Plugin configuration - via .ini or .reg files?

[djk]

What's your opinion on using .reg files to change configuration of some plugins?

I've found this way of configuration in wlx_msg and wlx_csv plugins (BTW: new but nice plugins -althought still need some work). To change for instance the colors of fonts in wlx_msg you have to do it via .reg files. Do you like it?

IMHO it's not too good. I prefer to have a whole configuration in one place to easily move whole TC to new computer or disc and no t to be forced to run several regs on every machine.

[Ivan Moratinos]

I agree with you. I like the old fashioned .ini files

But, if you can select which way do you prefer: .ini or .reg, it would be more useful.

[sqa_wizard]

If you travel with TC to several hundred PCs (on USB-stick or CD), there is no registry you can use ... so INI files are mandatory.

[Pete]

Hello,

I prefer ini files.

But I would appreciate if there would be only one ini file (like plugins.ini) for all plugins, located in same directory as wincmd.ini and wcx_ftp.ini.
Or for the 3 at the moment available types of plugins we have 3 different ini files (like lsplugin.ini for lister plugins).

Best regards
Pete

[Clo]

Hello,

I prefer ini files.

But I would appreciate if there would be only one ini file (like plugins.ini) for all plugins, located in same directory as wincmd.ini and wcx_ftp.ini.
Or for the 3 at the moment available types of plugins we have 3 different ini files (like lsplugin.ini for lister plugins).

Best regards
Pete

Hi!
I agree too, I prefer old good .INI files!
But actually, I have the plugins settings in my <Wincmd.ini>, example:
[ListerPlugins]
0=C:\Totalcmd\ICLView.wlx
0_detect="ext="ICL" | ext="ICO" | (force & (ext="EXE" | ext="DLL"))"
1=C:\Totalcmd\Modules\Cdbfview.wlx
1_detect="ext="DBF" | ext="DBC""

• 
  Or else, a special plugins.ini file might be nice too...
  Friendly,
  Clo
  #31505 (*2)

[Flint]

As for me, I think, that the problem should be solved as follows: if the plugin allows easy configuration dialog from it own, it can store settings in registry, that is more usual for Windows. If it does not allows such an interface, it should be configurable via INI-file that is usually easy-accessed to user.

[alextorex]

XML file

[djk]

XML file

Better than .reg IMO

[Aezay]

XML file

But isn't XML a little more difficult to edit than ini?

[djk]

Of course it's but the main problem (for me and this poll) was to be able to easily move (or backup and restore) whole TC configuration. So it doesn't matter how the configuration will be saved, important in this case is fact that I don't have to run (execute) anything after restoring it.

BTW:
It would be great to be able to do all the configuratiion changes via the plugin properties window, not directly in .ini (or other type of files). This case XML seems to be even better cause it's more flexible then ini.

[Coco]

It would be great if the plugins could be configured directly via the configuration windows of TC.

Now that we have a new configuration window (as from TC6) there is enough place to add items. Maybe Christian could add this feature for a future release.

One configuration point for everything.

and btw I vote .ini files

[djk]

Some plugins has already their own configuration windows.
But it would be nice to be able to configure everything in one place

[Coco]

Some plugins has already their own configuration windows

yes I know but if more an more plugins come with configuration window (or even for the one with just .ini file) it make a lot a different place to configure ... centralization is the solution

[Bloody]

Howdy,

Well the Windows Registry is one extreme badly coded piece of (you know),
shall be a 'database' but MS sells their SQL servers for extra money and
doesn't intend to ship a real database with their systems. The reegistry was
written by real amateurs. It doesn't stand too much entries, i.e. when i
installed the complete VisualStudio suite with all and everything, the
Registry was full and i couldn't install more software afterwards.

The registry is ashaminglky slow but this is because of the coding
quality mentioned above.

Each time a Windows system has to be reinstalled because it usually
goes crazy after a couple of years and tons of software installed and
uninstalled (incl. bad Registry usage by software 'developers'), everything
in the registry gets lost after re-installing the system and one has to
configure everything again by hand.

So: never touch anything in C: and especially never do anything inside
the Windows directory.

XML won't make it because it's hard to make such files readable. INI files
are easier to edit and to read afterwards. IMHO, the INI format should
be fine for most configuration issues, and should be stored in either the
user home or the TC install dir.

Pro's never use the registry for anything except file type associations and
only if absolutely necessary. Too badly coded.

[MPS]

ini, for 'portability' reasons