WinMerge 2011.211.110 broke filter functionality

[engelhro]

With the new version released some days ago, the file filter functionality during comparison of folders is broken (I use the portable installation):

• Custom filters are not recognized anymore. The ones I had defined are not found/listed anymore (see also the changed path remark at the end).
• I even cannot add new ones via button New… (just tested private filters, not shared ones). I can still add one, the file with the filter definition gets created successfully, but after saving it's not listed in the UI and cannot be selected.
• I cannot add existing ones via button Install…. After providing the path to an existing filter definition, I just receive an error message ("Installing filter file failed. Could not copy new filter file to filter folder.").

And finally the default path has changed? I previously stored my definitions in C:\Users\‹Username›\Documents\WinMerge\Filters, but now WinMerge stores the filters apparently in the ProgramData\WinMerge\Filters sub directory of its (portable) installation path? Copying an existing filter definition to this path also doesn't help.

Can anyone confirm my findings? In case this is really a nasty bug, can it please be fixed? Thanks!

[datadiode]

Thanks for your bug report.

You may want to try the CI build at https://ci.appveyor.com/project/datadiode/winmerge2011/builds/38108231/artifacts.

[engelhro]

I've looked at at version 0.2011.211.119, and the problem seems to be fixed only partially…

A filter existing in the defined folder is not recognized automatically. I have to choose the Install… button, select the file with the filter definition, click on Open and then abort with No when asked whether I want to overwrite the existing file (which of I don't want, it already exists with the very same content). But afterwards, the filter definition is finally known to Winmerge2011 int the main comparison dialog and can be selected for folder comparison.

I'm not sure why the behavior of the filter menu had to be changed at all? It was working in previous versions, was there any reason to touch this part of the application?

Thanks for restoring the original functionality! ☺

[datadiode]