Portable mode

[HelloZeroNet]

It would be nice if I could bring LogExpert with myself on an usb stick with the same settings.

Like if there is a settings.dat next to LogExpert.exe then use that otherwise use the appdata directory.

Btw: Thanks for this application it made my life much easier

[zarunbal]

what settings you want to be portable?

• columnizer "selection"
• highlighting
• performance settings
• ...?

[HelloZeroNet]

The ideal would be not save anything in appdata, but store all the settings in the same directory as LogExpert.exe

[zarunbal]

I assume that then anything that is saved under the current user profile should be placed in the same folder? Because there are more files which are generated

• Persistence files (Can be configured to be like next to the log file, but default is 'My Documents')
• Logs

[Dimentium]

Your app is great!
It's only one boring thing - sync app settings between some PC after changing Highlighter rules.
Is it possible:
If a settings.dat exists next to LogExpert.exe (in the same directory) then use it instead appdata. Otherwise keep current behaviour.
Thank you very much!

[spacemanspiff2007]

Can't we even make it easier?
If a folder "settings" next to logexpert.exe exists use this folder otherwise use appdata?
This way there is no new settings format needed.

[Hirogen]

Your app is great!
It's only one boring thing - sync app settings between some PC after changing Highlighter rules.
Is it possible:
If a settings.dat exists next to LogExpert.exe (in the same directory) then use it instead appdata. Otherwise keep current behaviour.
Thank you very much!

yes, just copy paste the file and load it from within the options or export it where ever you want

[Hirogen]

Can't we even make it easier?
If a folder "settings" next to logexpert.exe exists use this folder otherwise use appdata?
This way there is no new settings format needed.

not needed, see my post :)
you can import / export it from where ever you want

[spacemanspiff2007]

not needed, see my post :)
you can import / export it from where ever you want

I know it's possible, but it's not elegant. Using the folder would require no action at all.

With import export I have to remember to do the export on the source machine and do the restore on the target machine. Every time something changes (e.g. settings, recent files, etc.)

[Hirogen]

not needed, see my post :)
you can import / export it from where ever you want

I know it's possible, but it's not elegant. Using the folder would require no action at all.

With import export I have to remember to do the export on the source machine and do the restore on the target machine. Every time something changes (e.g. settings, recent files, etc.)

why every time? only if you change the settings, to something new, logexpert does not overwrite the settings if you install or update

The ideal would be not save anything in appdata, but store all the settings in the same directory as LogExpert.exe

That, is bad practice, appdata was introduced by microsoft explicitly for applications to save their data without the need for elevated rights in the program directory!

[spacemanspiff2007]

The goal is to achieve portable behavior. This means recent files, etc..
I observe some logs on one machine, maybe open some additional logs.
Then I go to the next machine and want to restore the same view there.
Currently this is only possible if I export/import after each settings which is not feasible.

Changing the settings folder from appdata should be a very small programmatic change which would allow exactly that.

That, is bad practice, appdata was introduced by microsoft explicitly for applications to save their data without the need for elevated rights in the program directory!

Logexpert runs on the usb stick/network folder/synced folder in this case

[Hirogen]

The goal is to achieve portable behavior. This means recent files, etc..
I observe some logs on one machine, maybe open some additional logs.
Then I go to the next machine and want to restore the same view there.
Currently this is only possible if I export/import after each settings which is not feasible.

Changing the settings folder from appdata should be a very small programmatic change which would allow exactly that.

I don't think this is the right way.

Better would be, to just make it configurable. The Default should always be APPDATA. So when you start Logexpert the first time, you know where to find the settings!

The file-system directory that serves as a common repository for application-specific data. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data or C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/usmt/usmt-recognized-environment-variables

[spacemanspiff2007]

As I wrote:
The settings folder shall only be used when it was manually created by the user.
The default should remain appdata. That's basically "configurable".

[Hirogen]

As I wrote:
The settings folder shall only be used when it was manually created by the user.
The default should remain appdata. That's basically "configurable".

From a user point of view, this is unfeasible.
How should the user know, that he needs to create a "settings" folder, without writing pages long manuals?

An option for the default folder to load and save settings from would take care of the problem, and is understandable without any further information.