os>execute file + skin:// for a path

[jowaldo]

Thanks for adding the skin:// feature for coverart images in a db!

Would it be possible to add that also to the os>execute file command? I have some realllllly good ideas that would be possible if that worked

[katsumoto]

Could you tell me what would be possible in that case?

[jowaldo]

Actually Steven added this already..

Right now, I'm using this to do the styles change page in my skin.. it calls a batch file located in the current skin directory. That alone could create lots of possibilities, and you could also include any exe's in a skin.

[katsumoto]

Sorry, I'm slow on this one.
What could these exe's do for example?

[jowaldo]

well any exe there is really.. for example say you had some command line capable exe to do some odd thing like control a dvd changer via serial port...

It was doable before, but you had to give a full path like c:\program files\whatever\myexe.exe

Now you can include that exe in your skin folder, and refer to it by skin:\\myexe.exe

Basically is makes skins more powerful but easily flexible/portable at the same time. Like with my skin.. I have it call a batch file that copies over certain image files with different color ones. Before, if I wanted to do this I would have to point to the batch file in one specific location for it to launch correctly. Now I can just include it in the skin, and no matter where you have xlobby installed to, it works fine.

[katsumoto]

Great,
I get it now
Thanks

[BaddaBing]

jowaldo,
You placed a link in your first post regarding the 'skin://' feature. The link doesn't work. This is a great enhancement that really simplifies the portability of skins. For those skinners that have not tried it yet here is what you need to do.

Open up the database.xml file you want to edit (notepad will work fine) and replace hardcoded paths like this:

<coverart>c:\xlobby\skin\HeavyMetal\radio\images\Alternative.bmp</coverart>

with this

<coverart>skin://radio\images\Alternative.bmp</coverart>

Now it doesn't matter what directory xlobby is installed to - all your custom artwork will now show up.

Thanks Steven - and thanks Jowaldo for bringing this to my attention.

[jowaldo]

Yeah it really does do a lot.. the coverart skin:// function has been around for a little while now, but steven added it also to the os>execute file just recently

[gamejester]

Thanks for clarifying what this now covers, I can now make my skin fully generic.

[dgemily]

the "skin:// + os>execute file" fonction is very nice, but is it possible to add this, for directories in the root of xlobby ?
for example:
we have some external applications stocked in a repertory "application" of xlobby , others in the plugins directory etc.....
so we use a lot of events like "os>execute file" and others pointing on :
C:\Program Files\xlobbyFr\applications\
Is it possible, Steven, to add the possibility to use something like //aplications\ instead of the full path.
it will be easier for sharing xlobby and applications etc... ( and also to configure an installation pack...)

thanx

[stevenhanna6]

ok how about this if you use "directory://" xlobby will check to see if there if "directory" exists in its root folder....and if it does it will change "directory://" into something like "c:\xlobby\directory\" and anything after "directory://" will just get added onto the new transformation...."skin://" is still a speacial case because it is not in the root.

http://www.xlobby.com/xlobby2.zip

[dgemily]

you are wonderfull
thanks again

[rika]

Beauteful

Rika

[Colby]

Wonderful!