Feature request: prompt for XML import preferences

Edited for clarity.

Dorico Team,

Please give us a prompt for XML Import Preferences when importing Music XML files. Include an option to disable it, and everybody will be happy!

Back Story

Over the years, I occasionally imported Music XML files into Sibelius. I did it enough to remember, albeit unconsciously, that Sibelius presents you with an import options window that you must click through before it opens the XML file.

The last few days I’ve been bringing projects from Sibelius to Dorico via XML. I assumed that Dorico would similarly offer import options. Since it didn’t, I assumed there weren’t any.

While searching for a solution to note duration issues, I stumbled on a forum thread that mentioned XML Import options (though it didn’t say where to find them).

Eventually, I found the “Note Durations” option in Preferences > Music XML Import > Notes and Chords.

Ack! If I’d known about that in advance, it would have saved at least a couple of hours of work. :angry:

Yes, it’s my responsibility for not doing my homework. But not only does Sibelius prompt you upon XML Import (albeit with far fewer options), if I recall correctly, DAWs like Digital Performer and Pro Tools present you with import options when opening standardized file formats like MIDI, OMF, AAF, etc. So there’s precedent for this kind of thing.

Dorico’s XML Import Preferences are great, and the explanations are very helpful. Thank you for all that!

I’d like to think I’ll remember that these preferences exist after all the wasted time today (and I doubt I’ll need to change them often, if at all). But with all the new stuff to learn in Dorico, I’d still like the option of being prompted.

We did of course discuss this, but in the end we decided to show them only in Preferences because we believed that most people would be importing music from a small set of sources and would generally want the same approach to importing for everything they import.

I should be happy that I’m not like “most people”. But in this case I’m not, because I’m the one using different XML files and I would be happy to have the XML import window.

It could be a simple pop-up window reminding the user that there are XML Import Preferences, with a “do not show this message again” tick box.