RedirectSection enhancement

[X-Byte]

So the parameter RedirectSection in a section of the Total Commander configuration file currently offers the option to NOT redirect a section (=0), redirect the section to the file specified in AlternateUserIni (=1) or specify an ini file (=<inifile>).

What I'm missing is an option (=2) that respects all defined parameters in that section as long as such a section does not exist in the AlternateUserIni file.

This would enable a Total Commander administrator on a Terminal Server environment to define reasonable settings for a section but still give the Total Commander user the possibility to override these settings.

As soon as let's say the user changes something which affects the [Colors] section and RedirectSection=2 is set for this section, the sections [Colors] would be created in the AlternateUserIni file together with all configured section parameters from the wincmd.ini, taking the user's change into account.

Ideally, Total Commander then should also offer an option (or at least internal command) to "revert" back to the settings defined by the Administrator. This would simply remove all sections from the user's AlternateUserIni file which have a RedirectSection=2 entry in the wincmd.ini.

This gives the user the freedom of adjusting settings to his preference while enabling the Total Commander administrator to predefine suitable parameter for the environment and only have to make changes in exactly one place.

While this is probably nothing that a user on a individual client pc would care about but makes a huge difference for Terminal Server environments.

[petermad]

Sounds like a good idea - support++

[MVV]

It may be useful, yes, but it is complicated... I think it may be done eaiser with some script or tool that will deploy TC and initialize user config with these parameters, and also offer a rollback.

It is still questionable what to do when you change administrator config and want them to be applied to user configs but user have overriden some of them...

Also, I would wish also a way of using this merging with explicitly specified ini file too (there are TC configuration settings, user settings and history, directories in tabs and other local profile settings, so it would be better to have user settings in a separate file), but simple =2 doesn't allow that.

[X-Byte]

2MVV
If you want it to be as versatile as you wish, yes it might get more complicated, but still manageable. A separate parameter like SectionLastUpdated=<timestamp> in both, wincmd.ini and userspecific ini sections can offer the user a dialog if he would like to revert to the updated section from the wincmd.ini, resulting the affected section being wiped from his userspecific ini.

As for your wish to differentiate between TC configuration settings, user settings and history related stuff - this would be possible, even with the simple =2.
For all the history related sections, that usually don't require any predefinitions, you would define something like RedirectSection=%$APPDATA%\Ghisler\History.ini
For all configuration sections that should be predefined but user customizable, you stay with RedirectSection=2, which refers to the AlternateUserIni file.
For all configuration section that should not be changeable by the user, stick with RedirectSection=0

For my case though, I'd prefer to start small and simple with the option to further enhance this functionality in future releases.
I also think the simple approach is something Christian can implement rather quick and won't be stuck in the queue until TC 15 And that would improve things on a Terminal Server a lot already. I won't deny any sophisticated mergins features though but I guess it's highly unlikely to be included anytime soon

[MVV]

Usually I prefer to leave all history and other stuff in alternate ini, and redirect useful sections to user ini...