TC Plugins Manager

[Lefteous]

The problem is how TotalSQX determines current language in TC. It seems it determines it by LanguageIni key from Wincmd.ini

Well of course - this is how TC saves its language file location.

file must be placed in %COMMANDER_PATH%

Which file?

So, you need to 1. run TC so %COMMANDER_PATH% will be valid

%COMMANDER_PATH% is always valid for all plug-ins. I could use GetCommandLine but I guess that won't make you happy

2. use "wincmd.ini" for settings.

Not necessarily.

After I renamed wincmd.ini to "tc_my.ini" (using IniReloc), TotalSQX could not determine language and set English.

Indead reading a differing filename from registry is not supported at the moment.
As I read in Clo's statement this is not the case here.

I may make a workaround: set %COMMANDER_PATH% variable in TC_plugman.

This is the only chance you have. This wouldn't be a workaround but the only solution. Your aim must be to emulate a real TC in your plug-in manager. If you fail to do so you really have a problem.

Lefteous will determine path to TC settings file not using %COMMANDER_PATH% variable, but using registry keys.

There is no logical connection between this registry setting and a TC installation. For example the setting may point to another or a non existing installation. Another case is that the setting simply doesn't exist.
I can only recommend you to ask the user for a TC location if %COMMANDER_PATH% is not present. You should skip reading this registry setting!

he assumes that settings file name is "wincmd.ini", that is not correct.

Well this is not quite true. The /I parameter is already supported by Total SQX.


Beside that I really don't understand why this plug-in manager should be used to configure packer plug-in settings

[Clo]

2Lefteous

Hello Christian !

- Thank you for the reply, hoping this could be solved by any means…

Beside that I really don't understand why this plug-in manager should be used to configure packer plug-in settings

- For me, it's useful and normal, since as soon as I install a packer plugin, I can configure it directly as one go { Supposing it's a great packer having a nice bunch of options }
- Moreover, if I need only to verify some setting or change a detail for a future use (before I forget to do it), I'm not bound to ask for a "fancy packing" to abort later, just in order to get the "Configure" button of the TC "Pack files" dialogue…
- Coming back to the issue : I noticed the lack of a "forced" language option while we tested the very first non-released versions…

alextp

Hi Alexeï !

- Who must treat the hot potato is not really my biz
- From your side, why not try experimental path-entries in <TC_plugman.ini> about the language to use in the case, like I suggested above ?

 Kind regards to All,
Claude
Clo

[Alextp]

%COMMANDER_PATH% is always valid for all plug-ins. I could use GetCommandLine but I guess that won't make you happy

This variable is valid only when TC is running; when only plugins manager is running, it may be not valid, that is the problem.

I may make a workaround: set %COMMANDER_PATH% variable in TC_plugman.

This is the only chance you have. This wouldn't be a workaround but the only solution. Your aim must be to emulate a real TC in your plug-in manager. If you fail to do so you really have a problem.

Ok, it seems I'll need to do so.

- From your side, why not try experimental path-entries in <TC_plugman.ini> about the language to use in the case, like I suggested above ?

Sorry, what experimental path entries? (I don't understand)

[Clo]

2Alextp

Hi Alexeï !

- Simply that I said before there :

…- I thought that the path for the language might be planned at least as an INI entry to add by hand for such cases…

Simple… For instance in this case (should be valid for any other plugin having a language issue), just create INI entries to indicate to the programme wich language-file must be used when TC_Plugman displays the configuration / tweaks.
• Something like :

Code: Select all

[Use_Plugin_Language]
Path_1=E:\Tcmd6-5\Modules\TotalSqueez_Lefteous\TotalSQX.wcx
LanguagePath_1=E:\Tcmd6-5\Modules\TotalSqueez_Lefteous\Language\TotalSQX_FRA.lng
...

- I don't know if this could work, but it should be simple to add by hand for some special cases like here…

 Kind regards,
Claude
Clo

[Alextp]

2Clo
Hmm, I don't think this can be done: e.g. TotalSQX will always use language file given by its own procedure, I can't give it "custom" language file. All I can do it to set %COMMANDER_PATH% variable, so TotalSQX will find TC settings and will set correct language. Or - Lefteous may add "Language" option to his plugin.

[Lefteous]

2Alextp

This variable is valid only when TC is running; when only plugins manager is running, it may be not valid, that is the problem.

I'm aware of this - I just wanted to point out that if I would use GetCommandLine a standalone application wouldn't have any chance.

dd "Language" option to his plugin

What for? Why should the user choose Dutch in TC and Dansk in Total SQX? A plug-in should work as if it's part of the main program not something attached.

I don't if it's already supported but you should support /I and /F parameter.

[Alextp]

2Lefteous

What for? Why should the user choose Dutch in TC and Dansk in Total SQX?

You are right. BTW, why don't you use ContentDefaultParamStruct to determine path to TC settings instead of %COMMANDER_PATH%? This is better method IMHO.

[Lefteous]

2Alextp

why don't you use ContentDefaultParamStruct to determine path to TC settings instead of %COMMANDER_PATH%?

In short: The XDefaultParamStruct functions allows the plug-in author to detect the directory path to TC's main setting file only. The problem is that the filename may be not Wincmd.ini. This can be changed using the commandline parameter /I or one of the registry keys.

See this thread for a detailed discussion on this:
http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=8763

[Alextp]

V1.8.5 is updated - %COMMANDER_PATH% variable is now set.

[Clo]

2Alextp

Hello Alexeï !

- Thanks ! That works now, I get French for the SQX settings, even when TC is closed (it was the issue…)

  Kind regards,
Claude
Clo

[versalzen]

hi all,

i read some in this forum and must say, i don't have any failures/problems like some of the users here. lucky me :-) the program is workin fine on my system (winXP sp2, german) but needs some improvements. so here we are:

1)
i'd like to see a filter-option for viewing only filtered plugins.
i.e. only show plugins which contain XYZ in field/row ABC or anywhere.
i.e show all plugins which contain "pdf" in fullpath
i.e. show all plugins which contain "media" (doesnt matter where)

there is plenty of space in the toolbar, so the filter could be placed there.

... [report] [about] [close] [filter = *pdf*]

or something like that, but its important that the user sees his filter ;) and can easily disable it (without deleting it)

2)

sorting:

now, its possible to sort the rows (plugin/desc/version/...) but i think, this is not good enough, because sorting for "plugin" will just sort the entries in their order ([0][1][2]...) but not the plugin name.

i could sort by description, but some plugins don't have any. so this doesnt work either.

so it would be great, if a *new* row comes up, which shows only the order of the plugins, so the user can sort by order, if he likes to *and* can sort by plugin (name).

what do you think of that?

3)
it would be nices, if the ordering of the plugins could be done with drag and drop. much easier.

or

just add the "up/down" buttons to the normal display.

4)
report:
add an option: "open new document in default editor" (which does not save the generated document first, so the user don't have to open that file after generating, but can save it himself as soon as his default editor poppes up with the report)

5)
anyway, this is a great program and very helpful!

[Alextp]

2versalzen
1) I may add Filter button to main dialog, so that you can add/remove filter. I'll think about that.

2) I don't like this idea... Maybe it's better to add plugins descriptions (check "Show descriptions" in options and use Ctrl+Z to add description) and sort plugins by description? Don't want to add a new row...

3) Icfu already suggested this. My reply:
http://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?p=73104#73104

4) Anyway, I need first to save report, I cannot transfer report to an editor without saving it. So this option is useless.

[versalzen]

2)
"Show descriptions" is checked, since ever :-)
but i don't support your suggestion of adding descriptions by hand. i have several plugins (196/40) installed and try new ones and delete them later or so. adding a description by hand would be very annoying and useless of course. anyway, its part of the plugin writers to make a good short description.

adding a new row is much handier for all the users than forcing everybody to add own descriptions.

this is, of cource, my opinion, from a user sight, you will have reasons, why you don't like this feature/my suggestion. i accept that, but like to read/hear other voices on this topic. so we wait some time and drink some <insert your favorite drinks here> ;-)

4)
ah, ok. i saw these options in several other programs, i didnt knew, this is hard to implement.

3)
i see this point with "speedness", but no words of drag&drop.
anyway, the order-windows takes 2 seconds to open on my system. i don't think, this is fast, but i do not bother. the main thing is: i can sort. :-)

[versalzen]

hello,

my list continues:

6)
i miss an option to start TC *not* in background, but as an active window.
now, if i press "restart!" or "run" tc starts and the plugins manager comes to foreground.
so i have to go to the TC task to have it active and work. i think, this is not the best case, so it would be good, to add an option [x] start TC in foreground

7)
it would be helpful to have a button "find deleted plugins", because until now, it doesnt show if plugins are deleted (from hd), if they're disabled.
and if the user has 40 disabled plugins, it is very annoying to enable/disable them only to see, if a plugin is deleted.
or, even better, show if a plugin is deleted, not matter if it is disabled or not. (which is the best way, i think)

8)
also, because i'm testing very much plugins now, i'd like to see a feature, which saves the current state of installed plugins into a file to disk (complete, or just one of lister/packer/fs/content) and loads it again, if the user likes to.

i know: its better to deactive the last installed plugin if one encounter an error, but in this case, it worked a long time, but suddenly not. so its the best to deactivate all plugins (complete, or just one of lister/packer/fs/content) and activate them one by one.
but its important to know the order or which plugins were enabled or disabled.
by now, i just backup my wincmd.ini. delete all the plugins in wincmd.ini and if i found the evil plugin, i just copy the backup back. thats good, but it could be better ;)

another way now is, to go to the [Packerplugins] in the wincmd.ini and check for the last entries, because tc store them in order of addition or something like that.

so tell me, what you (all of you reading this) think about it.

[Alextp]

2versalzen
6. I'll add this option.
7. I may add hidden option (in TC_Plugman.ini only): ShowDeletedAlways - always show "Deleted" status, even for disabled plugins.
8. This feature is not planned.