ini in app.pth works for xp, best practice for Vista/W7?
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From: Mike S on 5 Aug 2010 23:40 I use an ini file in the app.path for a program that runs on XP. What is considered the best practice for deciding where to save the ini file on Vista or W7? I read this thread which recommended this approach: http://www.codenewsgroups.net/group/microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion/topic16789.aspx Option Explicit Private Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation _ Lib "Shell32.dll" (ByVal hwndOwner As Long, _ ByVal nFolder As Long, pidl As ITEMIDLIST) As Long Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList _ Lib "Shell32.dll" Alias "SHGetPathFromIDListA" _ (ByVal pidl As Long, ByVal pszPath As String) As Long Private Type SH_ITEMID cb As Long abID As Byte End Type Private Type ITEMIDLIST mkid As SH_ITEMID End Type Private AppDataFolder As String Private Const CSIDL_APPDATA = &H1A Private Const MAX_PATH As Integer = 260 Private Function findFolder(CSIDL As Long) As String Dim path As String, ID As ITEMIDLIST findFolder = "" If SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Me.hWnd, CSIDL, ID) = 0 Then path = Space$(MAX_PATH) If SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal ID.mkid.cb, ByVal path) Then findFolder = Left$(path, InStr(path, Chr(0)) - 1) & "\" End If End If End Function Private Sub Form_Load() AppDataFolder = findFolder(CSIDL_APPDATA) Caption = AppDataFolder End Sub Is it considered good practice to detect the OS, leave the ini in the app.path for XP, and use that approach for Vista or W7? And if I do use that approach is it true that I won't run into any permissions problems? I'd like to write this into the program now so it doesn't matter what OS it's run on. Thanks, Mike
From: Kevin Provance on 6 Aug 2010 00:03 Leave it in the app datapath for Win 2000 and up. They should have been there all along. -- Customer Hatred Knows No Bounds at MSFT Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org ClassicVB Users Regroup! comp.lang.basic.visual.misc Bawwk! Paulie want a dingleball, bawwk! "Mike S" <mscir(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message news:i3g06q$3cb$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... :I use an ini file in the app.path for a program that runs on XP. What is : considered the best practice for deciding where to save the ini file on : Vista or W7? : : I read this thread which recommended this approach: : : http://www.codenewsgroups.net/group/microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion/topic16789.aspx : : Option Explicit : Private Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation _ : Lib "Shell32.dll" (ByVal hwndOwner As Long, _ : ByVal nFolder As Long, pidl As ITEMIDLIST) As Long : Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList _ : Lib "Shell32.dll" Alias "SHGetPathFromIDListA" _ : (ByVal pidl As Long, ByVal pszPath As String) As Long : Private Type SH_ITEMID : cb As Long : abID As Byte : End Type : Private Type ITEMIDLIST : mkid As SH_ITEMID : End Type : Private AppDataFolder As String : Private Const CSIDL_APPDATA = &H1A : Private Const MAX_PATH As Integer = 260 : : Private Function findFolder(CSIDL As Long) As String : Dim path As String, ID As ITEMIDLIST : findFolder = "" : If SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Me.hWnd, CSIDL, ID) = 0 Then : path = Space$(MAX_PATH) : If SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal ID.mkid.cb, ByVal path) Then : findFolder = Left$(path, InStr(path, Chr(0)) - 1) & "\" : End If : End If : End Function : : Private Sub Form_Load() : AppDataFolder = findFolder(CSIDL_APPDATA) : Caption = AppDataFolder : End Sub : : Is it considered good practice to detect the OS, leave the ini in the : app.path for XP, and use that approach for Vista or W7? And if I do use : that approach is it true that I won't run into any permissions problems? : : I'd like to write this into the program now so it doesn't matter what OS : it's run on. : : Thanks, : Mike
From: Mike S on 6 Aug 2010 00:24 On 8/5/2010 9:03 PM, Kevin Provance wrote: > Leave it in the app datapath for Win 2000 and up. They should have been > there all along. Sounds good, very easy fix. Thanks, Mike
From: Mayayana on 6 Aug 2010 07:32 | > Leave it in the app datapath for Win 2000 and up. They should have been | > there all along. | | Sounds good, very easy fix. | You realize that's a per-user method and what you were doing is a per-machine method? You can also just use the VB SaveSetting/GetSetting functions if it's per-user. Those are designed to mimic INI files. But if you need it per-machine you need to take a different approach and change permissions somewhere.
From: MikeD on 6 Aug 2010 08:13
"Mayayana" <mayayana(a)invalid.nospam> wrote in message news:i3grp7$gv$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... > | > You realize that's a per-user method and what > you were doing is a per-machine method? You > can also just use the VB SaveSetting/GetSetting > functions if it's per-user. Those are designed to > mimic INI files. What mimicry are you referring to? For VB4 16 bit, they read/wrote to actual .ini files. For 32 bit VB, they read/write the Registry; specifically, to subkeys under "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings". > But if you need it per-machine > you need to take a different approach and change > permissions somewhere. I cannot agree with that at all. A program has no business changing permissions just to satisfy its own shortcomings (i.e. bad programming). -- Mike |