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!bang to write to .ini

Report bugs with the Rainmeter application and suggest features.
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dragonmage
Developer
Posts: 1270
Joined: April 3rd, 2009, 4:31 am
Location: NC, US

!bang to write to .ini

Post by dragonmage »

Rainmeter has the ability to write to ini files. I think if we could access this ability we could do some pretty cool things.
sgtevmckay

Re: !bang to write to .ini

Post by sgtevmckay »

Agreed

With this ability, it will allow folks who do their own skins to create GUI's form need information input.
for example:
Weather requires information input.
RSS readers require the RSS feed address
Mail monitors require ini input as well

I can also pull up article after article that states Rainmeter looks "Unpolished", "Unfinished", "Requires some basic command file manipulating ability", and that Rainmeter "May not be for every one as it is really designed for 'geeks' "

Now don't get me wrong, I think geeks are cool (like myself), but there is something to be said for folks that can barely open MS Word.

It would be nice for the skin user to place the information into a GUI, rather than opening the ini file.
This would also allow Rainmeter to take the next evolutionary step.
kati42
Posts: 35
Joined: May 4th, 2009, 4:25 am

Re: !bang to write to .ini

Post by kati42 »

There may be a "safer" way to do some of this (though it may leave out some functionality that you're looking for)

In Rainlendar2, variables have a "hidden" parameter. Those that are not hidden, are changeable by the user without editing the skin file. A default value is specified so that if they don't edit it, there's *something* there.

Anyway, Rainmeter could make use of a similar idea by having a context menu option to edit the variables for a skin. I would save this info in a different file, maybe "skinname.var" or "variables.ini" so that the original skin .ini file is not modified by changing the variables. Also, if there were a unified way to do it, then config designers wouldn't necessarily have to create a whole new config to allow people to change the variables -- it'd be "done" already by marking the variable as not hidden.

I'd suggest taking a look at the Rainlendar2 discussion of variables in the help for it. It's not letting me copy and paste and I don't have time to type it in...
dragonmage
Developer
Posts: 1270
Joined: April 3rd, 2009, 4:31 am
Location: NC, US

Re: !bang to write to .ini

Post by dragonmage »

I was actually thinking of using it for more than just variables. I was thinking of allowing configs to reposition other configs depending upon the value of a measure. I can't really find the words now to describe the uses I was considering, I'll try posting back when I can more clearly state the concepts.
kati42
Posts: 35
Joined: May 4th, 2009, 4:25 am

Re: !bang to write to .ini

Post by kati42 »

Then set the position (size, whatever) based on a variable, and then the ability to change a variable (either by the user, or by the config) can reposition/resize, whatever. But that way there's a way to restrict what is changed so that one config can't mess up another config dramatically.

Probably not a big problem (no one writing intentionally malicious configs), but I could imagine a *buggy* config potentially messing up another config without some protection/restriction. If it's the variables, at least the original ini files would be intact and the variables could be reset.
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