Administration of variables interface/ini

[smurphco]

built this lengthy and relatively complex macro using almost no hard coding, with variables throughout that can easily be modified in the opening declaration section (for example, several different local, network and FTP directories, html page locations, audio editor to open, video codec and on and on).

I did this because most likely I won't be around to recode and recompile when changes might be necessary (like a switch in webhosting). What is the best way to make changes to default/initial values in a compiled program?

I'm guessing either a separate mac that will generate an ini-like text file, or just the ini file.

Questions:

1. What are the mechanics of getting say 15 different values from an external file for use by compiled macro as str variables?

For example, str's in compiled macro requiring values...

Code:

Copy      Help

str ftpdir =
str netdir =
str audioeditor =

...that will be grabbed from external file:

Code:

Copy      Help

"ftp://username:[email protected]/upload/"
"X:\users\broadcasts\archive\"
"$Program Files\Sony\Soundforge\forge80.exe"

2. If I don't want to let the end user in this case be able to muck about on his own in an ini-like file (which could prove disastrous), and instead want to be able to just provide them with changes in a new file, what's the best way to do this while preserving the main macro's access to the data? If it's encryption, could you please provide a simple example given the ini data -> into compiled macro variables example above?


Thanks again for your help!

Steve