Wireshark · Ethereal-dev: Re: [Ethereal-dev] RFC: move packet count code (capture info dialog) from capture_loop.c to main.c?

[Guy Harris <gharris@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ulf Lamping wrote:

> That's a current "design flaw" IMO. If both "capture info dialog" and 
> "update list of ..." is switched off, you won't get any information 
> about the current state. Even worse, you don't even get the number of 
> packets captured, which is a kind of "blind flying" (as we would say in 
> german "Blindflug"). You can only stop the capture, and then notice that 
> you've selected the wrong interface :-(
>
> So I really agree that we should display this "how many packets rushing 
> in" info.

OK, so is the idea that you have two independent displays:

	1) the packet list/details display (main window);

	2) the capture info dialog, showing counts/percentage bars for various 
types of packets;

and you can do a capture with:

	the packet list display updating as packets arrive, and the capture 
info dialog displayed;

	the packet list/details display updating as packets arrive, and *no* 
capture info dialog displayed;

	the packet list/details display *not* updating as packets arrive, and a 
capture info dialog displayed;

	the packet list/details display *not* updating as packets arrive, and 
*no* capture info dialog displayed;

with the last of them, at least, showing a count of packets received, 
which updates as packets arrive, and with the main process, rather than 
the capture process, doing all display updates?

All of those, except for the last, require that the main process read 
from the capture file while the capture is in progress, so, to minimize 
packet drops, you have to use the last, with no updates done other than 
a count of packets arriving.

Also, the third of them is a bit odd to implement - would it just freeze 
the packet list display, but add packets to it, and then thaw the packet 
list display when you stop the capture?