Wireshark · Ethereal-dev: Re: Re: Re: [Ethereal-dev] usability extensions

[Ulf Lamping <ulf.lamping@xxxxxx>]

"Ronnie Sahlberg" <sahlberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> schrieb am 12.09.02 12:16:45:
> From: "Ulf Lamping"
> Subject: Re: Re: [Ethereal-dev] usability extensions: 2nd "recent" patch
> 
> > As we do a lot of conversions from old style things already in the code, I
> don't think we need a shellscript to change this, but could implement it "in
> code".
> 
> Hm. I dont agree.
> By implementing it in code we get lots of new code to maintain in ethereal,
> code that will remain forever and ever and will need maintenance everytime
> we change something.
> It is much simpler, less code and less maintenance just to check if the old
> file
> exists and then just pop up a warning like "Old style of filter database
> detected.
> Current ethereal can not use old style database.  Please see xxx.txt for
> instructions on how to convert it to the current format."
> 

Ok, I got the point. No problem for me to do it this way or the other.

> Powerusers using filters would only need to do this conversion themself
> ONCE.
> Or if they think its not really worth it, they just delete the old file and
> starts building new
> filters from scratch.
> 
> 
> > Example: It would be hard to add a user comment to a display filter (which
> I think, could be useful) to the current file format.
> > This also could be easily invented, if we put the filters in separate
> files.
> 
> The current format has many flaws.
> A new format could be :
> * All filters stored in .../dfilter/
> * Each filter stored in its own file and the filename is the name of the
> filter, thus the filter "NFS_ALL"   would be stored in .../dfilter/NFS_ALL
> * The first line in the filter is the actual filter string, e.g. "nfs"
> * All remaining lines in the file are treated as comments
> 

Why do not use something like the format we are using for the preferences, 
an example could look something like this:

---------------------------------------------------
comment: This is a comment displayed somewhere in the GUI
filter: nfs
color_fg: 61217,49147,65530
color_bg: 0,0,0
---------------------------------------------------

So we could use ONE file format for EVERY filter in use, 
and for other uses coming in the future (hopefully).

Again, this is only an idea, which is maybe not good. 
But I don't want to change the filter file format again and again, 
as new requirements arise.

> This would allow users a very simple way to trade filters with eachothers,
> just copy a file. Several people have asked me about this since they really
> want this .
> Allowing arbitrary comments in teh file would be an extra bonus with
> something describing what the filter does.
> A teacher can then use these files and email them to the student, and the
> student install them by just copying the file to the proper directory.
> It would allow someone to set up a simple filterdatabase where people could
> download just the filters they want and install them.
> 

I understand this would be very nice to have.

This would also make it possible to use different profiles, 
which will display only a subset of the filters available. 
I often work on different topics with completely different protocols used. 
Using HTTP things one day, and maybe some application specific things another.

I would find it useful to have something like a "profile" or "workspace" or call it as you like,
 to load different sets of filters and such for different working tasks.

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