I enjoy reading your blog, keep on writing

pschroeter · Post by **pschroeter** » 2007 Mar 13, 03:58

I have read a few of your blog entries and I think you have a pretty good knack for making computer technical topics accessible. I hope in one of your future articles you cover the Windows Registry. After Microsoft's strange ideas of how computers should interact with their users, I sometimes get the feeling that the Registry is the source of of many computer problems at their most basic level. I can't understand why on earth it is necessary in the first place. I cannot understand why everything a particular program needs can't be stored in one spot, in the program's folder. Why are program installers and the add/remove control panel necessary? Maybe I just made more than one suggestion for future blog topics.. On the a 1 to 10 computer nerd scale I rate a solid 5, but reading your blog is raising me towards a 6, so please keep writing your blog.
Paul A.

Post by **nikos** » 2007 Mar 13, 08:01

I'm glad you find it interesting. Many of the topics will be on the "advanced introductory" level which i believe covers a large chunk of the audience of xplorer2. I didn't have the registry in mind but perhaps i'll find an angle to see it from a file management perspective!

FrizzleFry · Post by **FrizzleFry** » 2007 Mar 13, 19:25

Considering the registry, it would be nice to get the perspective of a programmer: What are the advantages of using the registry to store configuration info rather than configuration (ini) files.

Post by **nikos** » 2007 Mar 14, 13:10

is there a hidden agenda here?

first of all, the registry provides easy ways to have tree-like (nested) storage of settings, whereas INI files are flat. Then, the way x2 currently does "layouts" means that we'll need a ridiculously complicated INI file or series of INI files to store all the parallel settings. Finally, as long as there's a combined 21 day trial + unlocked version in one file, x2 would have to hit the registry (& other parts of the PC) regardless of INI files.

FrizzleFry · Post by **FrizzleFry** » 2007 Mar 14, 18:39

No agenda, just genuinely curious. I am NOT trying to kick off another registry vs ini file thread here.

So basically using the registry makes it easier to store and retrieve info as opposed to writing/parsing an ini file.

Post by **nikos** » 2007 Mar 14, 19:00

i was thinking about writing a class that makes registry and INI files behave similar (it's not rocket science but neither trivial) but then thought that registry will have to be used somehow anyway so it would be a futile exersice!

FrizzleFry · Post by **FrizzleFry** » 2007 Mar 14, 21:22

Well, now it seems that YOU are trying to kick off another registry/ini debate!

I agree, unless you decide to build a portable version that does not use the registry at all, it is not worth the effort.

Post by **nikos** » 2007 Mar 15, 13:16

i came really close to offering registry free x2, but after a couple of days of hard thinking of all the details, i gave up

Mr.Pleasant · Post by **Mr.Pleasant** » 2007 Mar 15, 16:30

nikos wrote:i came really close to offering registry free x2, but after a couple of days of hard thinking of all the details, i gave up

Do you always bring the bad news with a smiley?

david (member of the pressure-group 'Portability Now!'

)

Scurbro · Post by **Scurbro** » 2007 Apr 01, 01:33

Hi all,
I second what pschroeter said above. The blogs are great - entertaining and informative. If anyone hasn't read them you should. My favorite blog quote:

"...surely "explorer" and "efficient" in the same sentence is a contradiction in terms."

LOL! So true! I mean seriously, do their in-house developers/admins use explorer? It's obviously as dumbed-down as possible, as with most of the built-in tools in windows. That's ok for the masses, but for people who want to efficiently get work done, there is X².

Thanks nikos!

flexigon · Post by **flexigon** » 2007 Apr 01, 14:21

nikos wrote:i was thinking about writing a class that makes registry and INI files behave similar (it's not rocket science but neither trivial) but then thought that registry will have to be used somehow anyway so it would be a futile exersice!

Actually, the defacto (and recommended by MS) standard for storing configuration information nowadays is a structured XML file located in the folder of the logged in user. Flat INI files are a relic from the past (as is the registry actually).

flexigon · Post by **flexigon** » 2007 Apr 01, 14:25

And as for the blogging... it is nice. But I would prefer more frequent x2 releases instead if you don't mind :)