Location of scummvm.ini

[Jimbob]

The main reason for using an ini instead of the registry is that there is no Registry for mac os/linux/pocket pc/psp/ps2/dreamcast etc.
An ini file works for all ports obviously.

I knew someone clever would eventually bring some clarity to this discussion!

Jimbob

[joachimeberhard]

Well, the registry has it's advantages if you want to do one of the following:

Integrate program functionality into Windows
Exchange program functionality & settings between programs

Since this clearly isn't what ScummVM does, why use the registry?

It would just make things more complicated then necessary...

[Jimbob]

Since this clearly isn't what ScummVM does, why use the registry?

It would just make things more complicated then necessary...

Because I read this at support.microsoft.com:-

Description of the registry
The Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition, defines the registry as:
A central hierarchical database used in Microsoft Windows 9x, Windows CE, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 used to store information necessary to configure the system for one or more users, applications and hardware devices.

The Registry contains information that Windows continually references during operation, such as profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create, property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware exists on the system, and the ports that are being used.

The Registry replaces most of the text-based .ini files used in Windows 3.x and MS-DOS configuration files, such as the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys. Although the Registry is common to several Windows operating systems, there are some differences among them.

Registry data is stored in binary files.

The second last paragraph is why I suggested the registry. Anyway, this is a bit irrelevant because lavosspawn provided the reason why it's a .ini file.


Jimbob

[Collector]

Please, please, please, stay out of the registry! While most users will not need to edit the ini, you DO NOT want most users anywhere near the registry. They could easily end up with an unbootable system. A large registry can also effect performance.

What makes the most sense to me is to simply use the ScummVM directory. I have my games, including ScummVM, installed on a separate partition. When ever I put together a new system or a major enough of an upgrade to warrent installing Windows from scratch, the scummvm.ini file would be one less thing that I would have to remember to save from the old C: drive.

[Jimbob]

Please, please, please, stay out of the registry! While most users will not need to edit the ini, you DO NOT want most users anywhere near the registry. They could easily end up with an unbootable system. A large registry can also effect performance.

As I said in my previous post, talking about putting it in the registry is a bit irrelevant because lavosspawn provided the reason why it's a .ini file. So a location on the hard disk is required that every user can read/write to, I guess somewhere in their user folder or in the ScummVM folder.


Jimbob

[sev]

putting it in the registry is a bit irrelevant because lavosspawn provided the reason why it's a .ini file.

Moreover, he was only ScmmVM Team member (i.e. one who can do actual coding) who expressed his though in this thread. Not that there is something bad, just this question was rised several times now, and was beaten to the death.

Yes, keeping it in C:\Windows is bad. But what could be done otherwise? Putting it into user directory isn't convenient as already was mentioned even in this directory. Creating something in c:\windows\common files\ will not change it too much and still will require Administrator permissions (IMHO). Put it alongside with ScummVM executable? What if there are more than one executable? What if scummvm is on unwrittable media such as CD? etc, etc.


Eugene

[LogicDeLuxe]

What if scummvm is on unwrittable media such as CD?

In that particular case, it's probably not a newbie making the CD and would know how to use -c. At least, I always had a LNK, PIF, BAT or a CD autostart menu using -c on my CDs.
A similar problem (actually it's not a problem either, just slightly inconvenient) exists for the save path, you don't use the defaults when running from a CD.
Both are easy solved with simple command line options.

A newbie's first thing to try is hardly burning a CD. He simply would install ScummVM, adds one or more games and plays them with the default settings.
And that is it all about. Those default settings should be foolproof.

Also I wouldn't appreciate a registry version. As mentioned, if you reinstall Windows, it's gone. ScummVM is about portability, and an INI file can be simply copied (and backupped), while the registry really is limited to advanced users, and in no way foolproof to edit.