st: update: rfl 3.0 (a recent files list for Stata) up on SSC

[Dankwart Plattner <dankwart.plattner@web.de>]

Thanks to Kit Baum, version 3.0 of -rfl- is now available from the SSC
archives. Type -ssc describe rfl- for a package description or -ssc install
rfl- to install. To update, type -ssc install rfl.pkg, replace-.    
After installation of the new version, you must type the command -discard-
(without hyphens) in the command window if you've used -rfl- in the same 
Stata
session before installation.

For those of you who use -rfl- already, the changes are described below. 
For
those of you who don't know about -rfl-, its main features are described 
at the
bottom of this message.

This is a major revision of -rfl-, allowing for more flexibility and 
adapting
better to the user's needs.
The main changes encomprise:

1) log and cmdlog may now have different file names. The cmdlog settings are
   controlled from the dialog window's newly introduced second tab.

2) Files list entries are now shown in the form <file name (path)>.

3) A second tab with a bunch of new options has been added to the dialog 
window.
   Here they are:

   A. Menu settings
   - Do not install rfl's menu (In v2.2, this could be achieved manually)
   - Number of files in the recent files list and in the menu (1 to 30)
       (in v2.2 hard-coded to 9)
   - Rewrite rfl's menu (=keep the menu up-to-date during a Stata session)
       (not possible in v2.2)

   B. Log file settings
   - Load last log files, or load rfl's default log files (in v2.2 
hard-coded)
   - make cmdlogs dependent of logs, or treat log and cmdlog independently
     (in v2.2 hard-coded)
   - Overwrite the log file to be opened, or append to it (hard-coded 
in v2.2)
   - Overwrite the cmdlog file to be opened, or append to it 
(hard-coded in v2.2)
   - Don't warn me before replacing a log or cmdlog file (This setting is
     not respected if a file is opened from the menu or with -rfluse-.
     In these cases, a warning message will always pop up - but see below.)
   - Make a backup copy before overwriting log files. Checking this setting
     will also induce -rfl- to respect the Don't warn me before replacing a
     log or cmdlog file setting even if a file is opened from the menu or
     with -rfluse-.

   C. Memory rule settings
   - Choose the file size multiplier for the memory proposed (in v2.2
     hard-coded to 1.5 and 1.2)
   - Set a minimum (in v2.2 hard-coded)
   - and a maximum memory (not possible in v2.2)
   for the memory proposed.

   All those settings can be stored and remembered between Stata sessions.

   The general advice is: If you've been satisfied with rfl's 
functionality before, you
   don't have to bother with the new options. If you had the feeling 
that something
   wasn't as you'd like it, you may want to try the new options.

   The structure of rfl.log had to be changed to reflect the additional 
settings
   rfl now remembers. It is updated automatically as soon as
   you invoke the new version of -rfl- for the first time. You don't 
have to do
   anything yourself (and, in fact, should not do so).
  
4) Due to the other changes, the syntax of -rfluse- had to be changed 
slightly.
   First, a cmdlog option has been added. Second, the option l(#) has been
   added to let you choose the log files you'd like to open together
   with your data file without specifying their file names.
   If neither l(#) nor any log files are specified, -rfluse- uses -rfl-'s
   general settings.

5) The error message "no variables defined", which under certain 
circumstances
   appeared in the results window when calling rfl (but never was 
harmful in any
   respect), is now suppressed.

6) More consistent descriptions handling.

7) Fixed some minor bugs, additional minor improvements.

Thanks to Dan Chandler who helped to make -rfl- display properly on Macs.

Since I don't see much left to do, I reckon this is the last revision of 
-rfl-,
unless Stata Corp changes the executable in a way that prevents -rfl-
from working properly (or allows Stata's User menu to be cleared
selectively), or I get any complaints or suggestions, or some bug
is detected, or...

As always, bug reports, comments and suggestions are welcome.

Enjoy,
Dankwart Plattner


General description (updated):
rfl resembles a most recently used files list (called MRU in other Windows
programs) allowing the user to open a file from a list of previously opened
files. Every file opened with rfl is added to the list of recently used 
files.
In addition, the user is allowed to set the memory allocated to Stata,
to attach a short description to each file opened, and to open appropriate
log and cmdlog files, if she wishes so. If data are present in memory at 
the
time rfl is called, the user may save and close open files from within
rfl's dialog. In addition, rfl can place its own menu under Stata's User 
menu
for easy access to the most recently opened files.
-rfl- supports file names of any length, even in Stata's non-SE
Intercooled. Stata 8.2 is needed. Version 3.0 runs on all platforms.


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