Re: [long] lots of problems, you did ask ... [was Re: RC1 stats]

[Adrien Beau <adrienbeau yahoo com>]

On Saturday 25 May 2002 09:29 PDT, Alan Horkan wrote:
>
> The installer generates a batch file that sets the %HOME%
> variable every time and then calls dia.  I think it would be
> much simpler to just add the following line to the
> autoexec.bat file:
> SET HOME=%windir%    REM Dia expects a Home variable.

I don't agree. I have never liked programs that modify
critical files such as AUTOEXEC.BAT. What will happen if
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file is complex? What will happen if
another program redefines HOME?

I like wrapper scripts. Err, well done wrapper scripts.
They provide meaningful defaults, they allow you to
understand what setup is needed before running a program.
They provide a central place to tweak things.

I think the dia wrapper should test for the existence of
the HOME variable, and set it if it doesn't exist. Perhaps
it already does that? Anyway, this would allow _you_ to
set HOME in your AUTOEXEC.BAT if you want.

> I think we should use the windir rather than the program
> directory because many programs put it there or in
> "%windir%/appication data".

So, you're asking the dia developers to forcibly define
HOME=%windir%? You are aware, I hope, that some people
perhaps have defined it to something else, and would be
completely pissed off to see a program overwrite their
settings. Fyi, my HOME is C:\Home.

> I would suggest that the default zoom level should be what is
> currently 200%.

I agree. I find myself always zooming before doing any
work in dia.

> It would be great if dia could be set to
> (centi)meters rather than inches based on my locale (but im
> geussing this is another win32 flaw).

Dia is set to (centi)meters on this Linux box. Why is that
different under Windows?

-- 
adrienbeau@yahoo.com