Settings (gb.settings)

This class manages global configuration files.

This class can be used like an object by creating a hidden instance on demand.

This class is creatable.

This class acts like a read / write array.

Static properties

This property returns the default directory where settings configuration files are stored.

Static methods

FromString	Return a value from its settings internal string representation
ToString	Convert a value into its settings internal string representation

Properties

Count	Return the number of entries in the settings file
Keys	Return a virtual object used for enumerating all the keys used by the setting file.
Path	Return the path of the setting file.

Methods

Clear	Clears all settings.
Exist	Return if the specified settings key has a value
Read	Initializes the specified object from the settings file.
Reload	Cancels all settings changes, by reloading the settings file.
Save	Saves the configuration file to the disk.
Write	Writes the settings of the specified object in the settings file.

If you use this class statically, then the default project configuration file will be used.

The path of the default configuration file is:

User.Home &/ ".config/gambas3" &/ Application.Name & ".conf"

For example, the development environment configuration file is stored in ~/.config/gambas3/gambas3.conf

This example loads a window's position from a settings file when a form is opened. If the settings file does not exist, then the form's default position would be used. The example also saves the forms position when the form closes. The default settings file for the application is used.

Examples

PUBLIC SUB Form_Open()
  ' Update window position from settings file
  ' If the settings file is not found then
  ' use default position.
  ME.Top = Settings["Window/Top", ME.Top]
  ME.Left = Settings["Window/Left", ME.Left]
  ME.Height = Settings["Window/Height", ME.Height]
  ME.Width = Settings["Window/Width", ME.Width]
END

PUBLIC SUB Form_Close()
  ' Save window settings when application closes
  Settings["Window/Top"] = ME.Top
  Settings["Window/Left"] = ME.Left
  Settings["Window/Height"] = ME.Height
  Settings["Window/Width"] = ME.Width
END

The saved settings file would look something like the following settings in the Window group.

[Window]
Top=13
Left=18
Height=154
Width=235

PUBLIC SUB ShowASpecialSetting()
  DIM prhOtherConfFile as Settings
  DIM prhLangUsed as String

  ' Read a setting from a file used by another application
  ' located in /home/user/.config/otherapp/
  ' and named "international.conf"
  'First create a new instance of Settings class
  'with the full path to desired file
  prhOtherConfFile = NEW Settings("/home/user/.config/otherapp/international.conf")
  'next read the "Lang1" value from the "UserPreferences" section
  prhLangUsed = prhOtherConfFile["UserPreferences/Lang1", NULL]
  IF IsNull(prhLangUsed) THEN
    Message.Info("No Lang1 found in conf file (or no Section named UserPreferences)")
  ELSE
    Message.Info("The value of Lang1 that found in conf file is:\n" & prhLangUsed)
  END IF
END

Note that you can directly use the Write method to store the settings of a window, and the Read method to recall them.

Warning.
Shutting computer down
When you close your program the settings are automatically saved but if your program is running in the background and your computer is shutdown it will hard exit and not save the settings. So if your program is likely to still be running during the system shutdown and not closed manually then you should use the Save function to save the settings as they are changed and not leave it for when the program exits normally (as it won't exit normally)

Using QUIT to exit
The same is said if you use QUIT to exit your program.
This will kill the program process immediately before the Settings save so again you must use Settings.Save before using QUIT.