Easier access to plugin prefs

slowsmile · 10-12-2017, 09:31 PM

Would it be possible to have a button in the Sigil toolbar which, when clicked, allows selection and display -- via dialog + Sigil tab -- of the selected plugin prefs .json file for editing. Apps like Sublime already have this facility for setting their own prefs.

This change would make it much easier for Sigil users to access and set plugin prefs(where applicable). Is this possible?

KevinH · 10-12-2017, 09:44 PM

The plugin code should be separate from the Sigil codebase to the extent possible. So I recommend plugin developers build a simple gui with pyqt or the built in python gui to handle editing their own prefs. We could create a canned generic module that should work the same for any plugin.

I do not think this role should be done by Sigil itself.

slowsmile · 10-12-2017, 09:56 PM

duplicate

slowsmile · 10-12-2017, 10:02 PM

duplicate

slowsmile · 10-12-2017, 10:09 PM

Thanks Kevin. I'll look into writing a plugin for this when I'm up to speed on PyQT. Can it be done in Tkinter or is tk usage now discouraged for plugins?

KevinH · 10-12-2017, 10:31 PM

Both tkinter and pyqt are supported and should continue to be for the forseeable future.

DiapDealer · 10-12-2017, 10:35 PM

I've no plans to remove tkinter at this time.

Many of my plugins include gui code (both tkinter and pyqt) to allow the user to edit the plugin's preferences if you're looking for examples.

slowsmile · 10-13-2017, 02:01 AM

Thanks for that, and I will have a peek at DiapDealer's pyqt examples for sure. I already have Winpython 3.4(with PyQT5 and Qt Designer) installed on my computer.

Doitsu · 10-13-2017, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowsmile

Would it be possible to have a button in the Sigil toolbar which, when clicked, allows selection and display -- via dialog + Sigil tab -- of the selected plugin prefs .json file for editing.

Ideally, plugin preferences should be updated via a GUI, unless they're advanced settings that rarely need to be changed.

BTW, users can easily access the plugin_prefs folder via:

Edit > Preferences > Open Preferences Location > plugins_prefs

Windows users can also access a specific preferences folder via the Windows Run dialog box. For example:

Presss WIN+R.
Copy and paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\sigil-ebook\sigil\plugins_prefs\OpenDocHTMLImport and hit Return.

This'll display the preferences folder for your OpenDocHTMLImport plugin.

AlanHK · 10-19-2017, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doitsu

Ideally, plugin preferences should be updated via a GUI, unless they're advanced settings that rarely need to be changed.

No even then. If you edit the json, changes will be lost if you upgrade the plugin; the new json just overwrites it.

DiapDealer · 10-19-2017, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanHK

No even then. If you edit the json, changes will be lost if you upgrade the plugin; the new json just overwrites it.

No it doesn't. The plugin framework only creates the json file if one isn't already present. If individual settings within the json are being changed/reset when a plugin is updated, then that's on the plugin dev. My plugins' preferences will certainly persist through a plugin update--no matter how the json file gets edited. If they don't, then I need to know.

slowsmile · 10-19-2017, 08:47 PM

As DiapDealer says, the json file is not deleted when you update a plugin -- it is preserved in a separate plugin_prefs directory. If you want to reset plugin prefs to its default or initial settings then all you have to do is just delete the json file or delete its directory from plugin_prefs.

AlanHK · 10-20-2017, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

No it doesn't. The plugin framework only creates the json file if one isn't already present.

I lost my settings when I updated the Kindlegen plugin.
Had to re-edit the json to change the default thumbnail size.
Unless I screwed up removing the older version first.

Doitsu · 10-20-2017, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanHK

I lost my settings when I updated the Kindlegen plugin.

Older KindleGen versions used an .ini file whose settings were indeed lost when I switched to json-based preferences.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanHK

Had to re-edit the json to change the default thumbnail size.

The default thumbnail size was never a preference setting; changing it always required modifying plugin.py.

AlanHK · 10-22-2017, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doitsu

The default thumbnail size was never a preference setting; changing it always required modifying plugin.py.

Sorry; yes it was in plugin.py, not the json.

10-12-2017, 09:31 PM	#1
slowsmile Witchman Posts: 628 Karma: 788808 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Philippines Device: Android S5	Easier access to plugin prefs Would it be possible to have a button in the Sigil toolbar which, when clicked, allows selection and display -- via dialog + Sigil tab -- of the selected plugin prefs .json file for editing. Apps like Sublime already have this facility for setting their own prefs. This change would make it much easier for Sigil users to access and set plugin prefs(where applicable). Is this possible? Last edited by slowsmile; 10-12-2017 at 09:42 PM.

10-12-2017, 09:44 PM	#2
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 8,158 Karma: 5450818 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	The plugin code should be separate from the Sigil codebase to the extent possible. So I recommend plugin developers build a simple gui with pyqt or the built in python gui to handle editing their own prefs. We could create a canned generic module that should work the same for any plugin. I do not think this role should be done by Sigil itself. Last edited by KevinH; 10-12-2017 at 10:29 PM.

10-12-2017, 09:56 PM	#3
slowsmile Witchman Posts: 628 Karma: 788808 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Philippines Device: Android S5	duplicate Last edited by slowsmile; 10-12-2017 at 10:06 PM.

10-12-2017, 10:02 PM	#4
slowsmile Witchman Posts: 628 Karma: 788808 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Philippines Device: Android S5	duplicate Last edited by slowsmile; 10-12-2017 at 10:07 PM.

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10-12-2017, 10:09 PM	#5
slowsmile Witchman Posts: 628 Karma: 788808 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Philippines Device: Android S5	Thanks Kevin. I'll look into writing a plugin for this when I'm up to speed on PyQT. Can it be done in Tkinter or is tk usage now discouraged for plugins?

10-12-2017, 10:31 PM	#6
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 8,158 Karma: 5450818 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	Both tkinter and pyqt are supported and should continue to be for the forseeable future.

10-12-2017, 10:35 PM	#7
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,040 Karma: 199464182 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I've no plans to remove tkinter at this time. Many of my plugins include gui code (both tkinter and pyqt) to allow the user to edit the plugin's preferences if you're looking for examples.

10-13-2017, 02:01 AM	#8
slowsmile Witchman Posts: 628 Karma: 788808 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Philippines Device: Android S5	Thanks for that, and I will have a peek at DiapDealer's pyqt examples for sure. I already have Winpython 3.4(with PyQT5 and Qt Designer) installed on my computer.

10-19-2017, 08:47 PM	#12
slowsmile Witchman Posts: 628 Karma: 788808 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Philippines Device: Android S5	As DiapDealer says, the json file is not deleted when you update a plugin -- it is preserved in a separate plugin_prefs directory. If you want to reset plugin prefs to its default or initial settings then all you have to do is just delete the json file or delete its directory from plugin_prefs.

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