[SOLVED] Where to store your options of a program

[madref]

Hi everyone,


I am trying to add options to my program. The form for that is finished and it all works.
But where can i store these options.


Since i am using a mac and not a windows-based machine.
Is it possible to store them in my recourses and if thats possible how can i access them?

[balazsszekely]

I am trying to add options to my program. The form for that is finished and it all works.
But where can i store these options.
Since i am using a mac and not a windows-based machine.
Is it possible to store them in my recourses and if thats possible how can i access them?

Options that can be changed by the user at run time? If yes then you cannot store it as resource. Save it to the following directory(as ini, txt, custom file,...):
~/Library/Application Support/YourApp/

[Ñuño_Martínez]

Save it to the following directory(as ini, txt, custom file,...):
~/Library/Application Support/YourApp/

Better use RTL functions GetAppConfigDir and/or GetAppConfigFile.

[balazsszekely]

Yes, I agree API is always a better choise. Unfortunately none of the function will return the correct value under OSX(GetAppConfigDir and/or GetAppConfigFile). 

[Phil]

Please familiarize yourself with Apple's guidelines:

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPRuntimeConfig/Articles/UserPreferences.html

Pascal-specific discussion in an old article is here:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28343282/MacXPlatform/MacXPlatform_Part8.html#Preferences

Referenced Pascal units are here:

http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/XDev_Toolkit

If ambitious, consider syncing preferences across a user's computers:

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Foundation/Reference/NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore_class/index.html#//apple_ref/occ/cl/NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore

Thanks.

-Phil

[Bart]

http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Multiplatform_Programming_Guide#Configuration_files

Bart

[madref]

after reading all the suggested pages i have come to the conclusion that i need the following function to get the correct directory

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. GetAppConfigDir(False)

and that i probably need to write a .plist - file.
But how do i do that?
Are there standard functions for in Lazarus?

[balazsszekely]

after reading all the suggested pages i have come to the conclusion that i need the following function to get the correct directory

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. GetAppConfigDir(False)

You came to the wrong conclusion, I don't want to repeat myself but GetAppConfigDir might fail under OSX: http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=20706 . You don't have to believe me, just run a few test yourself.

and that i probably need to write a .plist - file.
But how do i do that?
Are there standard functions for in Lazarus?

"Under Mac OS X, in most cases config files are preference files, which should be XML files with the ending ".plist" and be stored in /Library/Preferences or ~/Library/Preferences with Names taken from the field "Bundle identifier" in the Info.plist of the application bundle."

[mischi]

Maybe my solution in Heatwizard can serve as a starting point:

https://sourceforge.net/p/heatwizard/code-0/HEAD/tree/trunk/UPreferenceData.pas

Michael.

[Thaddy]

That wiki is in some parts incorrect.
e.g. on Windows semi-permanent user preferences should be stored in the registry, not in appdata.
But anyway: the answer for mac is given by getmem.
And plz: read about your OS. That is really important. There are design specifics that govern where to store which data. Don't re-invent wheels unless you have to...

[madref]

As i am reading on into this matter i found this function which seems do to the trick but what units does it use?

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. function GetPreferencesFolder: String;
2.   { platform-independend method to search for the location of preferences folder}
3. const
4.   kMaxPath = 1024;
5. var
6.   {$IFDEF LCLCarbon}
7.   theError: OSErr;
8.   theRef: FSRef;
9.   {$ENDIF}
10.   pathBuffer: PChar;
11. begin
12.   {$IFDEF LCLCarbon}
13.     try
14.       pathBuffer := Allocmem(kMaxPath);
15.     except on exception do exit;
16.     end;
17.     try
18.       Fillchar(pathBuffer^, kMaxPath, #0);
19.       Fillchar(theRef, Sizeof(theRef), #0);
20.       theError := FSFindFolder(kOnAppropriateDisk, kPreferencesFolderType, kDontCreateFolder, theRef);
21.       if (pathBuffer <> nil) and (theError = noErr) then
22.       begin
23.         theError := FSRefMakePath(theRef, pathBuffer, kMaxPath);
24.         if theError = noErr then GetPreferencesFolder := UTF8ToAnsi(StrPas(pathBuffer)) + '/';
25.       end;
26.     finally
27.       Freemem(pathBuffer);
28.     end
29.   {$ELSE}
30.     GetPreferencesFolder := GetAppConfigDir(false);
31.   {$ENDIF}
32. end;

[balazsszekely]

As i am reading on into this matter i found this function which seems do to the trick but what units does it use?

uses MacOSAll;

[madref]

Are there functions in lazarus to write .plist or xml files?

[balazsszekely]

.plist is an XML file, you can read it with "Laz2_XMLCfg" unit for example. Since you're the only one who reads/writes those config files, you don't have to follow any rules. Just use a regular txt file and rename it to .plist, or leave it as .txt, it doesn't really matter. Perhaps an ini file will also do the job? It all depends on the data you want to save/load.

[madref]

For now i only need to store 1 value and its either 1, 2 or 3.
So that's gonna be easy