Plugin interface descriptions for TC 7.55 (beta)

[Flint]

BTW, isn't it time to move the specifications out of beta?

[ghisler(Author)]

Yes, I think that this is a good idea - when I find the time...

[ghisler(Author)]

The plugin writer's guides are out of beta now, you can get them from the plugins page here:
http://www.ghisler.com/plugins.htm

There were no changes to the actual functions since the last beta.

[Flint]

ghisler(Author)
Hm… I just looked there, but there are still old versions (2.20 for WCX, 2.0 for WDX/WFX/WLX).

[ghisler(Author)]

Thanks for the warning, please try again now!

[Flint]

Nearly everything's fine, just fix the typo on the Plugins page that refers to inexistent file:
https://plugins.ghisler.com/content/contentpluginhelp2.2.zip
The link should be:
https://plugins.ghisler.com/content/contentpluginhelp2.1.zip

[ghisler(Author)]

Thanks - seems to be on the English page only...

[ts4242]

2ghisler(Author)

All Plugin interface descriptions are use hlp format. Is it possible to provide them as chm? because Win 7 doesn't support the hlp format without a special download.

Of course i can convert them myself, but it is better to be available for all plugins page visitors.

[ghisler(Author)]

I will consider it - but I think that developpers should be clever enough to install the hlp viewer for Windows 7.

[MVV]

I will consider it - but I think that developpers should be clever enough to install the hlp viewer for Windows 7.

Agree.


Christian,

I found an error in ContentDefaultParamStruct description (WDX API help):

typedef struct {

int size;
DWORD PluginInterfaceVersionLow;
DWORD PluginInterfaceVersionHi;
char DefaultIniName[MAX_PATH];
} ListDefaultParamStruct;

[ghisler(Author)]

I will fix it, thanks!

[MVV]

Christian, it would be great to reflect details described here in API documentation (use MaxLen parameter name for string lengths, MaxChars for buffer sizes in characters, MaxBytes for buffer sizes in Bytes, and use const modifier for input only strings/buffers/structs).

[ghisler(Author)]

Unfortunately changing these headers would probably break almost all existing plugins...

[MVV]

Christian, no one tells to authors of existing plugins to use theese headers, they can still use their own old copies. But new ones will use correct headers.

And, only a few changes in code required - to add const modifiers for pointers that work with input (constant) strings/buffers (such buffers must not be written anyway).

Also, if function prototype differs from its declaration in CPP, compiler just ignores prototype (if function is not called from another CPP by including header with prototype). Even more, it is OK when variable names in prototypes and realization differ (compiler compares only types).

[ghisler(Author)]

For example, people who add Unicode support to their plugins will get the latest headers - but this will break their existing plugins if the parameters change.