Yet another Microsoft annoyance
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Luca Leonardo Scorcia wrote:
We all know UAC is good for us, developers should use it all the time to build better applications
Most developers completely miss the meaning behind the UAC. We're not supposed to 'use' it to make better programs. We are supposed to realize that we have been violating admin rights in our software by requesting elevated privledges. But you are right, MS messed up, almost none of us learned what has been echoed for the last 10 years. We've been messing up, the UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
Don't misunderstand me, I love seeing my applications fail when they mistakingly write a log file to the Program Files directory. I love it because I have catched a bug earlier, and in the process I learnt one thing the hard way when the soft way (read: studying the docs) was not enough. I think that leaving UAC active, unless forced by technical reasons, is the right thing to do. I'd probably like also a switch to disable folder and registry virtualization, at least I could predict the exact behavior in the set [ works, fails ] instead of [ works, fails, maybe ]. UAC is not required to write good software, but good software respects UAC: keeping it enabled may be helpful in the development progress. Unless the OS does not believe predictably, like my rant was trying to express and its followups clarified.
Luca The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance. -- Wing Commander IV En Það Besta Sem Guð Hefur Skapað, Er Nýr Dagur. (But the best thing God has created, is a New Day.) -- Sigur Ròs - Viðrar vel til loftárása
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Not at all. Unregister the built-in crap, install WinZip. You get much better control over the zipping process, and you can actually treat the ZIP files as files which you lose with the built-in stuff.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^]Interesting workaround. I'll try it.
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dan neely wrote:
fhatgn
:confused::confused::confused:
Greetings. -------- M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you “The First Rule of Program Optimization: Don't do it. The Second Rule of Program Optimization (for experts only!): Don't do it yet.” - Michael A. Jackson Rating helpfull answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
Sorry, that should've been fhtagn. my bad. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu[^]
You know, every time I tried to win a bar-bet about being able to count to 1000 using my fingers I always got punched out when I reached 4.... -- El Corazon
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dan neely wrote:
fhatgn
:confused::confused::confused:
Greetings. -------- M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you “The First Rule of Program Optimization: Don't do it. The Second Rule of Program Optimization (for experts only!): Don't do it yet.” - Michael A. Jackson Rating helpfull answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
Imagine that you are hired to build a bridge over a river. The river gets slightly wider every day; sometimes it shrinks but nobody can predict when. Your contract says you can't use concrete or steel - the client only provides timber and cut stone (but won't tell you what kind). Gravity changes from hour to hour, as does the viscosity of air. Your only tools are a hacksaw, a chainsaw, a rubber mallet, and a length of rope. Welcome to my world. -Me explaining my job to an engineer
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Luca Leonardo Scorcia wrote:
We all know UAC is good for us, developers should use it all the time to build better applications
Most developers completely miss the meaning behind the UAC. We're not supposed to 'use' it to make better programs. We are supposed to realize that we have been violating admin rights in our software by requesting elevated privledges. But you are right, MS messed up, almost none of us learned what has been echoed for the last 10 years. We've been messing up, the UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
El Corazon wrote:
UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
Not quite true. Take it as a list of weak excuses, but I stand by it: 6 folders to distribute your data between program files\company\App, program files\common, current user\application data current user\local settings\application data all users\application data all users\local settings\application data Do you knwo the rules where goes what? Do you know that Explorer may for these folders show a different name than the file system uses? Crappy Installer technology way to late Windows always lacked support for managing installs, upgrades and dependent components. Windows Installer was long overdue, and took the same time again to become usable. No doubt there is some reason why people dropped all files in one folder, and let admin rights sort it out. The one thing that I like about Vista is that the folder names now make much more sense, but still Microsoft doesn't seem to have made up its mind on who owns the file system.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighist -
Luca Leonardo Scorcia wrote:
We all know UAC is good for us, developers should use it all the time to build better applications
Most developers completely miss the meaning behind the UAC. We're not supposed to 'use' it to make better programs. We are supposed to realize that we have been violating admin rights in our software by requesting elevated privledges. But you are right, MS messed up, almost none of us learned what has been echoed for the last 10 years. We've been messing up, the UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
El Corazon wrote:
We've been messing up, the UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
I think I would say, "We've been messing up, and UAC is our punishment".
Best wishes, Hans
[CodeProject Forum Guidelines] [How To Ask A Question] [My Articles]
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El Corazon wrote:
UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
Not quite true. Take it as a list of weak excuses, but I stand by it: 6 folders to distribute your data between program files\company\App, program files\common, current user\application data current user\local settings\application data all users\application data all users\local settings\application data Do you knwo the rules where goes what? Do you know that Explorer may for these folders show a different name than the file system uses? Crappy Installer technology way to late Windows always lacked support for managing installs, upgrades and dependent components. Windows Installer was long overdue, and took the same time again to become usable. No doubt there is some reason why people dropped all files in one folder, and let admin rights sort it out. The one thing that I like about Vista is that the folder names now make much more sense, but still Microsoft doesn't seem to have made up its mind on who owns the file system.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighistpeterchen wrote:
Do you knwo the rules where goes what?
Per Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) Instructions: I am not allowed to write to any common folder, nor all users, nor write to the registry in local settings, nor anywhere else other than program files\company\App and that has to be installed with a rep there and verify compliance prior to fielding (install on his sacrificial sheep machine somewhere in the middle of nowhere). Which means, yes, I know the rules for my software products. All the other locations are restricted due to security violations of path guidelines. If you can write to a common folder you can affect other software systems, so to keep security high, there is one location and one only. The many locations are made for us, because we demand them, MS reacts and says okay, but here are the rules... But you are telling me these rules are more difficult than rocket science? microsoft is responding to three directions, developers, network managers, and users. There are more users than any of us, but network managers have more budgets, and we will complain no matter what they do. So where does that leave us? we'll get a side thought now and then as long as it does not interfere with the other two markets.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
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dan neely wrote:
fhatgn
:confused::confused::confused:
Greetings. -------- M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you “The First Rule of Program Optimization: Don't do it. The Second Rule of Program Optimization (for experts only!): Don't do it yet.” - Michael A. Jackson Rating helpfull answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
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El Corazon wrote:
UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
Not quite true. Take it as a list of weak excuses, but I stand by it: 6 folders to distribute your data between program files\company\App, program files\common, current user\application data current user\local settings\application data all users\application data all users\local settings\application data Do you knwo the rules where goes what? Do you know that Explorer may for these folders show a different name than the file system uses? Crappy Installer technology way to late Windows always lacked support for managing installs, upgrades and dependent components. Windows Installer was long overdue, and took the same time again to become usable. No doubt there is some reason why people dropped all files in one folder, and let admin rights sort it out. The one thing that I like about Vista is that the folder names now make much more sense, but still Microsoft doesn't seem to have made up its mind on who owns the file system.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighistWhile I guess I shouldn't complain too strongly about Microsoft's desire to leave the root directory reasonably clean, dumping all the applications in a directory called "Program Files" seems rather annoying especially given (1) the generally awkward handling of spaces in filenames, and (2) the even worse handling of trying to start programs with spaces in the path. How about having a nice easy environment variable to set the path, but having the default--on systems where it wouldn't cause naming conflicts, be something short like "APP"?
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peterchen wrote:
Do you knwo the rules where goes what?
Per Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) Instructions: I am not allowed to write to any common folder, nor all users, nor write to the registry in local settings, nor anywhere else other than program files\company\App and that has to be installed with a rep there and verify compliance prior to fielding (install on his sacrificial sheep machine somewhere in the middle of nowhere). Which means, yes, I know the rules for my software products. All the other locations are restricted due to security violations of path guidelines. If you can write to a common folder you can affect other software systems, so to keep security high, there is one location and one only. The many locations are made for us, because we demand them, MS reacts and says okay, but here are the rules... But you are telling me these rules are more difficult than rocket science? microsoft is responding to three directions, developers, network managers, and users. There are more users than any of us, but network managers have more budgets, and we will complain no matter what they do. So where does that leave us? we'll get a side thought now and then as long as it does not interfere with the other two markets.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
El Corazon wrote:
But you are telling me these rules are more difficult than rocket science?
No, but it made most people end up the same as you and me: writing everything to one folder. My problem is not the definition, but that it doesn't work very well in real life - not for developers, nor for users. For network managers, maybe - that's right.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighist -
El Corazon wrote:
UAC is a symptom of our failings as programmers.
Not quite true. Take it as a list of weak excuses, but I stand by it: 6 folders to distribute your data between program files\company\App, program files\common, current user\application data current user\local settings\application data all users\application data all users\local settings\application data Do you knwo the rules where goes what? Do you know that Explorer may for these folders show a different name than the file system uses? Crappy Installer technology way to late Windows always lacked support for managing installs, upgrades and dependent components. Windows Installer was long overdue, and took the same time again to become usable. No doubt there is some reason why people dropped all files in one folder, and let admin rights sort it out. The one thing that I like about Vista is that the folder names now make much more sense, but still Microsoft doesn't seem to have made up its mind on who owns the file system.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighistYou missed at least one important one: \ProgramData :)
peterchen wrote:
Do you knwo the rules where goes what?
Yes, anyone who has done any amount of dev. to properly support vista and UAC / Virtualization and pored over the horrible hodge podge collection of docs from Microsoft to find out how to do it right probably has a pretty good idea which of those folders to use for what and which registry keys and hives to use for what.
peterchen wrote:
Crappy Installer technology way to late Windows always lacked support for managing installs, upgrades and dependent components. Windows Installer was long overdue, and took the same time again to become usable.
Ironically I started out with Inno Setup many years ago when coding for win95 went through InstallShield (spit) and then Windows setup and deployment projects and finally came back to Inno Setup because I found it far easier to accomplish a solid Vista installer for complex apps.
"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." - Walter Bagehot
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While I guess I shouldn't complain too strongly about Microsoft's desire to leave the root directory reasonably clean, dumping all the applications in a directory called "Program Files" seems rather annoying especially given (1) the generally awkward handling of spaces in filenames, and (2) the even worse handling of trying to start programs with spaces in the path. How about having a nice easy environment variable to set the path, but having the default--on systems where it wouldn't cause naming conflicts, be something short like "APP"?
supercat9 wrote:
leave the root directory reasonably clean
Yeah that was much worse. :rolleyes: The german version uses "Programme" - without space. I'm using an English version to catch errors related to that. (Dokumente und Einstellungen is spaced out, still) I even once introduced a bug trhat would hit only when there was NO space in the path - it turned out the receiving app did not unquote when it wasn't containing spaces, so quotes were preserved, which broke the app.
supercat9 wrote:
How about having a nice easy environment variable to set the path, but having the default--on systems where it wouldn't cause naming conflicts, be something short like "APP"?
would help us console jockeys :) But as soon as you allow spaces in file paths, and the user can install your app anywhere he wants (good thing), you have to support those pesky little buggers.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighist -
If you right-click a file in Windows Explorer, one of the Send To options is "Compressed (zipped) folder". I did this, then attempted to send the zipped file as an attachment. It wasn't there. Unbelievably Outlook would not show me the zipped file in the Insert File dialog! After wasting some time trying various approaches, I googled and found the solution here: http://outlook-tips.net/archives/2005/20050526.htm[^] You have to DISABLE compressing files with zip in order to attach them to email with Outlook! Then you have to re-enable it to zip the next file! This is incredibly crappy even for Microsoft. Using Microsoft products is like driving on a freeway with speed bumps.
Starting 2003, if you attach a .JS file, you would get a 'A potentially dangerous file warning'. :wtf:
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A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them. --Leonard Louis Levinson -
supercat9 wrote:
leave the root directory reasonably clean
Yeah that was much worse. :rolleyes: The german version uses "Programme" - without space. I'm using an English version to catch errors related to that. (Dokumente und Einstellungen is spaced out, still) I even once introduced a bug trhat would hit only when there was NO space in the path - it turned out the receiving app did not unquote when it wasn't containing spaces, so quotes were preserved, which broke the app.
supercat9 wrote:
How about having a nice easy environment variable to set the path, but having the default--on systems where it wouldn't cause naming conflicts, be something short like "APP"?
would help us console jockeys :) But as soon as you allow spaces in file paths, and the user can install your app anywhere he wants (good thing), you have to support those pesky little buggers.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighistpeterchen wrote:
But as soon as you allow spaces in file paths, and the user can install your app anywhere he wants (good thing), you have to support those pesky little buggers.
All Microsoft would have had to do to avoid annoyance with spaces would have been to regard an underscore and space as substitutes for each other (just as "A" is a substitute for "a"). I sometimes wish I could sneak back in time and have them do that.
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"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
Translation: "In the House of R'lyeh, Cthulhu lies dreaming (of Gantt charts)."
Imagine that you are hired to build a bridge over a river. The river gets slightly wider every day; sometimes it shrinks but nobody can predict when. Your contract says you can't use concrete or steel - the client only provides timber and cut stone (but won't tell you what kind). Gravity changes from hour to hour, as does the viscosity of air. Your only tools are a hacksaw, a chainsaw, a rubber mallet, and a length of rope. Welcome to my world. -Me explaining my job to an engineer
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You missed at least one important one: \ProgramData :)
peterchen wrote:
Do you knwo the rules where goes what?
Yes, anyone who has done any amount of dev. to properly support vista and UAC / Virtualization and pored over the horrible hodge podge collection of docs from Microsoft to find out how to do it right probably has a pretty good idea which of those folders to use for what and which registry keys and hives to use for what.
peterchen wrote:
Crappy Installer technology way to late Windows always lacked support for managing installs, upgrades and dependent components. Windows Installer was long overdue, and took the same time again to become usable.
Ironically I started out with Inno Setup many years ago when coding for win95 went through InstallShield (spit) and then Windows setup and deployment projects and finally came back to Inno Setup because I found it far easier to accomplish a solid Vista installer for complex apps.
"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." - Walter Bagehot
I thought \Program Data under Vista replaces All Users\Application Data ?! (At least, that's where my stuff goes when I use the All User App Data CSIDL)
John C wrote:
Inno Setup
Yeah, I like that one very much, it keeps simple things simple, even though it does all the necessary background stuff.
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
blog: TDD - the Aha! | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighist