Automated setup file uploaded

[J. Landman Gay]

Robert Brenstein wrote:
>> Did not know that there is a special kind of script called "pref 
>> handler" ;-)
> 
> There is a stack with preferences. I forget how those are put in effect 
> but if all preferences are kept in an external file (if I understood you 
> correctly), then these have to be combined.
> 
>> Of course I meant to put whatever kind of hanlder in the 
>> "preopenstack" handler of the "home" stack!
> 
> Do we really want to modify Home stack?

The variable watcher and the plugins manager both store custom property 
sets in Home. The Home stack itself isn't modified except to add new 
property sets. If the custom props don't exist (as in a new Home stack) 
then defaults are used. As soon as a user works with either of these 
stacks, the properties are created.

I like the idea of having external prefs and I hope Klaus and Richard 
implement that, but for now, I don't see any problem creating another 
property set in the Home stack that stores IDE stack locations. In a new 
Home stack, the IDE stacks would just display wherever they were saved 
for distribution; otherwise, the user's prefered locations would be used.

> 
>>> I wonder whether the overhead of XML (as small as it is) is truly 
>>> needed for an internal data file.
>>> A simple token-based file would do the job and can also be versioned.

I agree. I don't like XML, it is overkill for almost everything. Why not 
just use a regular stack to store external prefs? That's Richard's usual 
method and I think it's a good one. A stack with custom property sets 
for each type of prefs (plugin manager, variable watcher, stack rects) 
would be dead simple to implement, and the only changes to existing 
scripts in the IDE would be to change the name of the stack that holds 
the custom props. It would also be very easy to add new property sets if 
we decide we want to customize other features in the future.


-- 
Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com