Plugin and Extension folder questions...

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bogs
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Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by bogs » Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:21 pm

I know, everyone that knows what these are for will be bored to DEATH, but I was able to find very little in the way of documentation about these folders and really am getting curious about them. I used to consider myself pretty savvy at finding stuff, now I'm not so sure :(

I would like to know if some stacks that are downloaded are supposed to go into the extension folder or the plugin folder, and how you would tell the difference?
... Also, how would you know when to stick a plugin (for example) into the plugin folder in the LcIDE folder as opposed to the one in the my_livecode folder?
foldersInMyLivecode.png
Plugin folders abound !!
... Also, why is there a plugin folder with a lower and upper case "P", and would you treat each differently?

Depending on the answers to these and other mysteries, there may be more questions to follow. You have been warned :P
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FourthWorld
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by FourthWorld » Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:20 pm

How were the "plugins" and "Plugins" folders created? I've seen this before, but haven't tracked down what creates each.
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bogs
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by bogs » Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:41 pm

Well, near as I can tell, heres how it goes (mind you, I may have to revise this if I figure it out differently).
*Edit final - Turns out this is correct after all, fresh install of linux Mint + Lc 6.1 = /home/bogs/my_livecode/ with the folders seen in the above post :)
You know I like the older IDEs, so I install those first. From 6.0 -> at least 6.7 I think, when you install the IDE it creates the /home/user/my_livecode/ folder and populates it with the lowercase plugins folder (possibly also the Extensions folder).

Somewhere along the lines of installing Lc 7, 8, and 9 (for testing based on recommendations in another thread), I then got a *new* "My LiveCode" folder (no underscore). Like I said somewhere else, not sure how it works on Windows or Mac, but on linux folders with a space are a bad idea generally speaking, but thats for another discussion.
In the new 'My LiveCode' folder, you *also* get the folders Extensions, Interactive Tutorials (I know what that ones for) and Plugins. I think changes were being made when the IDEs were increasing, but again, that maybe better off left to another discussion.

In anycase, the questions really pertain to either situation, whether you have an earlier vers. or later vers. of Lc, what are those folders for, and what is the proper time and place to use them? And of course all the rest of the questions above, I was able to find nada about any of them, which is depressing me greatly :(
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bogs
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by bogs » Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:50 am

Of course, I no sooner ask the questions than I find (at least part) of the answer :shock:
http://lessons.livecode.com/s/lessons/m ... lution-IDE

Edit 1 - Must be my lucky search-foo night, TWO parts down (although this is a bit older, I presume it remains true)
http://forums.livecode.com/viewtopic.ph ... e73#p34697

Edit 2 - Also found this, apparently I am on a roll, although I now can see a pattern to the structure I still don't see a way to tell which belongs where, unless the author of the add-in specifically states where somehow (Richard probably remembers what I mean :) ).
https://sites.google.com/a/pgcps.org/livecode/tools
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by jacque » Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:33 pm

The IDE plugins folder is exclusively for LC use and you should ignore it. All user plugins, extensions, etc go into the My LiveCode folder. The IDE folder may change from one release to another, your personal folder will be permanent and specific to your own additions.

Also, if you make changes to an LC plugin, you can put the revised copy into your private My LiveCode folder and it will override the one that ships with LC. This allows you to personalize the IDE without needing to replace your changes every time you download a new version.
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jacque at hyperactivesw dot com
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bogs
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by bogs » Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:51 pm

Heya Jacque :)

That last part intrigues me, if you wouldn't mind, could you go over it in a bit more detail? Lets say, for instance, that I created the 'bogs super shiny svelte Lc dictionary replacement', but I want it to open when I click on 'dictionary' in the Lc menu bar instead of Lc's native dictionary.

I would place it just inside the My LiveCode folder, and Lc would reference and use that instead? Or would I have to put it into the /My LiveCode/Plugins/ folder, then either choose to launch it from the dev menu or automatically through settings?

A side question -
I've noticed that some plugins when you start them show up in the project browser, where others do not. Are there downsides/upsides to these behaviors? Is there an option I've somehow missed to prevent them from showing in the project pane?
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by Klaus » Tue Jun 20, 2017 6:26 pm

Hi Bogs,
bogs wrote:That last part intrigues me, if you wouldn't mind, could you go over it in a bit more detail? Lets say, for instance, that I created the 'bogs super shiny svelte Lc dictionary replacement', but I want it to open when I click on 'dictionary' in the Lc menu bar instead of Lc's native dictionary.

I would place it just inside the My LiveCode folder, and Lc would reference and use that instead?
No.
bogs wrote:Or would I have to put it into the /My LiveCode/Plugins/ folder, then either choose to launch it from the dev menu or automatically through settings?
Yes.
bogs wrote:A side question -
I've noticed that some plugins when you start them show up in the project browser, where others do not. Are there downsides/upsides to these behaviors? Is there an option I've somehow missed to prevent them from showing in the project pane?
All open stack/plugins that are named "rev..." are not displayed in the Project browser unless you select menu -> View: Show IDED stacks in lists


Best

Klaus

bogs
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by bogs » Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:28 pm

Thank you Klaus, very helpful as usual.

So all I need to do if I don't want the stack showing in the project browser is prefix the name with "revThisStackName" and it will no longer be popped in? That is VERY good to know!

Edit - just tried that very thing, but no love :( I must just have a magic touch <sigh>
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bogs
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Re: Plugin and Extension folder questions...

Post by bogs » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:27 pm

Klaus wrote:
bogs wrote:A side question -
I've noticed that some plugins when you start them show up in the project browser, where others do not. Are there downsides/upsides to these behaviors? Is there an option I've somehow missed to prevent them from showing in the project pane?
All open stack/plugins that are named "rev..." are not displayed in the Project browser unless you select menu -> View: Show IDED stacks in lists
Klaus
Ah, it has only been what, 6 months( :?: ) , and now I finally get it. The name of the file has to start AND end with rev to not be put in the project browser, i.e.
revYourFileName.rev

Ah well, I never said I was fast :)
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