AXEpad (Linux) ini file issues

Should Rev-Ed get around to an update to AXEpad may I request some attention to the ini file/options arrangements?

It is a great program, just as useful for me as the Windows version, and much easier to set up the USB port. However, there are options in the ini file that are not on the options menu (e.g. width of code explorer pane). Also, there are options that are hard to use on the GUI and when set in the ini file, just revert to a system default for a reason that I can't fathom (e.g. choice of font). And why not use Courier or another fixed width font by default? Code layout is a mess with variable fonts.

The ini file, for those that haven't found it, is a hidden text file (axepad.ini in directory home/.LinAXEpad). Edit with care.

An alternative to Rev-Ed doing the work would be to issue the AXEpad GUI under the GPL, then we could all do the cosmetic stuff leaving Rev-Ed to do the hard bit in the engine. Just a thought!

I'm using Ubuntu 10.04 on this machine with two screens and it's great!

If AXEpad isn't remembering options set via the GUI we will have to look into that. When editing the .ini file make sure that AXEpad is closed or it can revert options when closed later. If an option is specified in the .ini file which AXEpad cannot understand or work with it may also revert to a default.

The reasoning for using System font and size zero is that it's hard to predict what will be available on any particular distro. It should be easy enough to change and should be remembering the change.

I don't believe there are any plans to release AXEpad under any Open Source style license. The command line compilers are available for Linux, Mac and Windows and these can be called from user written GUI applications for those who wish to develop them.

Seems to be working for me on Ubuntu 8.04 ( Hardy Heron ), both font and font size set via GUI and by editing .ini file. The "code explorer width" setting is under View -> Options -> Editor tab.

Thanks for the reply hippy, don't you guys sleep?

All fine but try this:

1 Amend ini file to Courier font and close
2 open AXEpad - Courier will be applied
3 open Options within AXEpad - but don't do anything to change any options
4 close Options using the X button at the top or the OK button - in principle nothing has been changed in the ini file
5 In fact the font reverts to System and the ini file is amended

So just opening and closing Options causes the font to revert to System.

I realise that fonts are a nightmare but a fixed-width font would be much better, even if it had to be user-installed (very easy in Ubuntu at least as you will know).

Putting the fonts in alphabetic order would also be great - finding one amongst the huge number offered on my system is almost impossible, which is why I edited the ini file in the first place.

I also realise that you guys have a lot else to worry about, hence this suggested as a wish-list item.

I will think about your GUI suggestion.

cheers

AXEpad 1.1.0 under Ubuntu 10.04

Thanks for the walk-through and I'm seeing what you do, and I think I have an explanation ...

AXEpad starts up, takes Courier as the font, uses it. Repeatable until you enter Options.

On entering Options the software configures its Font drop-down combo box, finds "Courier" is not in the list of available fonts as reported by the OS/libraries so defaults to System, flags that as a change to configuration.

On closing the Options window, the changed flag is noted, windows are updated to the now default font and that's written to the .ini file when AXEpad closes.

So technically the bug is in not spotting that Courier isn't an available font but using it anyway, which for some reason seems to work - probably like browsers, something within the screen handling libraries it's choosing the closest match.

If you look at the Font list in the drop-down combo box you'll probably not find "Courier".

That's the case for my 8.04 system, only "Courier 10 Pitch".

I'll see if there's any means to find out what font something has 'closest matched' to and silently update settings to avoid the issue while keeping what's chosen looking as you thought you'd selected.

I've also added alphabetical sorting the fonts to my 'To Do' list. I recall it used to sort but then System wasn't conveniently at the top. I'll put some smarter code in there.

Sleep ? What's that ? I told someone else this week that I'm "an insomniac vampire"

Fascinating analysis!

OpenOffice reports only 'Courier 10 Pitch' and 'Courier New' and my font previewer does the same. I don't know what AXEpad reports as I gave up scanning the unsorted list (which is over 500 long)! So I put 'Courier 10 Pitch' in the ini file and now it works fine.

I imagine that AXEpad is managing to match 'Courier' from the ini file with one of those it can find when the file is opened but is not using the same code when actually trying to save it.

Solved for me, thanks

Yes, the checking/matching code is different; there is none when AXEpad starts-up ! It simply assumes the font will be legitimate and correct having been set via the Options panel so goes ahead and uses that, it's something outside AXEpad source code which makes it work.

Not being able to guarantee a "Courier" and the unreliability of second-guessing what a suitable monospaced font may be on any platform is a reason for the default choice of "System" after installation as the eaiest option.

The font list is now alphabetically sorted and that will appear in the next AXEpad release. I couldn't find a means of finding what the font used was when set to to an unavilabale one but alphabetical sorting makes it easier to find a suitable font and should be a one off configuration after installation.