Problems saving user preferences

[honoluludesktop]

I am trying to save and retrieve user selected preferences. To read the data:

values=[]
if FileTest.exist?("C;\\Dxf_In.Dat")
  dataFile = File.open("C;\\Dxf_In.Dat", "r") 
  dataFile.each_line do |e|
    values.push e
  end
  dataFile.close
else
  values=["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"]
end

Its used here

results = inputbox prompts, values, enums, my_file_name+" Options"

and after the options are selected by the user, it is saved by the following:

File.open("C;\\Dxf_In.Dat", "w") do |dataFile|
  dataFile.puts ["None",scale_sel,origin_sel,dface_sel,mater_sel]
end

When I puts value to test the code as values.push e and values=["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"], it displays in the "Ruby Console", example as follows:

None Inches Model to Faces by Number

value generated by values.push e, when accessed by results = inputbox prompts, values, enums, my_file_name+" Options" results in a blank input box. When values is the result of values=["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"], the default selections are viewed in the inputbox. Any Ideas as to what I could be doing wrong?

---

[thomthom]

Why not use Sketchup.write_default and Sketchup.read_default ?

[TIG]

Why not save the user's preferences as an attribute with the SKP model itself?
This way they are remembered individually with the model across sessions.
Initializing with
dlist=["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"]
You get the startup 'prefs' thus
prefs=model.get_attribute("DXFdata","prefs",dlist)
This will then be either as they were last saved OR the default 'dlist'...
Later after they have OK'd a dialog and changed their 'prefs' you'll simply remember the new 'prefs' again with
model.set_attribute("DXFdata","prefs",prefs)
Saving to a temp file means it might not exists later and temp folders vary across platforms etc...
Alternatively make it an 'ini' file saved with the model itself ? or a common .ini. saved in your Plugins [sub]folder - though 'access-rights' might not always be good!

Alternatively you could save the users values with SketchUp itself [so they are common across all SKPs once saved] using the paired methods
Sketchup.read_default(section,variable,default) Sketchup.write_default(section,variable,value)
The section could be named 'DXFdata'
You could have a separate variables for each 'pref' OR make one block string called 'prefstring' by adding say a ':' between them [assuming there are no ':' used in the text otherwise...]...
On reading them you'd use prefsarray=prefstring.split(":") to get an array.
On writing you'd use prefstring=prefsarray.join(":") to make a string.

[honoluludesktop]

Don't know what they are. I will look them up, thanks.

[honoluludesktop]

The following lines of code:

values=[] result = Sketchup.read_default "section", values, ["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"]

are getting the following error in the Ruby Console:

Error: #<TypeError: can't convert Array into String> C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/my_dxf_In_v1.13.rb:82:inread_default'`

Do I have to open the registry and do what? Well I found

[TIG]

@honoluludesktop said:

The following lines of code:
values=[] result = Sketchup.read_default "section", values, ["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"]
are getting the following error in the Ruby Console:
Error: #<TypeError: can't convert Array into String> C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/my_dxf_In_v1.13.rb:82:inread_default'`
Do I have to open the registry and do what? Well I found

Re-read my post!
You can only pass a string to the Registry

• so you must first make your Ruby array into a string using 'join'
  ` array=["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"]
  str=array.join(":")

"None:Inches:Model:to Faces:by Number" Then write ' str' using write_default(). To read ' value' string back into a Ruby array use 'split' value="None:Inches:Model:to Faces:by Number"
array=value.split(":")
["None","Inches","Model","to Faces","by Number"]`

[honoluludesktop]

Tig, I missed your post, while looking up Sketchup.read_default. Then...sigh.... my internet provider went down. OK I am back on line, and can read it.

[honoluludesktop]

Wow, Sketchup.read_default and Sketchup.write_default were easy to implement. Attaching the defaults to individual models can also be advantageous, and I will have to think about the best way to save user defaults. Thanks guys.

a_values=[] s_value="" s_value = Sketchup.read_default "honoluludesktop","values","None:Inches:Model:to Faces:by Number" a_values = s_value.split(":") . . results = inputbox prompts,a_values,enums,my_file_name+" Options" . . a_values = ["None",scale_sel,origin_sel,dface_sel,material_sel] s_value = a_values.join(":") result = Sketchup.write_default "honoluludesktop","values",s_value