Appload Dialog

Appload Dialog : using "AutoLoad" feature


	Appload Dialog has been redesigned to provide more functionality - application files can easily be added, loaded & unloaded (except for Lisp files), and their actual loading status is reported. For a Lisp application file, the "Loaded" column reports whether it is loaded into actual drawing (BRX, .NET, VBA files are loaded "globally", for all drawings). With "AutoLoad" column it is possible to declare the specific file to be loaded at BricsCAD startup. The "Path" shows where the particular file is loaded from (resp. where the specified file was found, or not).

appload.dfs text file defines the application files (Lisp, BRX, .NET, VBA) to be listed in Appload Dialog; "appload.dfs" is searches along SupportPathes list like other support files - the first "appload.dfs" file found will be used.

Application files can be specified without path, with relative path, or with absolute pathes; if no path (or a relative path) is specified, then the file is searched for using the SupportPaths list, as usually.
Missing files (usually indicating incomplete SupportPaths setting) are maintained as well, and shown as missing files in the dialog (also to assist with troubleshooting).

Comment lines can be added defined by a ";" semicolon in first column, to temporarily disable / hide some file(s); Appload Dialog maintains such comment lines.

Sequence of files :
As the sequence of loading application files sometimes matters, the Appload Dialog also supports this - the Up/Down arrows allow to move the selected file to desired position.
Note : Lisp files are always loaded (in their defined sequence) after loading BRX, .NET, VBA files, as those usually define some interface functions for Lisp, and because they are loaded "globally", while Lisp application files are loaded "per drawing".

Storage :
appload.dfs file is stored on on disk - if not present on first dialog invocation, it will be created in user's support folder (and the actually used appload.dfs filename is shown on the dialog as well).

"AutoLoad" :
The AutoLoad status for a given file is stored in Registry, under the current profile, using the key :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bricsys\BricsCAD\<VersionKey>\<LanguageKey>\Profiles\<CurrentProfile>\Dialogs\Appload\Startup

Keys : "NumStartup" (string) declares the number of "AutoLoad" entries; keys of format "nStartup" (string) define the application file(s) to be AutoLoaded

Important Note 1 :
Appload Dialog (and the mechanisms behind) always combines (merges) the informations from Registry with informations from appload.dfs file - when Appload Dialog is closed, those synchronised / merged informations are stored back to both appload.dfs file and Registry again
(though Registry *only* keeps those AutoLoad declared files).

Application developers can also use these per-profile Registry definitions to install their applications : adding appropriate entries from application installer allows to integrate into BricsCAD - at next startup, BricsCAD will automatically load the application files.

Important Note 2 :
File names can be specified without path, with relative path, or with absolute path - if no path, or a relative path, is specified for an application file, then it is searched using SupportPaths setting, which can be depending on the particular profile.