Skinning News

[Old Dog]

I really don't know where your concerns are comming from. What are you afraid of resulting from this? Your "unique" approach to skinning is not in any way threatened. Nobody's approach to skinning is threatened by this.

My concern arises from an instinctive self-defence mechanism. I wish to protect my creativity and my liciense. I don't like being pushed into corners.

Oh, and sorry, I am not used to giving short answers much am I?

I enjoy your verbosity but, please excuse me if I am wrong but, I don't believe you actually answered the questions.

Best Regards,
Old Dog

P.S. When are we gonna do lunch?

[Fatman_do]

My concern arises from an instinctive self-defence mechanism. I wish to protect my creativity and my liciense. I don't like being pushed into corners.

I am not an adversary.
I wish to protect your creatitvity and every other skinner past, present, and future.
That may have gotten lost in the lightning storm of posts I generated lately.

I enjoy your verbosity but, please excuse me if I am wrong but, I don't believe you actually answered the questions.

which relates too:

Well, if the skinners don't create these files, who does?

Sub creates the baseskin.xml file that is the model to follow. (as always)

Plugin authors refresh their blue skin to maximize its usage of the baseskin.xml file in blue.

Skin authors mimic the same structure in baseskin.xml from blue into their own baseskin.xml file. You did this with Plain Jane, and extended it to fit your needs.

Now, as you skin more plugins, you will notice some use composite images for buttons, others rely on baseskin.xml to provide that composite image.

You have to change plugins that do not use the baseskin.xml definition by either stripping out those references so baseskin.xml is used, or change it to be like in your baseskin.xml file, but with maybe a size difference due to plugin restrictions.

The changes that sub is going to put foward is like having all plugins use the baseskin.xml definition for buttons, but yet the plugin skin.xml can modify those parameters to suit its needs. Like having "ButtonText" being different sizes depending on plugin needs, yet its font and color defined by baseskin.xml

Baseskin.xml is the "Fall Back" method within the skin, where it looks for missing definitions. This isn't 100% or as easy as the plugin "Fall Back" method between a skin and blue. The beauty of it is, the plugin "Fall Back" method will still use the native skin's baseskin.xml file.

Did I answer your question, then ramble on more......?
I have the impression you are not grasping something that I see clearly, yet I don't know what that is.

P.S. When are we gonna do lunch?

Just toss me a virtual bone when you are done chewing on it...

The next time I am in Miami will be my first.

[Old Dog]

Baseskin.xml is the "Fall Back" method within the skin, where it looks for missing definitions. This isn't 100% or as easy as the plugin "Fall Back" method between a skin and blue. The beauty of it is, the plugin "Fall Back" method will still use the native skin's baseskin.xml file.

Everyone keeps saying that a new plug-in will get it's skin.xml from "Blue" and just work without a hitch with the current skin.

That assumes that the skin.xml from Blue will work with the BaseSkin.xml from the current skin. Why should it?

-Old Dog

[Old Dog]

I Don't Know is on third...

[Fatman_do]

Everyone keeps saying that a new plug-in will get it's skin.xml from "Blue" and just work without a hitch with the current skin.

That assumes that the skin.xml from Blue will work with the BaseSkin.xml from the current skin. Why should it?

-Old Dog

The same reason some plugins no longer include button compostie images within and rely on baseskin.xml.

Those plugins use your baseskin.xml file instead of blue even if that plugin didn't exsist in Plain Jane.

Hang on.. preparing another post.

[Fatman_do]

You know how the fall back system works now right?

Meet Jane....
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Meet Jane naked (since your se.png is unique)
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Meet Jane forgetting to pack her bags. (plugin missing, falling back to blue's skin.xml, using janes baseskin.xml)
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Now, depending on how well these changes are implemented, the results in screenshot #3 will more look like #2 in the future. May not look like #1, but definetly more like #2. #1 might be a stretch.

The same "assurances" you enjoy with Music Library now, will be imporved upon, and the majority of active or future plugins should work the same.

[Old Dog]

Try that with this one.

[Fatman_do]

Try that with this one.

That one is easy, since it is an old, non-conforming plugin. That plugin wouldn't even show up in Jane if you didn't add it.

Which is the whole point in the first place.

Obviously any new fixes and scheme will not work on abandoned plugins that are hard-coded.

Oh, and by the way, I can do the same thing with Chameleon....so that isn't fair to ask me.

[Old Dog]

You know how the fall back system works now right?

Meet Jane....
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Meet Jane naked (since your se.png is unique)
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Meet Jane forgetting to pack her bags. (plugin missing, falling back to blue's skin.xml, using janes baseskin.xml)
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Now, depending on how well these changes are implemented, the results in screenshot #3 will more look like #2 in the future. May not look like #1, but definetly more like #2. #1 might be a stretch.

The same "assurances" you enjoy with Music Library now, will be imporved upon, and the majority of active or future plugins should work the same.

Its nice to see you're running a decent skin.

Hey! How do you include multiple images in a single post?
Obviously the technology is beyond me!

Best Regards,
Old Dog

[Fatman_do]

Its nice to see you're running a decent skin.

You should see how well another skin improves on it.:p

Hey! How do you include multiple images in a single post?
Obviously the technology is beyond me!

Best Regards,
Old Dog

In the manage attachments window (after you click on the paperclip) you can attach I think up to four items, or a certain kb size limit, which ever comes first.