would be the most consistent with R-Instat's current approach).
The question is do we make the new ucr as part of this PR or do we raise a new issue for it? If you think that you could complete this PR within 2 weeks with a new ucr (and it doesn't impact your other work too much), then it would make this PR more readable and robust. So this would be my preference. If you prefer to spin off the ucr to a new issue then that's also fine.
What's do you recommend?

[Patowhiz]

@lloyddewit will complete the new control by end of today. I've created a new PR #5924 with an empty control which should be merged immediately to avoid conflicts cause by solution changes, I'm adding the functionality code in this PR and will have it ready for review by end of today.

[Patowhiz]

@lloyddewit @rdstern this needed more technical work than I thought but it is now ready.
It has the changes that demonstrate how the ucrInputFile control can be used. You can review it once PR #5924 is merged.

[lloyddewit]

@Ivanluv This PR is now ready for your review.

@Patowhiz Thank you for completing this so promptly. I noticed that this PR still contains changes to the .vbproj file. Are these changes still needed now that PR #5924 is merged?

[Patowhiz]

@lloyddewit I'm not seeing any change to the '.vbproj' file. Maybe it was cause I had not synchronised the changes from the master. From my end only 17 files are shown to be changed. All of which relate to this dialogs changed by this PR.

[lloyddewit]

@Patowhiz The .vbproj file is now removed from the list. I think it was fixed by the synchronization with master a few minutes ago, thanks

[lloyddewit]

@Ivanluv Please could you review this PR? thanks

[Ivanluv]

@lloyddewit am okay with these changes

[lloyddewit]

@rdstern Please could you test? thanks

[rdstern]

It seems to work. One small additional item for @Patowhiz is in the export dialogue. It does remember the directory, but not the type of data. So the default is a csv file. I saved as excel, but each time I return it is back to csv. Could it please also remember the last type of file.
The save seems fine.

[Patowhiz]

@rdstern thanks for the observation. I have now added that feature.

[lloyddewit]

@Patowhiz This looks excellent. I especially liked the clarity/consistency between the different dialogs, the Using statement and the XML comments.
I only have some small suggestions and questions. If you can accept/reject these then I can approve.
Thanks

[lloyddewit]

@rdstern please could you approve? thanks
@dannyparsons I will not merge this until you've also had a chance to review/approve.

[rdstern]

ok by me

[lloyddewit]

@Patowhiz Please could you resolve the code conflict so that we can merge? thanks
@dannyparsons You asked to review this PR before it was merged

[Patowhiz]

@lloyddewit I have resolved the conflicts. It's now ready.

[lloyddewit]

@dannyparsons please could you review (you asked to review this before it was merged)? thanks

[lloyddewit]

@dannyparsons Please could you review? (you asked to review this before it was merged), thanks

[Patowhiz]

@rdstern as discussed with @volloholic below is the screenshot of the changes made to the export dialog. The file type is now enforced through the combobox, which is now always visible.
@Wycklife you may use these changes for the video production in regards to exporting the multiple data frames imported from climsoft.
@lloyddewit @rdstern this is now ready for review.

Single file selected

Multiple files Selected

[lloyddewit]

@volloholic @dannyparsons Do these new changes resolve your outstanding comments? Would you still like to review, or may @rdstern and I approve and merge?
thanks for clarifying

[Patowhiz]

@rdstern did you manage to test the new design changes proposed by @volloholic
@lloyddewit the new changes address design changes requested by @volloholic after he had discussions with @dannyparsons. These new design changes affect the export dialog only.

[rdstern]

@Patowhiz this is looking good and is an important improvement for the next update. Two trivial suggestions.
a) Can the file types field be wider, so most of the types are shown completely.
b) Then, when I was exporting multiple files (e.g. csv) it didn't let me choose the names. I could only choose the directory. I suggest we should say that. So, when there are multiple files and the full set of export options is provided, then the label changes to Export Directory: Perhaps the Export moves to the line above, so the directory name field stays the same size?

[Patowhiz]

@rdstern I have addressed item (a).
In regards to item (b) I think it's a standard way in most software packages when it comes to exporting multiple files, users by default expect to select a directory into which they files will be placed into, and also expectation naming the files. I have no strong reservations from making the change other than it is an extra set of functionality that I think is not really necessary(since its normal in regards to user expectations). If others feel that this change is important, I can add it.

[rdstern]

@Patowhiz I am happy now and would really like to see this feature merged. Over to @lloyddewit

[lloyddewit]

I reviewed the commits since my last approval