7 ms·

> for many users, the way they create a new file is to find an existing file of the same type, copy it, then open the copy and delete everything in it. Cringe.

• iscrewyou 5y ago
  I can relate. I work with CADD software. Throughout the day I will jump between projects in different survey zones. It’s much faster to copy an existing file in a given zone and open it than go through menus and apply certain settings for each file. In fact, the first file I make for a project is projectname_blank. Then this gets copied everywhere.
  • Gibbon1 5y ago
    Reminds me of PCB Layout. Start a new PCB Layout from scratch? Good luck getting the stack up and constrains correct.
  • heliodor 5y ago
    The concept of blank templates is sorely missing from many apps. Even task management apps don't implement it.
• cunthorpe 5y ago
  To be fair we copy projects to preserve their structure, specifically to avoid starting anew. It’s not the same as copying and clearing the whole file
  • noizejoy 5y ago
    But does that particular nuance invalidate the general point of the parent post?
    • vntok 5y ago
      Absolutely, copying a file to maintain things a certain way vs newing up a file are two completely different behaviours.
  • forgotmypw17 5y ago
    A blank document is a type of structure, with a cognitive cost of setting it up: 1) Learn to understand that programs create files 2) Learn which program creates a .doc file 3) Learn how to open program and where the File|New command is
    • zimpenfish 5y ago
      4) Getting all the styles correct 5) Getting all the metadata / header / footers etc. correct
      • pininja 5y ago
        Reusing styles is a huge valid reason. Even today Google Docs/Slides has a convenient “Make a copy” button that is easier for me compared to setting up a template. I just copy -> rename -> open -> select all -> delete
        • TeMPOraL 5y ago
          Same principle works within a single application. For example, when (being dragged into) making PowerPoint presentations, I tend to manually style two or three slides (e.g. title page, chapter divider, content slide), and then create actual slides through "Right click -> Duplicate Slide".
  • pcl 5y ago
    In the copy-and-clear case, the file contents are cleared, but metadata is preserved. Most obviously, this includes the directory tree location.
• TroisM 5y ago
  > > for many users, the way they create a new file is to find an existing file of the same type, copy it, then open the copy and delete everything in it. > Cringe. you would think that all that "telemetry" would fix that (but of course the telemetry exist for other reasons)... but it doesn't surprise me that this comment is being down-voted here on HN.
• quickthrower2 5y ago
  It’s interesting because copy and pasting a class gives you something humans love: a template! Now what if: for OO languages the virtual methods can be adorned with both an example basic implementation and a comment with instructions. Then when you do the “implement abstract methods” IDE shortcut it fills in those example implementations. Basically you are saying “they are going to copy paste anyway, let’s get them started off with a decent example”
  • luismedel 5y ago
    Visual Studio does exactly that, but the template it uses only throws a NotImplementedException. Unles you’re referring to a more “Githubcopilotesque” solution…
    • quickthrower2 5y ago
      Something in between the two. The creator of BaseClass documents their class with the example code for InheritedClass.
  • agumonkey 5y ago
    yeah, even though the 'letus copy and old file and empty it' to me it shows how average users brain sees and wants to see the computer/filesystem. ex-nihilo isn't natural at their level, and copying something they handled is the path of least resistance. MS should jump on the occasion
    • slim 5y ago
      I think this was discovered by Alan Kay and team in the 80's and resulted in the implementation later of prototype based computer languages like Self an Javascript
      • agumonkey 5y ago
        Heh maybe
  • 5y ago
• keanebean86 5y ago
  In college I got sick of doing stuff like that so I created this monstrosity https://sourceforge.net/projects/cppquickstart/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/cppquickstart/
  • ketzo 5y ago
    This rules, honestly. Seeing and making shit like this was what turned me from "CS student" to "genuinely enjoys software engineering." To this day, little stuff that makes a life better is the best part of anything I do.
• anonytrary 5y ago
  Copy and paste is the true boilerplate generator...
• simonh 5y ago
  Quick-n-dirty templating. The chances are the old document has all kinds of preferences set up - margins, default font, heading formats, for a word processor document. Line and stroke preferences for a graphics program, whatever. It's not as dumb as it seems. The New File option on Windows is one thing I really miss on MacOS. I set up a macro or something that added it in for text files years ago, but it got blown away when I changed machines or upgraded a few years ago and I can't remember how I did it. I could google it, but eh. I'll just have a moan about it next time I need to do it instead. Bah, humbug!
  • Someone 5y ago
    Not the same, but could be useful: MacOS has “stationary” (https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/mac-help/mchlp1341/11.0/mac/11.0 https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/mac-help/mchlp1341/11....) That creates files that, when opened, create a copy of themselves in the current directory and open that. That’s a poor implementation (a good one would open the file as a new document ¿and tell the app the default directory?), but probably the best one an do without cooperation from applications. System 7 did that better, but only for applications that supported it, as did Lisa. MS Word has a good implementation with .dotx files (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/create-a-template-86a1d089-5ae2-4d53-9042-1191bce57deb https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/create-a-template-...)
    • jbverschoor 5y ago
      That's pretty cool, but unfortunately it dimply creates a new copy file. If you don't save, it will leave the copy on your machine...
  • massysett 5y ago
    I use an app to do this, search for “new file menu” in the Mac App Store.
• Cthulhu_ 5y ago
  This is why it's important to give any 'new' code a few passes before committing it; it's pretty likely it'll be used as a template by yourself or others for similar code in the future.
• rahoulb 5y ago
  One of the features I used to love on "classic" MacOS was the Stationery Pad. Basically you could create a file, then mark it as a "Stationery Pad". Next time you double-clicked it in the Finder, it created a copy and then opened the associated application. Instant templating in a way that ordinary users understood. (And yes, it still works on OSX/macOS)
• drewzero1 5y ago
  When I catch myself doing this more than two or three times for a particular document, I save it as a template after I finish clearing everything out. If it's one I'll use often I'll stick it in my templates folder so it shows up in the new file context menu (on Linux/in Caja). I haven't figured out if there's a way to achieve the same workflow in Windows, but if there is I'd love to hear it. I'd really like to just start making all of my multiplied documents as database forms that just pull from a central data source. I haven't found an easy way to do this that works on both Linux and Windows and can pull from a central source over the network (besides implementing it myself in php/mySQL, which is a few orders of magnitude more work than just making a LibreOffice template).