Printable View
Thanks for keeping me up for awhile, I hate challenges.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kyrax
I threw together a simple batch file that, when run from the same location as the XML file (no doubt would be packaged in the crx) requires the user to run the batch file, simply right-click to paste the text into the window and hit enter to generate the config.xml file.
What good this does, I have no idea :confused:
@Devils
See what you mean :-D
@Kyrax
Shame about the toolstrip, but from my point of view - no big deal ....
Looking forward to 2.0+ :-)
@Kyrax
Just been thinking about the toolstrip and your extension.
All the dashboard does in your current version is to create a bit of XML that you have to paste into the Config for it to work ...
In your original version you had to edit the JS to get what you wanted ...
In both versions you have to copy and paste something somewhere ...
So it seems to me if you have a version of the Dashboard that generates the code to be pasted into the JS then the same thing applies ...
Its fairly straightforward in that the configurables are at the start of the JS so you just replace them 'on block'
As Devils said you can then have a bookmark that takes you to the Dashboard ...
Am I being too simplistic ? :-D
@StevePaul
Yes, I could ask users to modify their JS and remove the toolstrip.
However, one of the goals for this version was to prepare for the upcoming features for Chrome extension support.
Soon, you will be able to simply click " save " on the dashboard and it will save your options (probably using Google Gears). This will require minimal modification on the code side.
My point is that this extension is now more "properly" developed than it was in the previous version. It will be easier to modify the code in order to use future additions to Chrome's extension API.
As of 2.0.180.0 it is not possible to use Chrome extension API outside of a toolstrip. I suppose that eventually you will be able to have access to the API in some kind of background process not linked to a button on the UI.
Oh well, I'm not sure that this is very clear.. but simply put : This is a temporary situation. When extensions hit the Stable release, no copy pasting will be required and the button will most likely be in the options menu or something. Also, CustomNewTab is more "prepared" to this situation in this version than in the previous one.
I dropped by batch file in and repackaged your extension so I could test it. I installed the CRX, configured my options in the dashboard and generated the XML code. I then navigated to the extension folder (haven't found a way to do it other than manually going there, no doubt for security purposes), ran the batch, pasted the code and hit enter. It generated an xml file perfectly fine. Anyone think this is any easier than opening up the xml and pasting the new code over the existing information?
I've also only tested this batch on Windows 7 but I see no reason why it wouldn't work perfectly fine in Vista and XP.
Unfortunately not being a programmer I can only make suggestions, you wouldn't believe how frustrating it is that I don't have the necessary 'know how' to do it myself ... :-).
Your solution obviously sounds to be a better alternative to Copy and Paste and I'd be interested in seeing it in action.
From the forums I read (especially the official Chrome Help site) you'd be surprised just how many people uninstall Chrome because they can't achieve something, so to my way of thinking if we can achieve a dashboard without the toolstrip then potentially we have another 'happy' Chrome user...
I know one of the things that is being looked at for the API is to be able to hide the toolstrip (which I think is pretty fundamental, but as all in things Chrome they always seem to leave the obvious out).
I understand the ultimate goal of being able to update directly, but when all is said and done these are only temporary solutions albeit they have been developed in line with the final solution (I applaud you for that)
I was just looking at a way of utilising the Dashboard and not having an interface with a toolstrip ...
As you already generate the XML code it didn't seem that far removed from man to do the same for the JS ...
As I've said previously about this extension it will probably only be used once in a setup type operation ....
However what it does achieve is to demonstrate just how good future extensions in Chrome will be ....
So I guess at the moment you either put up with the toolstrip or use the original JS and mod the code manually ...
Still think a dashboard would have been nice :-D
@Kyrax
I was getting ready to upload my batch file for someone to test out when I noticed what might be a bug. I use your extension to hide all the features (setting everything to a value of TRUE). To make sure my batch file was indeed pasting the correct information I tried to use various configuration options. No matter what boxes I checked or unchecked, the script still would hide all features (most visited, searches, bookmarks and closed tabs). I tried this of course without my batch file and the only options that seem to change are the no page, custom page and embedded page.
Just me?
Can anyone reproduce ?
Everything seems to work fine for me.. I can disable specific sections.
False alarm. It seems the config.xml was missing for some reason. That would explain why no features ever changed...*sigh*
Hi Guys ...
If you need any testing doing I'm your man, always pleased to lend a helping hand :-D