Issues arising from "Text Config 2004 04 27.doc"
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Because TextConfig files are also used by pproconf to
import and export command lists, there needs to be an exact
match between things in the files and things in pproconf's
dialogs. I've spotted two discrepancies:
Missing: In the dialog, you can check "Always show as bar".
If (using the new beta pproconf) you export a command list with,
and then without, that box checked, the two exported files look
identical. Maybe there should be a keyword AutoShowBar.
Extra: In the dialog for a command list's properties,
you can set the default height but not the default width of
all buttons. To set a common width, it is necessary to check
"Same size" and then adjust the width of the first button.
To make them consistent, you need to either remove "width: n"
from the [properties] section of text files,
or add a "Button Width" number box to the Properties,Bars dialog.
The latter would be better because it would (I assume) set a
default button width for that bar, which would apply to any buttons
which have their individual width set to zero.
That's how Button Height works.
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The document claims:
"General Layout of Text Configuration Files
Text files follow the ini format standards. This means that the
input consists of section headers and value assignment lines."
That is not true if you include the controversial Block Comments feature.
Suggestion: either remove the claim that these files follow the
ini format standards, or make them follow the ini format standards.
There are several good reasons for removing that feature.
Here is an example of how powerpro.exe and pproconf.exe will read
a TextConfig file differently from how it is read by the Registry
plugin and the new Ini plugin.
------------------------------
[5]
Cmd1 = c:\program files\myprog\myprog.exe
Param1 = -switch
Work1=c:\work\folder
how1=max
cmd2=wait
/*
param2= for activewindow("=myprog")
cmd3= debug
param3= This is command 3 in item [5]
[6]
Cmd1 = c:\utils\otherprog.exe
Param1 = -switch
Work1=c:\work\folder2
how1=max
cmd2=window
*/
param2= close =notepad
cmd3= debug
param3= This is command 3 in item [6]
-----------------------------------
Powerpro.exe and pproconf.exe will see the param2
for Item [5] cmd2 thus:
param2= close =notepad
-- which will be a syntax error --
and will regard command 3 in Item [5] to be:
debug This is command 3 in item [6]
The Ini plugin will inform the user that param2
for Item [5] cmd2's parameter is:
param2= for activewindow("=myprog")
and will regard command 3 in Item [5] to be:
debug This is command 3 in item [5]
Therefore please consider that:
- block quotes is the only feature in the new TextConfig files
which is not inifile standard;
- they offer no functional benefit (they don't add any power or
features to the file, only a minor visual benefit);
- the very minor cosmetic advantage is far outweighed by the
potential functional problems, such as making mysterious errors
if a user tries applying Ini and Registry plugins to the file;
- it is possible to have a kind of block quote anyway, without
breaking the inifile standard, by creating a User Section to
contain long commentary without needing to use semicolons;
- it is easier to see which lines are comments if they all start
with a semicolon. With block comments it is easier to make
a reading error (see in the example file above, where a reader
might misunderstand whether the final cmd3 belongs to [5] or [6])
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One silly idea deserves another:
If you are going to break the ini standard, just to include block
comments (in case there is a user who wants the Config files to have
an added purpose as a document file) (and in spite of users who
want them to work as ini files)
you might as well go the whole way with non standard bloat:
make the file RTF with embedded images and tunes.
Alan Martin
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