GUI – Recent Files List

The next GUI feature implemented is a recent programs list, which consists of a new Open Recent sub-menu item on the File menu below the Open menu item.  This sub-menu contains a list of recent programs along with a separator and a Clear Recent List menu item.  The Open Recent menu item is disabled if there are not recent files.  Files are added to the recent list when opened or when the Save As... menu item is used.

New files are inserted at the top of the list, pushing older programs down the list.  Currently only 4 programs are listed in the list (this will be made configurable later), but up to a  maximum of 10 recent programs are kept in the list.  When a new program is added to the list, any existing entry of the program in the list is removed first and any files above the maximum count are removed.

A new RecentFiles class was implemented to maintain this list of recent files and the Open Recent sub-menu actions.  When instanced, the open recent file actions are created for the maximum number of files, sets each to invisible, sets its icon to the file open icon and connects their triggered signal to an open file slot (which does not occur automatically like when menu actions are added in Designer).  The open recent file actions are inserted before the first existing action in the menu, which is assumed to contain a separator and the Clear Recent List actions (added in Designer).

The RecentFiles class contains public functions for adding a file to the recent list, clearing the list, restoring the list (and count) from the saved application settings, and saving the list (and count) to the application settings.  When one of the recent file menu actions is triggered, an open file signal is emitted.  When MainWindow instances this class, it connects this signal to a new program open slot function.

The RecentFiles class contains two private support functions.  One to update the actions on the sub-menu list, which first removes any files in the list that don't exist, and then scans the list setting the open recent file menu action's text and data to the base name of the file path and its full path, and makes it visible.  Any actions above the current count or the number of files present are set invisible.  The second is a simple support function for returning the base file name of a path.

[commit bf8cda57eb]