Where and how are plugin settings done now?

[psycik]

Title says it all. For some plugin specific settings, what's the preferred method of a, reading and writing them, and b, where are they put? With the plugin, or in the config.xml.

In the old days it was in the config.xml. And do they get reloaded automagically on change as there's no config app any more, and i know sub was toying with the idea of a settings interface.

[sub]

Back in the GBPVR I did look into settings interface you could drive with a remote. Too much work though, and never got finished. I wasnt keen to revisit that in NPVR.

In your plugin, implement the IPluginConfiguration interface, where the GetSettingsPage() method returns a SettingsPage class. In Dev Studio implement your own UserControl derived from the NUtility.SettingsPage. I think one of the example plugins shows this in action. The user can access the SettingsPage via the Settings -> Plugins screen. If the plugin supports the IPluginConfiguration interface the Settings button is accessible. When the user clicks it, the app calls the IPluginConfiguration.GetSettingsPage() method where you create and instance of your SettingsPage and return it. When the user hits ok in the SettingsPage, the SaveSettings() method is called.

In your SettingsPage you can save the settings wherever you like. ie, your own configure file or database, or in config.xml. If you're storing in config.xml, you save your settings somewhere within the <PluginSettings> tag. This config.xml is retained during upgrades so that settings are remembered during upgrades.

[psycik]

The save settings method, do I override that inthe User Control I've created?

[McBainUK]

The start of some related API docs here: http://www.nextpvr.com/nwiki/pmwiki.php?...figuration

[imilne]

Attached is the source for AutoRefresh, which is probably the simplest example I have of doing this. Note that it uses a helper class - ConfigHelper - to do the IPluginConfiguration bit, because it's not possible (yet) to have a plugin that doesn't have a UI to also be allowed to show a settings screen. This workaround (from Martin I think originally) allows it.

Iain

[mvallevand]

I've used an external plugin specific config files outside of config.xml in GB-PVR (even my ML3 rewrite) and NPVR, I don't see real advantage to using it in config.xml if you know how to manage xml files and if you don't you probably shouldn't mess with config.xml either. The only thing I would change is I would use NPVR.db3 to store values specific to a tuning plugin.

GBPVR didn't really reload the plugin values, config.exe just forced the recording service to restart killing the running PVRx2 apps.

There is one gotcha on this SaveSetting too, it will fire whenever any plugin or NPVR causes the OK to be clicked so you might need to set flags if you want a specific action on OK.

Martin