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Request for input regarding XaReg
For those that like and use XaReg I will be working on an update.
I am in my fifth day of retirement from my former day job and loving every moment of it. :D Today is 29 February 2012.
About my request for input, before anyone gets carried away making requests that cannot be done here is some background information to keep in mind.
1. XaReg is only a utility application that makes accessing Windows Registry Keys safe to use because it only allows specific information to be placed within specific Keys. The Xara Developers have included the Registry Keys within their applications, so they are the people to thank for their existance and the additional options they provide.
2. XaReg cannot make changes to a Xara application that the Developers have not included in the Registry Keys for the application.
3. XaReg will not start if you have a Xara application running, it will prompt you to close the Xara app and then restart XaReg.
4. I'm sure there is a fourth bit of information but I cannot recall what it is at this time. ;)
Previous versions of XaReg were written using Visual Basic 2008, I am planning on doing a complete rewrite using C# (C Sharp) 2008. Anyone out there have any information about a downside to using C#?
Does anyone have any suggestions for changing the XaReg UI?
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Hi Bill,
Congratulations on your retirement! I will be looking forward to the XaraReg update.
Jim
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks Jim. Is there something you would like to be different about XaReg?
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks for the background info about XaReg Bill. I usually stay away from that kind of stuff because not knowing what I'm doing makes me leary of changing anything for whatever reason in the registry. With your info I might give it a try sometime without fear of messing something up. From what I've gathered before that is a good utility, so hats off to you. Sorry but I have no suggestions for improvements.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Hi Bill
Remember the good old days when hitting the shift key selected the selector tool. It would be great if you could get this feature back.
By the way, congrats on the retirement if you permit me to say so. In plain english I am really just congratulating you on getting old if the truth must be know, but I am there also, will start collecting the old age pension sometime in May. Unfortunatly, I do not have the option of retiring at this stage but I always said that I have two options open to me, keep working or die and for some strange reason known only to me I prefer to choose work. Each to his own I guess............
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks Frank. To be honest I did not think I would live this long. I'm hoping this old dog is not too old to learn a new programming language. ;)
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Congratulations Bill
Is there currently a registry setting that would allow me to re name folders that I have added to the galleries and elimination the full path name, and have my new names stick so that they would revert back?
I remember that renaming was possible but If my memory isn't too addled I think the names reverted back one the program was closed down.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks Frances.
At one time the Gallery names were written to the registry but that is no longer the case. If your renaming of folders did not 'stick' , it appears you may not have remembered to write the information back to the registry
If my memory is correct there is a way to name your own folders so they show in the Gallery with your chosen name. It requires a catindex.txt file within the folder if I recall correctly. This would be part of that subfolders tutorial I mentioned to you in another thread some time ago.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
I must admit that the only real task I used XaReg for was to remove that pointless little menu that pops up when you right click on the colour line that made applying a line colour a two click task and I used to use it to help make the galleries harder to dock but that is now redundant as well. I do like to change the colour of guide lines sometimes and usually keep the as a pale blue.
If it is possible then changing the grid type to a solid line, or continuous dotted line would sometimes be useful depending on what I'm doing as the present grid display often disappears in the general confusion. Changing its colour would also help.
Enjoy your retirement that's the main thing.
Derek
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks Derek.
I don't recall there being a registry entry for the grid style or colour. Hopefully one of the Developers will correct me if I am wrong.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Ok my memory is now kicking into gear :) I think I remember now that I needed to do that extra step.
Did you see this Dear Xara Thread?
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Yes Frances I saw that thread. I thought I had thanked Luke for the information but seems I did not. I have his information in my notes.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Hi Bill
there is nothing I need to add - but I am not going to let that stop me saying xareg is a wonderfull app and I think you deserve heaps of love for it
and retirement: enjoy
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Wish I could think of something to ask!
Attachment 87676
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Allow us to change the default Line Cap and Join type.
Allow us to change the default Line Width.
Anyway to get different dashing patterns?
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Hi John,
Your requests are what I was referring to as not something XaReg can accomplish. No registry keys that I can find work with Line Cap, Join type, or Width. Your request would be better suited for the "Dear Xara..." forum.
This thread is more about the look and feel of XaReg, or a Registry Key that you know to exist that is not currently supported by XaReg.
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Steve I have been contemplating adding a dialog to allow setting colors for the interface and saving them to a XaReg registry key. It is not difficult to make and some preset themes would also be easily included.
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Rik's drawing would make a nice new logo for XaReg.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
It would Frances. Although it is not the only Utility for Xara. There is XPal, XXfx, Spray, XColor, and others. :)
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Maybe you and Rik could work out a new tag line (provided of course that Rik is willing)
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Does anyone know of any registry settings that have been posted in the past year that are not already in the last update to XaReg?
I have found three but have run out of ideas about how to search for more.
Luke.Hart, PhilM, and KMario each posted one and I have documented them for the next update.
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Bill,
Congrats on retirement! May it be long and fulfilling.
C#. Ugh. I started with VB back well before there was a V in it. Back when it was fun. Actually, probably the only real downside to C# is that it's not VB. Familiarity...
I think your UI works pretty well for XaReg. One thought is that displaying the registry path being edited might be interesting. Perhaps in the status bar.
Another useful item might be more help on what each setting does. Even an external reference, possibly with links to talkgraphics posts where the setting was discussed.
FYI, I just opened XaReg on got the following error dialog. I really don't change many settings so I'm not sure what I may have done. It displays when you click on either XtremePro 6.1 or 7.1. Resetting to defaults didn't cure it.
Anyway, happy coding...
Attachment 87866
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks Steven. I may continue with VB because of all the existing code. C# does not seem to have advantages over VB at least not for this type of application. I have written a few UIs in C# to take advantage of some C# routines written by co-workers but that was a few years and versions back.
A Help file has been in the planning stages for XaReg, awaiting time for me to work on it. Now that my fun work is my day job it may actually see the light of day. ;)
Finding TG threads where some of the settings were discussed would be impossible as some of them were not discussed online.
About that error message, you can download a version newer than the one you have. In my signature click on the Last XaReg Update link. I believe it was back in 2010 but it is newer than your 1.4 version.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Derek - Try the attached.
I think you already have the spacebar - last tool used toggle option.
The galleries naming thing, which you said cannot be changed.
And my current version shows an error message when I start it up. Not seeing that would be nice.
I'm sorry to hear about your day job unless you tell me you have a better job and were able to tell your previous employer to shove it. :)
And I am glad to hear you are updating XaReg.
Maybe Frances can do a real ad campaign to squeeze a few dollars out of the Xara users.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks Gary.
I'm retired now so I did tell my last employer to shove it. :D My retirement went into effect the 24th of February and my health has improved immensely, well truthfully it has improved some in only a week.
Gary you are still running version 1.4 of XaReg. Update to the version in the link in my signature and the error message will go away.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Bill,
Don't know if you're still planning an upgrade, but here is one more minor suggestion. Consider changing references to "blobs" in the app to the word "handles". I'm not sure why they're called blobs unless it means Binary Large OBjectS, which still doesn't make sense to me. Is there a reason? But I notice that the Xara Help files use the word Handles, which makes more sense, IMO.
As an aside, I recently found a small and useful C# class that facilitates registry I/O. Google "c# read registry" if interested. That is unless you're going to write your own from scratch or stick with VB.
Regards,
Steven
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Hi Steven, thanks for your suggestion. As to why they are called blobs, that is what they are called in the Registry and I simply followed that convention. XaReg can only provide access to the Registry entries that the Xara Development team have provided and it is easy for me to keep track of what is going on when names match. Changing to the word handles makes sense.
The next release will most likely be written using C# although I'm not ruling out sticking with VB. Currently I'm playing around with using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) rather than Windows Forms. But not finding enough significant differences for using WPF in a simple utility application like XaReg.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Hi Bill
some here arising from the new version of Designer:
options/filters/importsize - an option to enter a value for those of us who use a lot of hires bitmaps
options/debugflags/areaclicks - toggle between new and old behaviour [0 and 1]
options/bars/superwideinfobar - set to 1 [this I think you will already have on list]
options/filters/optimiseJpegfrompng - set to 0
thanks - keep enjoying that retirement :)
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Thanks Steve. I will play around with the options/filters/importsize and see what different values will do. Currently it seems to default to the monitor width in pixels.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Correction: the importsize key defaults to 1920 rather than the monitor width.
Checked three machines with different width monitors and they all have 1920 as the importsize key value.
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it was that value by default for me too Bill [I have it set to 8000]
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what does the importsize setting refer to? (sounds like a dumb question).
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it suppresses this message permanently [as opposed to the tick box which only suppresses per session] for all bitmaps up to the set pixel size
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Bill,
Can you confirm whether XaReg currently supports migrating user settings from one version to another? (See this thread: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...prefs-settings)
If not, is there any reason it couldn't be changed to accommodate this? If there are registry settings in an older version that are not found in the newer version (i.e. key path/name and key type don't match) they could be ignored and reported on. Hence only reg settings that exist in both old and new version would be migrated. Your backup and restore of settings and toolbars seems like a good fit for this.
As you know, this is a common complaint when users upgrade...
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Steven XaReg will not load a saved Control Bars configuration from one version to another. This is by design so new icons must be taken into consideration. A user needs to build new configuration the first time they use a new version. Once the new version's Control Bars have been manually configured XaReg can be used to save the new configuration into a .xml file which can be reloaded as updates are installed.
The other options in XaReg that can be selected can be saved and reloaded for other versions however if a newer version no longer supports or an older version does not support that option so the registry entry does not exist it will not be written to the new version's registry.
Some XaReg users had a misunderstanding that the Save > Settings option within XaReg would save settings within the Xara Application. XaReg will only save settings made within XaReg with the exception of the Save > Toolbar which actually reads the entire BarsNormal and if present the BarsFull registry trees and write them to .xml files.
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Re: Request for input regarding XaReg
Hi Bill,
I have a 'bug' in XarReg 1.4.4.0, I am running windows 7 Premium 64Bit (for general information). when I run XaraReg and try to access the 'tools>Design/clipart' gallery or the fills gallery I get a notice saying I have to access then in Designer Pro X first, but I have accessed them numerous times.
Not sure what the problem is LOl
Jim