Feature Request: [easy] export/import settings for all apps

[superboyac]

i was wondering if some kind of wizard based, or one-click style export/import feature could be implemented for all of mouser's programs.  Similar to how a lot of other programs do it like DOpus.  Good idea?

[mouser]

all of my programs use INI files that you can simply copy from the program directory (or replace)*; though there are a couple of cases where there is an additional settings file.  but regardless, they all use files to store settings, so import and export is not critical in my mind because it can be done manually.

*Clipboard Help+Spell uses a database file for efficiency.  While CHS includes a backup+restore function, i really do want to add an xml export function for easy of transfer.

[superboyac]

all of my programs use INI files that you can simply copy from the program directory (or replace)*; though there are a couple of cases where there is an additional settings file.  but regardless, they all use files to store settings, so import and export is not critical in my mind because it can be done manually.

*Clipboard Help+Spell uses a database file for efficiency.  While CHS includes a backup+restore function, i really do want to add an xml export function for easy of transfer.

Oh yeah, I keep forgetting about the ini file.  Stupid me.

[superboyac]

all of my programs use INI files that you can simply copy from the program directory (or replace)*; though there are a couple of cases where there is an additional settings file.  but regardless, they all use files to store settings, so import and export is not critical in my mind because it can be done manually.

*Clipboard Help+Spell uses a database file for efficiency.  While CHS includes a backup+restore function, i really do want to add an xml export function for easy of transfer.

by default, all these ini files are in the Program Directory, right?  So, unless I specifically change it, you don't add any files to Application Data or anything?  i don't see any.

[mouser]

correct, except if you are using vista, in which case they default in the documents and settings application data directory.
(note for the sake of completion -- that you can override this behavior by editing the CondigDir.ini file)

[superboyac]

I just tried this on a reinstall of Windows 7 and it's not working.  Here is what I did:
1) copied original program (x86) directories over to the new install
2) ran the installer for the programs from dcupdater
3) ran the programs for the first time.  They all show default states.  None of my original settings were retained.
4) I manually copied the configdir.ini over again, even though I already copied the whole directory in step 1.  Still, nothing changed.

Is there anything else I can try?  i swear I've done this before and it worked.

[superboyac]

Looks like there are more settings here?
\Documents\DonationCoder\FindAndRunRobot

Has your structure changed?

[mouser]

On Win7 that's where the settings should be; so if you are moving from a winxp (or portable install) to win7 and want to preserve your settings, you would copy the settings ini files from the old program files directory to the new Documents\DonationCoder\APPNAME directory (and remove the old configdir.ini file if you manually copied it over and its trying to tell the app to save its settings in the win7 program files directory).

[superboyac]

On Win7 that's where the settings should be; so if you are moving from a winxp (or portable install) to win7 and want to preserve your settings, you would copy the settings ini files from the old program files directory to the new Documents\DonationCoder\APPNAME directory (and remove the old configdir.ini file if you manually copied it over and its trying to tell the app to save its settings in the win7 program files directory).

Ah!  Thank you.

[mouser]

In general, with all my apps the migration strategy works like this:

• 1. Install the application on your new machine.
• 2. Run the program once to create the settings files in the right places.
• 3. Exit program and copy your old settings files over the new ones*.
• * On winXP your settings files will be in the same directory as the program; on Win7 your settings files will be in Documents\DonationCoder\APPNAME