Options vs Preferences

[mbakeranalecta]

Is there a difference between options and preferences?

The menu structure Options > Preferences suggests that options are a broader category that includes things other than preferences. However, the only other setting under the Options menu is Menu Key Shortcuts, which actually just leads to a filtered view of the preferences dialog. You could get to Menu Key Shortcuts via the Preferences menu as well. So it does not look like there are any options that are not preferences.

On the other hand, when I exported global preferences, the exported file did not contain any menu key shortcuts. Is that just because I have not customized any keys? Does the exported file only contain deltas from the default configuration?

So, two thoughts:

• If not all options are exported, we should be careful to say which ones are.
• We should be consistent in how we refer to options. My thought is that the name for options themselves is "options" and that "preferences" is just a UI label for the dialog where you set the options to match your preferences.

Agreed?

[raducoravu]

        However, the only other setting under the Options menu is Menu Key Shortcuts, which actually just leads to a filtered view of the preferences dialog. You could get to Menu Key Shortcuts via the Preferences menu as well. 

Yes, it is just a shortcut to get you directly there because users may want to change shortcut keys more often.

        So it does not look like there are any options that are not preferences.

This is true.

       On the other hand, when I exported global preferences, the exported file did not contain any menu key shortcuts. Is that just because I have not customized any keys? Does the exported file only contain deltas from the default configuration?

Exactly, we try not to export default values. And this should probably be made more explicit

   If not all options are exported, we should be careful to say which ones are.

Right, we should say that default options (options which have not been changed by the user in any way) would not get exported.

  We should be consistent in how we refer to options. My thought is that the name for options themselves is "options" and that "preferences" is just a UI label for the dialog where you set the options to match your preferences.

I would agree.