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I do have a number of screens defined on my SAM440ep, but i am nvery afraid that if i just copy the non-ASCII preferences file i will create chaos.
If the file was just plain ASCII i could at least copy paste even on the gui, or edit the file directly, if needed.

I did not look through other preferences, but maybe other preferences also use non-ASCII files
I guess an objection might be this is an invitation to dangerously tamper with your system. But is this sufficient a reason?
If yes, ome utility outputting the non-ascii preferences to ASCII would be helpfull.

I wonder how many preferences can be used with a CLI command line and options, or an arexx port to change some settings from DOS or arexx scripts?
Who is thinking, that if not generally the case, this would be usefull?

JosDuchIt wrote:I do have a number of screens defined on my SAM440ep, but i am nvery afraid that if i just copy the non-ASCII preferences file i will create chaos.
If the file was just plain ASCII i could at least copy paste even on the gui, or edit the file directly, if needed.

I did not look through other preferences, but maybe other preferences also use non-ASCII files

Most of them use IFF PREF files.

If you want to create a prefs file for a particular configuration, the way to do it is to use the prefs editor as normal, and then select "Project=>Save as" and save as another filename.

I knew i would come back to this thread, because i don't understand the advantage of IFF files over plain ASCII in this particular use. (Prefs file)
Even for Screen.Prefs all essential info is derived fromp ASCII iinput the user provides.
Why the IFF format then ?
Not all prefs are saved as IFF files indeed
- Roadshow saves different plain ASCII files and that makes scripting easy
- WBStartup.prefs saves not an ASCII file but not an IFF either , the names of the programs "in Startup" list are separated by 2 or 3 characters ( 1 more if the checkbox in the list is clicked for that commodity or application) I did not succeed to make a script (yet in Gui4Cl)that changed those prefs successfully without opening WBStartup.prefs.
In the pre-OS4 time we could make scripts copying or deleting the wanted startup applications easily.

So why is not the save format plain ascii, here say a CSV file ?

JosDuchIt wrote:So why is not the save format plain ascii, here say a CSV file ?

The plan has been to abandon the IFF prefs files and use an XML-based format for a long time now. Executing that plan takes resources away from other more important features so it just hasn't happened yet.

JosDuchIt wrote:- WBStartup.prefs saves not an ASCII file but not an IFF either , the names of the programs "in Startup" list are separated by 2 or 3 characters ( 1 more if the checkbox in the list is clicked for that commodity or application) I did not succeed to make a script (yet in Gui4Cl)that changed those prefs successfully without opening WBStartup.prefs.
In the pre-OS4 time we could make scripts copying or deleting the wanted startup applications easily.

You should be using WBStartUpCtrl to add or remove items from that list in a script.

@ssolie

The plan has been to abandon the IFF prefs files and use an XML-based format

Thumbs up to that! You mean the XML/PrefsObjects format, right?

trixie wrote:Thumbs up to that! You mean the XML/PrefsObjects format, right?

Yes, that would be the idea.

ssolie wrote:

trixie wrote:Thumbs up to that! You mean the XML/PrefsObjects format, right?

Yes, that would be the idea.

Ewww ...that XML equivalent to Morse code ...

Best regards,

Niels

@nbache
No, PrefsObjects is great, and easy to use.

@ssolie
Let me know via e-mail if I could be of any help in implementing PrefsObjects for the preferences editors.

Regards,
Trixie

trixie wrote:@nbache
No, PrefsObjects is great, and easy to use.

PrefsObjects may be, but XML generally is horrid.
Sounds like change for change sake to me.