[digiKam-users] CLI options?

[SkyDiver]

In short:
-----------
Is there any CLI options that Digikam understands?
Mainly: Can I pass Digikam the DB instance to use in the current
session via CLI?

Background:
-----------------
I just recently realized that v6.0.0-beta* modifies the DB schema.
From recent emails it seems that not all data is being upgraded
according to the schema (I'm not sure if any upgrade process takes
place or not).

So testing 6.0.0 beta versions modified my DB.
I don't see the modifications as destructive at the moment, and so far
I'm able to run the DB on 6.0.0 and 5.9.0 interchangeably.

Since Digikam globally remembers what was the last used DB, then in
order to switch to a test DB for the sake of running tests on a beta
version, I need to:
- Open the stable release version
- Switch to a test DB
- Switch to the test version
- Once done: Open the stable version again and remember to switch from
test to real DB.

My test DB is just a copy of the original DB, just running from a
different directory.
This led to confusion that cost me working on the test DB thinking I'm
on the real DB, and also cost me the DB upgrade (which again, luckily
so far doesn't seem destructive, but it could have been).

I would much rather have a CLI argument telling Digikam to run this
time using a specific DB instance?
Also, are there any other CLI options? (couldn't find anything in the
docs, but I might have overlooked something).

Thanks.

[Remco Viëtor]

On mardi 18 décembre 2018 08:57:52 CET Sky Diver wrote:
> In short:
> -----------
> Is there any CLI options that Digikam understands?
> Mainly: Can I pass Digikam the DB instance to use in the current
> session via CLI?

Have you tried "digikam --help" (that's more or less a de facto standard under
linux)

> Background:
> -----------------
> I just recently realized that v6.0.0-beta* modifies the DB schema.
> From recent emails it seems that not all data is being upgraded
> according to the schema (I'm not sure if any upgrade process takes
> place or not).

You do realise that the "beta" in that version means "not suitable for
production"? So not much reason to add a command line option just for the
testing phase.

But yes, there is an option "--database-directory", though it refers to SQLite
(only?). There is also an option to specify the configuration file to use,
that could also be useful.

Remco

P.S. For future reference: in many version number schemes, a change in *major*
version number (here: 5→6) indicates a very strong possibility of
incompatibility with older versions, with an *impossibility* to go back to the
older version. the other parts indicate (again, in general) feature changes
while remaining compatible, and bugfixes with no feature change.

[SkyDiver]

Remco Viëtor wrote:
> Have you tried "digikam --help" (that's more or less a de facto standard under
> linux)
Not really.
Coming from Windows I'm not used to UI apps having a "--help" CLI
option (let alone additional CLI options).
My bad, I guess.
(*) Wouldn't mind seeing some CLI Options reference on the website though.

> You do realise that the "beta" in that version means "not suitable for
> production"? So not much reason to add a command line option just for the
> testing phase.
>
> But yes, there is an option "--database-directory", though it refers to SQLite
> (only?). There is also an option to specify the configuration file to use,
> that could also be useful.
In case I didn't explain clearly, my point is to duplicate my (SQLite)
production DB to a tmp dir and run the beta version against that dir.
By specifying the dir from CLI, I can skip all the DB switching back and forth.
I'll check if the configuration file is also required in order to
ensure full separation between production and test envs.

Thank you.

[Remco Viëtor]

On mardi 18 décembre 2018 14:18:00 CET Sky Diver wrote:

> Remco Viëtor wrote:
> > Have you tried "digikam --help" (that's more or less a de facto standard
> > under linux)
>
> Not really.
> Coming from Windows I'm not used to UI apps having a "--help" CLI
> option (let alone additional CLI options).
> My bad, I guess.
> (*) Wouldn't mind seeing some CLI Options reference on the website though.
>
> > You do realise that the "beta" in that version means "not suitable for
> > production"? So not much reason to add a command line option just for the
> > testing phase.
> >
> > But yes, there is an option "--database-directory", though it refers to
> > SQLite (only?). There is also an option to specify the configuration file
> > to use, that could also be useful.
>
> In case I didn't explain clearly, my point is to duplicate my (SQLite)
> production DB to a tmp dir and run the beta version against that dir.
> By specifying the dir from CLI, I can skip all the DB switching back and
> forth. I'll check if the configuration file is also required in order to
> ensure full separation between production and test envs.
>

You didn't specify that is was a SQlite database, hence the extra remark.
And for the config file, I was thinking of perhaps using a different theme for
the 6.0.0beta, to distinguish it clearly from the production version.

Remco

[SkyDiver]

I have v5.6.0 installed from Ubuntu's official repo.
v5.9.0 running from AppImage as well as the 6.0.0-beta versions.

Thus I wouldn't mind clearly seeing the version number at all times,
e.g. next to the "digiKam" text on the title bar.

As for beta versions, visually marking that this is a beta version
(across themes, e.g. dark theme) is indeed welcome, although, once it
has been launched, the active album's DB gets upgraded whether the
user likes it or not.

Towards that end, I would love to see a popup message, notifying the
user that a DB upgrade is about to happen, and asking the user to
authorize the upgrade.

Yeah, usability is essential.

On Tue, Dec 18, 2018 at 3:55 PM Remco Viëtor <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> On mardi 18 décembre 2018 14:18:00 CET Sky Diver wrote:
> > Remco Viëtor wrote:
> > > Have you tried "digikam --help" (that's more or less a de facto standard
> > > under linux)
> >
> > Not really.
> > Coming from Windows I'm not used to UI apps having a "--help" CLI
> > option (let alone additional CLI options).
> > My bad, I guess.
> > (*) Wouldn't mind seeing some CLI Options reference on the website though.
> >
> > > You do realise that the "beta" in that version means "not suitable for
> > > production"? So not much reason to add a command line option just for the
> > > testing phase.
> > >
> > > But yes, there is an option "--database-directory", though it refers to
> > > SQLite (only?). There is also an option to specify the configuration file
> > > to use, that could also be useful.
> >
> > In case I didn't explain clearly, my point is to duplicate my (SQLite)
> > production DB to a tmp dir and run the beta version against that dir.
> > By specifying the dir from CLI, I can skip all the DB switching back and
> > forth. I'll check if the configuration file is also required in order to
> > ensure full separation between production and test envs.
> >
> You didn't specify that is was a SQlite database, hence the extra remark.
> And for the config file, I was thinking of perhaps using a different theme for
> the 6.0.0beta, to distinguish it clearly from the production version.
>
> Remco
>
>
>
>