GNOME Library Reference Manual | |||
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This module provides a simple method of retrieving and storing configuration data that resides in files. It also provides the ability to supply default values for the configuration parameters to simply client code.
Note: The purpose of this module is different in GNOME 2 from what it was in GNOME 1. General applications should use the gnome-gconf module for their configuration requirements.
The gnome-config module exists for applications that
need to provide a backwards-compatible version of their configuration files, or
need to run independently of a user and access configuration files at absolute locations (for example, a login manager), or
need to parse .desktop-style files, or
need to parse user- or shell-editable/readable files.
Definitions.
config path: a string that specifies which item to retrieve from the configuration database. The config path is composed of three elements: the first one is the filename where the information is stored, the second component is the section and the third one is the key inside the section
For example, a config path of "/myapp/toolbox/showit" could be used to retrieve the setting for whether 'myapp' should display its toolbox or not. In this example "myapp" is the file name (which is stored in ~/.gnome directory), "toolbox" is the section and "showit" is the key.
If you want to access an absolute file instead of a ~/.gnome-relative file, then you need to surround the filename with equal signs, for example, to access the key "mykey" from the section "mysection" in a configuration file located in /gnome/var/myconfig you need to use this path: "=/gnome/var/myconfig=/mysection/mykey".
default: when retrieving a config item, specifies the value to be used if the item is not found.
private configuration data: Normally, config item data is located in files under the ~user/.gnome directory in a .ini-like format. These files are world-readable. Items that have security or privacy implications are stored and retrieved using the "private" versions of the gnome-config routines, and the data for these items is stored in files under the ~user/.gnome_private directory, which is not accessable by anyone except that user and the system administrator.
translated strings: GNOME's multilingual support means that multiple languages must be supported for configuration items. The gnome_config_*get_translated_string() and gnome_config_*set_translated_string() routines allow you to specify which language a string item should be accessed for.
section: a group of config items and other config sections
How Config Items are Read. The gnome-config module has a versatile method of storing config items. When a config item is written by a program, it is written to a file under the ~/.gnome hierarchy. However, when config items are read, the process is a little more complicated. There are a number of places that are searched. If the config item is not found in one, then the next place is checked, finally falling back to the default value provided by the application. The locations are as follows:
$(sysconfdir)/gnome/config-override - a system administrator would put config items in this directory that they don't want to be configurable.
~/.gnome - this is where the user's config items are written to and is the next place that is searched
$(sysconfdir)/gnome/config - this directory would hold system wide default configuration values.
Possible uses for this are setting system wide defaults such as proxy servers for the system (either using config-override to enforce such a policy or the config directory to suggest such a default). It is also possible to configure the application through its graphical interface, and then copy the configuration file accross to the appropriate system-wide directory. The config-override directory should be used sparingly, as it could annoy or confuse some users. Note also that some applications will not read the config items every time they are needed, so putting defaults into the config-override directory will not always completely enforce a setting.
Every function in this module comes in at least two forms. There is the gnome_config_get_foo() version which retrieves the configuration data from the ~/.gnome directory (unless an absolute configuration key is given, as defined above). Then there is the gnome_config_private_get_foo() version, which retrieves the information from the user's ~/.gnome-private directory.
For functions dealing with strings, there is a third form of each function which returns the translated version of the string for the current locale.
#define gnome_config_get_string(path) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string. This value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_get_string_with_default(path,def) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string. This value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_get_translated_string(path) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string appropriate for the current language. The returned value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_get_translated_string_with_default(path,def) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string appropriate for the current language. The returned value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_private_get_string(path) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item from the user's private configuration directory as a string. This value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_private_get_string_with_default(path,def) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item from the user's private configuration directory as a string. This value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_private_get_translated_string(path) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string appropriate for the current language. The returned value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed. The item is retrieved from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_translated_string_with_default(path,def) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string appropriate for the current language. The returned value should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed. The item is retrieved from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_set_string(path,new_value) |
Stores the string value new_value in the file/section/key defined by the path.
#define gnome_config_set_translated_string(path,value) |
Stores the string value value in the file/section/key defined by the path on the proper section for the current language set by by the user.
#define gnome_config_private_set_string(path,new_value) |
Stores the string value new_value in the file/section/key defined by the path. The configuration value is stored in the user's private storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_set_translated_string(path,new_value) |
Stores the string value new_value in the file/section/key defined by the path on the proper section for the current language set by by the user. The configuration value is stored in the user's private storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_int(path) |
Retrieves a configuration item as an int from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_int_with_default(path,def) |
Retrieves a configuration item as an int from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_set_int(path,new_value) |
Stores the integer value new_value in the file/section/key defined by the path.
#define gnome_config_private_set_int(path,new_value) |
Stores the integer value new_value in the file/section/key defined by the path. The value is stored in the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_float(path) |
Retrieves a configuration item from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_float_with_default(path,def) |
Retrieves a configuration item from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_set_float(path,new_value) |
Stores the double value new_value in the file/section/key defined by the path.
#define gnome_config_private_set_float(path,new_value) |
Stores the double value new_value in the file/section/key defined by the path. The value is stored in the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_bool(path) |
Retrieves the item from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_bool_with_default(path,def) |
Retrieves the item from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_set_bool(path,new_value) |
Stores boolean value new_value in the file/section/key defined by path.
#define gnome_config_private_set_bool(path,new_value) |
Stores boolean value new_value in the file/section/key defined by path. The value is stored in the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_get_vector(path, argcp, argvp) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string array. The returned vector should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_get_vector_with_default(path, argcp, argvp, def) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string array. The returned vector should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed.
#define gnome_config_private_get_vector(path, argcp, argvp) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string array. The returned vector should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed. The configuration value is retrieved from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_private_get_vector_with_default(path, argcp, argvp, def) |
Retrieves the value of a configuration item as a string array. The returned vector should be freed with g_free() when no longer needed. The configuration value is retrieved from the user's private configuration storage area.
#define gnome_config_set_vector(path,argc,argv) |
Stores vector argv in the file/section/key defined by path.
#define gnome_config_private_set_vector(path,argc,argv) |
Stores vector argv in the file/section/key defined by path. The configuration value is set in the user's private storage area.
char* gnome_config_assemble_vector (int argc, const char *const argv[]); |
This routine returns the the strings in the array contactenated by spaces. The return value should be freed with g_free() when it is no longer required.
#define gnome_config_has_section(path) |
Queries the gnome configuration file for the presence of the section specified in path.
#define gnome_config_private_has_section(path) |
Queries the private gnome configuration file for the presence of the section specified in path.
#define gnome_config_init_iterator(path) |
Creates an iterator handle that can be used to iterate over the keys in a section in a gnome configuration file. path must refer to a section. The returned value can be used as an iterator for gnome_config_iterator_next().
#define gnome_config_private_init_iterator(path) |
Creates an iterator handle that can be used to iterate over the keys in a section in a private gnome configuration file. path must refer to a section. The returned value can be used as an iterator for gnome_config_iterator_next().
#define gnome_config_init_iterator_sections(path) |
Creates an iterator handle that can be used to iterate over the sections in a gnome configuration file. path must refer to a gnome configuration file. The returned value can be used as an iterator for gnome_config_iterator_next().
#define gnome_config_private_init_iterator_sections(path) |
Creates an iterator handle that can be used to iterate over the sections in a private gnome configuration file. path must refer to a gnome configuration file. The returned value can be used as an iterator for gnome_config_iterator_next().
void* gnome_config_iterator_next (void *iterator_handle, char **key, char **value); |
If key is non-NULL, then key will point to a g_malloc()ed region that holds the key.
If value is non-NULL, then value will point to a g_malloc()ed region that holds the key.
void gnome_config_drop_all (void); |
Drops any information cached in memory that was fetched with gnome config. Any pending information that has not been written to disk is discarded.
gboolean gnome_config_sync (void); |
Writes all of the information modified by gnome-config to the disk.
Note: the gnome-config code does not write anything to the configuration files until this routine is actually invoked.
#define gnome_config_sync_file(path) |
Writes all of the information modified by gnome-config to the disk for the given file.
Note: the gnome-config code does not write anything to the configuration files until this routine or gnome_config_sync() is actually invoked.
#define gnome_config_private_sync_file(path) |
Writes all of the information modified by gnome-config to the disk for the given private file.
Note: the gnome-config code does not write anything to the configuration files until this routine or gnome_config_sync() is actually invoked.
#define gnome_config_drop_file(path) |
Releases any memory resources that were allocated from accessing the configuration file in path. Changes will take place after gnome_config_sync() has been invoked
#define gnome_config_private_drop_file(path) |
Releases any memory resources that were allocated from accessing the private configuration file in path.
#define gnome_config_clean_file(path) |
Cleans up the configuration file specified by path from any configuration information.
Changes will take place after gnome_config_sync() has been invoked.
#define gnome_config_private_clean_file(path) |
Cleans up the private configuration file specified by path from any configuration information.
Changes will take place after gnome_config_sync() has been invoked.
#define gnome_config_clean_section(path) |
Cleans up the section specified by path from any configuration information. Changes will only take place after gnome_config_sync() has been invoked.
#define gnome_config_private_clean_section(path) |
Cleans up the section specified by path in a private file from any configuration information. Changes will only take place after gnome_config_sync() has been invoked.
#define gnome_config_clean_key(path) |
Removes the definition for the key on a gnome configuration file.
Changes will take place after gnome_config_sync() has been invoked.
#define gnome_config_private_clean_key(path) |
Removes the definition for the key on a private gnome configuration file.
Changes will take place after gnome_config_sync() has been invoked.
void gnome_config_push_prefix (const char *path); |
path is a prefix that will be prepended automatically to any non-absolute configuration path in gnome config.
This is used to simplify application loading code.
Library code will usually have to set the prefix before doing any gnome-configuration access, since the application might be using their own prefix.
void gnome_config_pop_prefix (void); |
Call this routine to remove the current configuration prefix from the stack.