Finding location for config files in both Windows and OSX

Bobflip · 10-01-2017, 01:19 PM

So I got my initial experiments working - as a test I'd been writing my .ini file to the root folder of the C: drive, forgetting that this wouldn't be allowed by the OS! Now I have the file location set with this line:

Code:

myPlugPrefs.SetFilePath("C:\\Programming\\test.ini");

However this doesn't feel like the right way to approach it. Should I be testing to find the location of the plugin DLL file or is it more usual to have another folder somewhere for the settings to be used across all versions of the plugin? Also, what should I be doing for the OSX .ini file? Most things I've seen use the com.<companyname>.<productname> format in the Library/Caches folder, but that looks to be a different way of doing things than this method.

Youlean · 10-01-2017, 06:37 PM

I was using My Documents to store GUI resize scale, but I will switch to pGraphics->AppSupportPath(). This should be available to non admin users too...

Bobflip · 10-01-2017, 07:28 PM

Ah, I didn't know about that AppSupportPath, I'll experiment further. Thanks!

Bobflip · 10-02-2017, 03:07 PM

Ok, yeah, that's worked great! Only issue is I think due to the public/private parameters bug. Writing to the file works perfectly in both OSX and Windows. I've used forward slashes as those worked on both OSes. The .ini file is shared across AU, App and VST versions, but if I open a DAW project file with the plugin saved in a channel strip, the project instance's preferences overwrite those saved in the config file.

Code:

  WDL_String prefsPath;
  prefsPath.Set("");
  
  pGraphics->AppSupportPath(& prefsPath, false);
  prefsPath.Append("/IPlugEffect/IPlugEffect.cfg");
  
  myPlugPrefs.SetFilePath(prefsPath.Get());
  myPlugPrefs.WriteValue("defaultgroup", “Master Gain“, 75.0, "");
  myPlugPrefs.WriteFile();

And to get the data out I’ve used this:

Code:

      // Get path to the Preferences file
      prefsPath.Set("");
      PG->AppSupportPath(&prefsPath, false);
      prefsPath.Append(“/IPlugEffect/IPlugEffect.ini");
      
      myPlugPrefs.SetFilePath(prefsPath.Get());
      myPlugPrefs.ReadFile();

      double gainDefault = myPlugPrefs.ReadValue("defaultgroup", “Master Gain“, 50.0); // 50.0 is the default value if the parameter wasn’t found in the .ini file

	IBitmap* knob = pGraphics->LoadPointerToBitmap(KNOB_ID, KNOB_FN, kKnobFrames);
      GetParam(kGain)->InitDouble(“Gain”, gainDefault, 0.0, 100.0, 0.1 “%”);
      mGain = PG->AttachControl(pGain = new IKnobMultiControl(this, kGainX, kGainY, kGain, knob));

	pGraphics->AttachControl(new IKnobMultiControl(this, kGainX, kGainY, kGain, knob));

Youlean · 10-03-2017, 05:03 AM

I will fix private/ public parameters ASAP.
Also, I have changed a config script and I will upload that tommorow.

Andi! · 10-03-2017, 05:29 AM

For my presets I write to sub folders of

1.Windows:

Code:

csidlType = CSIDL_APPDATA;
char path[MAX_PATH + 256];
SHGetSpecialFolderPath(0, (LPSTR)path, csidlType, FALSE);

2. Mac

Code:

NSArray *paths; 
NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSApplicationSupportDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *applicationSupportDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
return [applicationSupportDirectory UTF8String];

Bobflip · 10-03-2017, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Youlean

I will fix private/ public parameters ASAP.
Also, I have changed a config script and I will upload that tommorow.

Cool, cheers!

random_id · 11-06-2017, 05:47 PM

Just a quick follow up on this.
On Mac, I was using /[user]/Music/[manufacturer]/file.name to store my settings and registration information. Just this week, I had two users report issues with the registration process. It makes me think that maybe Apple is no longer having read/write access to this location.

Does anyone know if there are changes coming regarding user file locations? I might need to switch to a new location, but I don't know where. Not to rehash the topic, but are there any new options for read/write access locations?

Youlean · 11-07-2017, 01:51 AM

Why not store in app data folder? I am sure that you can store settings in documents, but this might not be desired.

random_id · 11-07-2017, 02:56 PM

Would that be ~/Library/Preferences on a Mac?
I am using AppData on Windows, and that has been working well (so far).

Youlean · 11-08-2017, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by random_id

Would that be ~/Library/Preferences on a Mac?
I am using AppData on Windows, and that has been working well (so far).

No. I don't know what exactly is without looking but you can use method in IGraphics to get the correct address...

Bobflip · 11-08-2017, 09:08 AM

Mine are getting stored in Users/<USER>/Library/Application Support/<PLUGIN NAME>

Also, don't forget Library is a hidden folder!

Andi! · 11-08-2017, 09:13 AM

Look at the coding I have posted, it should be the programatic way to find the directories on both systems.

stw · 11-08-2017, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andi!

2. Mac

Code:

NSArray *paths; 
NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSApplicationSupportDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *applicationSupportDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
return [applicationSupportDirectory UTF8String];

What do i have to include to make that work? I either get unknown NSArray or a bunch of errors in NSObjCRuntime.h if i include any header that makes NSArray known.

BTW I use that code to get the Application Support Folder on OSX:

Code:

	FSRef ref;
	OSType folderType = kApplicationSupportFolderType;
	char appdata[MAX_PATH];
	FSFindFolder( kLocalDomain, folderType, kCreateFolder, &ref );
	FSRefMakePath( &ref, (UInt8*)&appdata, MAX_PATH );

Bobflip · 11-08-2017, 11:40 AM

The following code got the prefs path for me without any hitches. I posted a fuller version up at post 4, if it's a solution that'll work for you?

Code:

WDL_String prefsPath;
prefsPath.Set("");
  
pGraphics->AppSupportPath(&prefsPath, false);
prefsPath.Append("/IPlugEffect/IPlugEffect.cfg");

Andi! · 11-08-2017, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobflip

The following code got the prefs path for me without any hitches. I posted a fuller version up at post 4, if it's a solution that'll work for you?

Code:

WDL_String prefsPath;
prefsPath.Set("");
  
pGraphics->AppSupportPath(&prefsPath, false);
prefsPath.Append("/IPlugEffect/IPlugEffect.cfg");

Yes, this will result in the very same function calls. I don't know why this is located in IGraphics and not IPlug (I had moved it to my own coding a long time ago). Maybe because it's one of the few objective *.mm sources, maybe the reason why you, stw, have problems to compile it, please have a look at IGraphicsMac.mm.