Would there be a way to somehow have the hub "remember" our download dependencies? (maybe diff color download button)

[NutellaBrah]

Now that downloading .VARs and their dependencies is easier than ever... I would add that we could maybe solve one more problem; that we have to either remember everything we ever had in our addonpackages foder, or pull up the folder in explorer and cross-check what we already have or dont have. Either that or just redownload everything on the list blindly even if theres duplicates. Not sure what is easier.

I could imagine a hub setup where the download buttons for dependencies are grey or a different color to signify our account user has already clicked download on it (or specifically that version) before.

Maybe it could be the case that we go back through our offline files one time to cross-sync and redownload what we have in the folder from the hub again and then have a 1:1 "inventory" on the hub of what we actually downloaded and from then on we could have the hub remember what we already have clicked on and have it organized to help us know exactly what we need and dont need to download??

Is such a thing even possible?

 

[Motoyo]

Is it not doing that now for you? Mine tells me "In library" if I have it.

 

[Damarmau]

I think he means when here on the hub website and not in game.

 

[Motoyo]

I don't think that's possible (well at least not ethical if done). That would require a lot of things for the website to do that is a huge no-no in practices for websites to do: Access, read and have permissions on files and directories far outside of the browsers root, even possibly on a different drive to tally a record of what you have installed.
Even with it being VaM, I would be wary of any website that asks permission to have on demand access to folders and files in other locations, it means the designer of it is willing to dabble in 'taboo/dangerous' code to achieve that.

Now they COULD store tokens/database entries of what you have downloaded (long as you are logged in) and mark you have downloaded that, at some point. But it would not be helpful as it would not know what you have currently in VaM: As in things your removed, things you added outside of the Hub, things you fixed dependencies for manually.
It would be a just literal list of "you have downloaded this file, at some point, in the past". It wouldn't be much help on fixing/updating/referencing a VaM install.

 

[NutellaBrah]

I don't think that's possible (well at least not ethical if done). That would require a lot of things for the website to do that is a huge no-no in practices for websites to do: Access, read and have permissions on files and directories far outside of the browsers root, even possibly on a different drive to tally a record of what you have installed.
Even with it being VaM, I would be wary of any website that asks permission to have on demand access to folders and files in other locations, it means the designer of it is willing to dabble in 'taboo/dangerous' code to achieve that.

Now they COULD store tokens/database entries of what you have downloaded (long as you are logged in) and mark you have downloaded that, at some point. But it would not be helpful as it would not know what you have currently in VaM: As in things your removed, things you added outside of the Hub, things you fixed dependencies for manually.
It would be a just literal list of "you have downloaded this file, at some point, in the past". It wouldn't be much help on fixing/updating/referencing a VaM install.

dont think it would involve scanning folders, though that would be the most automatic.

just a basic “memory” of what downloaded buttons were or a simple history list thatis linked to the color of the buttons. It seems like most of this would be server side only requiring the knowledgeof when a user id clicked on one of its buttons.

 

[Motoyo]

But that would cause a different issue. Any changes/deletions of var files you dont like, the clean ups we all do to remove junk we no longer want, and especially reinstalls of VaM you do, would make that a bit moot.
It would continue to just always 'add' to the current list of things you downloaded, and it thinks you need; and never remove from that list. As every download you do (that you keep or not) will be assumed as "In VaM forever" as far as dependency listing goes.
For example for me: It would show about 50+ things I downloaded tried and didn't really care for, and deleted. And tell me about 80ish dependencies all those had that I 'need'. (As it only knows I downloaded them, not if I still have them in VaM).

I suppose there could be a "I removed this download" button on vars on the website, so it 'forgets' that it thinks you have it. But that would end up as tedious to remember to do and remember what you removed, as it is now to find what you need because the site not knowing at all.

I myself 95% of the time download inside VaM itself from the Hub. or when I manually add things click the "scan for missing dependencies" button and let it do its thing.

 

[NutellaBrah]

But that would cause a different issue. Any changes/deletions of var files you dont like, the clean ups we all do to remove junk we no longer want, and especially reinstalls of VaM you do, would make that a bit moot.
It would continue to just always 'add' to the current list of things you downloaded, and it thinks you need; and never remove from that list. As every download you do (that you keep or not) will be assumed as "In VaM forever" as far as dependency listing goes.
For example for me: It would show about 50+ things I downloaded tried and didn't really care for, and deleted. And tell me about 80ish dependencies all those had that I 'need'. (As it only knows I downloaded them, not if I still have them in VaM).

I suppose there could be a "I removed this download" button on vars on the website, so it 'forgets' that it thinks you have it. But that would end up as tedious to remember to do and remember what you removed, as it is now to find what you need because the site not knowing at all.

I myself 95% of the time download inside VaM itself from the Hub. or when I manually add things click the "scan for missing dependencies" button and let it do its thing.

That makes no sense because you wouldn’t not have your dependencies anymore for any reason. You’d always just keep your addonoackages folder and add to it over time.. but yeah I should probably start using the in app browser and see how that works.

 

[Motoyo]

That makes no sense because you wouldn’t not have your dependencies anymore for any reason. You’d always just keep your addonoackages folder and add to it over time.. but yeah I should probably start using the in app browser and see how that works.

Without the site being able to read the contents of a drive folder, it would only know what you download, not what your vam currently looks like for an addon folders.
So say you downloaded 40 things, moved them to VaM Addon, didn't like 20 of them and deleted them from VaM. The site browser doesn't know they are gone. Only at sometime in the past you downloaded it. So it would go 'Oh you seem to have this, here is the files it needs for it'. It only can remember you clicked to download, not if you kept it in VaM or not (or even if you ever moved it to VaM at all).
The in app browser is different since it can read its own files, to know what you removed.

Like now I keep getting notifications for updates to things I downloaded from site (not ingame) and deleted from VaM long ago, when I login here.

 

[Acid Bubbles]

@DXWarlock well it would be possible to just sync your current packages list in your account from VaM. VaM already shares information with the site since it lists your missing packages. But that would be additional development.

 

[Motoyo]

True.
Would have to add a way to sync your VaM account to your virtamate site/forum account. As far as I can tell they are not related in anyway.
My VaM details are not the same as on here. (Different creator name vs username here) VaM only uses a universal key per tier it doesn't 'know' who you are with any sort of verifiable credentials. The VaM program itself would need an addition to add a login linked to here in it itself.

Only limit at that point would be VaM would have to have been ran recently if you made changes to it before logging into the site, else the site would have old data to go off of.