PhoneSwitch feature request

[carrel]

Wow, nice app.  Simple, clean and seems to be doing it's job really well.  Thanks so much.

Now with that said, I'd like to request a feature...  I am using the setting where I tell it to return to the previous app.  But I found a problem when I ran VoiceDial to call someone.  After the call, it returned to VoiceDial, which is what it is supposed to do, but not what I want it to do.  For my feature request, I'd like to have an "exclude list" so that if PhoneSwitch sees that the last app was in the exclude list, it will NOT return to that app.  Ideally it would return to the app before that, but if that information is not available, then maybe it could go to a pre-set app in that situation.

Thoughts??

Thanks

Dave

[phil12210]

Dave,

That's a great request actually.  Implementing an exclude list would be rather simple.  It'd also not be very difficult to have it go to the app before, I'd just have it check the exclude list when it goes to store the app and if it's excluded it'd just leave it as what it's already at.  I probably won't have time to add this feature for a few days because I am working hard to get ChatWorks Beta 13 released...  But definitely expect this feature to be added.

- Phil -

[carrel]

Thanks for the quick and enthusiastic reply.

Here's some "feel good" commentary...  I was shopping today, using Bonsai (a palm app) to handle my shopping list.  Somebody called, and I immediately cringed, because I knew this would drop me out of the program I was using.  I took the call, and when it was over, I was returned to Bonsai.  I had forgotten about PhoneSwitch and was expecting the "usual" behavior.  But PhoneSwitch had done exactly what I wanted.  I know it's not really that big a deal, but it made me feel good, so I'm passing it on.  Thanks!!

Dave

[aquarian021]

Hi Phil,
I have Phone Switch set to return to the last application used after the call ends.
When I go to phone application and dial a number, after the call ends, the treo goes back to the last application that was being used, not phone application. Can that be made to go back to phone application.
Also when I am dialing a number and its engaged and I redial it, in between redials it keeps going back to the last application used. Can this be avoided.
Thanks and Regards, Tripti.

[phil12210]

Tripti:  I'll play around with some things and see if I can get it to work how you'd like.  I have an idea of what I can do.  See, since all calls are actually made through the phone app(whether started there or not), I had to set PhoneSwitch to ignore the phone program and not set it as last app launched (otherwise PS doesn't work at all).  Anyway, I'm going to try to have a 1.3 release this weekend and will see what I can do 

- Phil -

[aquarian021]

Hi Phil,
Thanks ...
I do understand what you are saying about all calls starting from phone...
Regards, Tripti.

[aquarian021]

Hi Phil,
I do not know how feasible this is but just a thought: how about enabling return to phone application for outgoing calls but disabling it for incoming ones..
Regards, Tripti.

[phil12210]

Tripti,

It *may* be possible to enable that feature.  My biggest problem is that the notification that programmers use to tell when a phone call is started has changed dramatically across devices.  Older devices (Treo 600/650) send that notification out so other programs can handle it.  Newer devices (Treo 680+) send that notification directly to the phone app making it difficult for developers to do anything with it.  Anyway, I will still try my best to make it happen.

- Phil -

[Alli]

So you'll just have to make a few device-specific versions.

[aquarian021]

Thanks for trying Phil.. By the way I use a Treo 680 .. do not know what kind of notification system it uses.. .

[phil12210]

Thanks for trying Phil.. By the way I use a Treo 680 .. do not know what kind of notification system it uses.. .

Actually, the Treo 680 was the first device they changed that notification on.  I made a small error in my first post but corrected it (being a Sprint user I tend to forget about the 680 once in a while).  Either way I will try my hardest to cover everyone's requests.

- Phil -

[carrel]

OK, here's a twist to this all.  I use TAKEphONE (an alternative phone application) and it has a feature where  I can highlight any text in another app, press the phone button (which is assigned to TAKEphONE), and it will capture that text and attempt to dial it when it recognizes a phone number.  With PhoneSwitch enabled, after that call, it returns to TAKEphONE.  Well that seems "right" since I really ran the program TAKEphONE before the call.  But what I want is that it returns to the program I was in when I highlighted the phone number.  I imagine that if you implement the "exclude list", I could add TAKEphONE to that list.  This would work for this situation.  But in another situation, I run TAKEphONE, use it to look up a number and dial it, and in that  case, I would like it to return to TAKEphONE.   Hmmm, seems like my two situations are in conflict with each other.  Any ideas???  In the absence of other options, I would put TAKEphONE in the exclude list and forgo returning to TAKEphONE in those cases where I wished it would.

Dave

[phil12210]

Dave,

There could always be prompt options.  For example I could set it up so that if you set an app to be excluded you could have it prompt you to say "Return to TAKEphONE or Previous App?" and you could simply select the option.  Either way you're going to save clicks/taps/fiveway motions.  The prompt would simply have two buttons, the default being previous app so you could just hit the five-way center button and away it goes or just five way to the right and hit the center button for the other option.  Let me know what you think of that idea.

- Phil -

[aquarian021]

Hi Phil, The prompt idea is a very good one.. will it time out by itself if not clicked or stay till clicked and keep the treo screen alive ..
Regards, Tripti.

[phil12210]

Hi Phil, The prompt idea is a very good one.. will it time out by itself if not clicked or stay till clicked and keep the treo screen alive ..
Regards, Tripti.

One more preference for the end user I guess