How to get to the "Sidebar"

[wdormann]

I'll admit that I only now realized that this project has an active "Discussions" section. I'll use this for things that aren't definitely bugs.

Recent versions of AppControl switch to keeping policy definitions in a library vs. as XML files, and I'll admit that this change has completely derailed my ability to understand how to use the software.

I do see that there's a Sidebar to help me through things, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to see this sidebar.

In an attempt to recreate the picture in the above page, I go to the Create Supplemental Policy page in my latest-from-microsoft-store 2.0.61.0 version of AppControl Manager.

I clearly am missing a Policy Name and Base Policy File entries expanded underneath Files and Folders. And if I click Select a policy file, I get a filepicker.

If I click the "Library" icon at the top, I get a simple view of what's in my library. And the Actions for it, if I click it are only:

• Add Policies
• Remove All
• Backup All

So I'll admit that I have absolutely no idea how to view the Sidebar, despite reading the documentation as best as my brain allows for. And perhaps related, I have no idea how to use a policy in my library for anything (deploying, modifying to add exceptions from event viewer, etc.)

Can somebody help me out?

[wdormann]

Ah, I think I figured it out. I didn't see any evidence that the policy info text when viewing the policy library is clickable:

And once clicked, you have the ability to click Assign -> Add To Policy

I'll admit that I'm not particularly good at using computer or website GUIs, but on the off-chance that somebody else may be as bad as me, perhaps this new workflow could use some UI hints as to what to do. I've learned this tool in the file-based workflow of prior version, so the transition to this sidebar / library view was unintuitive to me.

Specifically that:

• One must click the blue icon at the top to do anything with the library. Even if I did notice the icon, there's no hover text to indicate what it might even do.

- The block of plain text that contains the policy name, and details (base, signed, version, GUID) is even clickable in the first place.

Perhaps somebody else can chime in here with suggestions, but at least in my experience with this new workflow, I got to the point of seeing a Select a policy file button, and when I couldn't select the policy that I just created, I gave up.

[HotCakeX]

Ah you're right, the Sidebar button at top does need tooltip text, nice catch, it'll be there in the next update!

I can also add drag & drop support so that you can just drag a policy from library over to each Browse button, will work with both mouse and touch.

About UI hints, the light bulb appears on each Browse button, i could also add it next to the Sidebar button at top when you visit a page which assignment support.

Btw you can drag the edge of the Sidebar and resize it.

Each policy in the library is absolutely clickable, right-click and left-click show different sets of options. If using touch device, you can even swipe left and right to view different options too as you would in your phone for example.

[HotCakeX]

Tooltips were added: https://github.com/HotCakeX/Harden-Windows-Security/releases/tag/AppControlManager-v2.0.62.0

[HotCakeX]

I just updated the screenshot in the Sidebar wiki page, along with some other documents to reflect the newest UI changes. The old screenshot was a bit confusing, sorry about that.

Please refresh the Sidebar document again to view the new pic: https://github.com/HotCakeX/Harden-Windows-Security/wiki/Sidebar

So let's say you have policies in your library and you want to use one of them in the Supplemental policy page to add new rules to it. While in the Supplemental policy page, open the Sidebar, click/tap on a policy in the library, select Assign and then from the new sub-menu that opens pick the location to assign the policy to. Once selected, the location where the policy was assigned to opens up instantly showing you that it was selected.

The light bulb icon also shows up on the Assign button when you're on a page that supports library policy assignment.

if my explanation is not enough please let me know so i can come up with a better one.

Also yes Discussions section in the repo is great place for these ^^

[HotCakeX]

I added this gif to the Sidebar wiki document too.