Setting
Preferences
Contents
Overview
In this window the user can modify the
default options. All these options
are stored in a file called ".AArc". There are two ways to modify the
default
options: (1) chose "Preferences" menu options under Modify Menu (better
choice) which opens Preferences Window, or (2) modify the preferences
file
.AArc directly. Please see the
structure
of the .AArc file if you want to modify .AArc file directly. When
AutoClient
starts, it searches for .AArc file in the local directory. If it is not
found, then it searches in the user's HOME directory. If it is not
found,
then it searches for .AArc under AutoDir. If it is not found, then an
error
message comes up and the program exists. AutoClient needs to have
access
to .AArc file to store important information and if it can not find
.AArc
file, it can not run properly.
The following options can be modified in the Preferences Window:
Connecting Preferences Tab
|
Default
Host Name - host is the name
(or IP address) of the computer where the server is located. Default
host
name is visible when one brings up the connect to server dialog. If the
default host name is modified in the preferences file, the host name in
the connect dialog will be modified next time one connects to the
server
(even if the program is closed and opened in the later time). For
example,
one can type "lion@cabm.rutgers.edu" as the default host name.
Default Port Number - port number
specified
on which port the server is located. Default port number is visible
when
one brings up the connect to server dialog. If the default port number
is modified in the preferences file, the port number in the connect
dialog
will be modified next time one connects to the server (even if the
program
is closed and opened in the later time). For example, one can type
"8050"
as the default port number.
|
Viewing Preferences Tab
Other Editor Options:
For example, in Unix, command:
"emacs"
will open an empty Emacs editor; and,
specifying the command:
"emacs %s"
will open a file in emacs.
If the editor is vi, the first command should be:
"xterm -exec vi"
and the second command should be:
"xterm -exec vi %s"
"%s" is replaced by the file name when
the file needs to be opened. "%s"
is required in the command which opens a file in the text editor. If
"Java
Editor" is selected, then the two commands to open an editor are not
necessary
(and will be ignored). Some files are opened in the text editor as read
only and can not be modified. When the files are opened in any text
editor,
a temporary file is created in the directory specified in
"Location of AA_TMP Temp Files" textfield in
Preferences Dialog. If there is no directory specified in this
textfield, then
the temporary files will be saved in the system temp directory ( /tmp/
)
if it exists; if the /tmp/ directory doesn't exist, the temporary files
will be saved where the user started Client. The name of files have the
form "AA_TMP" + user name + unique number at the end. If the Client
exited properly, these temporary files will be removed automatically.
But if the Client
locked up or if the user 'killed' the Client process, then these
temporary
files are
not removed and the user should remove them
themselves.
Note: In the future release of AutoClient, the option to close all the
opened text editors when exiting Client will be implemented.
Execution Preferences Tab
|
Default
Execution - the location
of the default execution macro. Either full path or the name of the
macro
can be specified. If the name of the macro is specified, the program
first
searches for this macro under the "User's Macros Directory" from the
Preferences
Dialog. If this macro exists under this directory, then it is executed.
If this macro does not exist under this directory, then the program
searches
for this macro under AutoDir/Macros/ directory.
Refined Execution - the
location
of the refined execution macro. Either full path or the name of the
macro
can be specified. If the name of the macro is specified, the program
first
searches for this macro under the "User's Macros Directory" from the
Preferences
Dialog. If this macro exists under this directory, then it is executed.
If this macro does not exist under this directory, then the program
searches
for this macro under AutoDir/Macros/ directory.
User's Macros Directory -
specifies
where the user stores their macros. If this field is not filled in,
then
if the user specifies only the name of the macros (no directory, i.e.
not
a full path), the macros located under AutoDir/Macros/ directory are
executed.
If the user types in a valid directory in this field, then the macros
located
under this directory are executed if they exist; if the macros do not
exist
under this directory, then the macros located under AutoDir/Macros/ are
executed. If the user specifies an invalid directory, an error message
comes up. If the user specifies the full path for the macro, then this
directory is ignored.
|
Save/Defaults Preferences Tab
|
Save
Preferences - specifies where to
save the preferences, either in the user HOME directory or in the local
directory. If the HOME directory can not be accessed, then the
preferences
are saved in the local directory. The local directory is where the
Client
was opened.
Get Default Information -
specifies
where to get the default preferences information, either from the
AutoDir
or the user HOME directory. The default information is located in .AArc
file. If the HOME directory can not be accessed, then the default
information
is read in from the AutoDir.
Temporary Files Location -
specifies
where the temporary files generated by the Client will be saved. If no
directory
is specified, the temporary files will be saved in the system temp
directory
( /tmp/ ), if it exists; if the /tmp/ directory doesn't exist, the
temporary files
will be saved where the user started Client. The name of files have the
form "AA_TMP" + user name + unique number at the end. If the Client
exited properly, these temporary files will be removed automatically.
But if the Client
locked up or if the user 'killed' the Client process, then these
temporary
files are not removed and the user should remove them
themselves. |
Preferences
File Format
.AArc file is the preferences file for
AutoAssign. It includes important
information needed to run the Client and one should not directly modify
this file. It is recomended that one should modify the preferences
through
the Preferences dialog under the Preferences menu options under Modify
menu.
But, if one feels confident in modifying .AArc file, here is some
information. All the comments are specified by # (pound sign) and each
line (except a comment line or a blank line) in a file represents a
different
default option. Each option in the file has two parts to it: first, the
tag that specifies which option is being set ("WebBrowser:" for
example),
and second is the actual value of the tag ("JavaBrowser"). The tags are
case
insensitive. Please note that initially, the .AArc file is not empty
and includes
build in default options. Also, if certain options have no values (an
example
is when the TextEditor is set to JavaEditor, then TECommand1 and
TECommand2
have no values), then the tags don't have to be in the .AArc file. If
some tags
are removed from .AArc file by accident, a Warning message will show up
in the
main window in the Client. If the tags are mispelled or if the values
are
incorrect, then an Error dialog will come up.
Here is the list of options (tags and values) in
.AArc file ( order does not have to preserved):
Host: < host name >
Port: < port number >
TempFilesLocation: < specify directory to save temp files >
TextEditor: < "JavaEditor" or "OtherEditor" >
TECommand1: < command to open empty text editor >
TECommand2: < command to open file in text editor >
WebBrowser: < firefox
>
DefaultExecutionMacroLocation: < specify full path and the name
or just the name of default execution macro >
RefinedExecutionMacroLocation: < specify full path and the name
or just the name of refined execution macro >
UserSpecifiedMacrosLocation: < specify a directory where the user
keeps their macros >
SavePreferences: < "Home" or "Local" >
GetDefaultInfo: < "Auto" or "Home" >
Note: Values in quotes must be typed in
as is.