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Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

Title:DECWINDOWS 26-JAN-89 to 29-NOV-90
Notice:See 1639.0 for VMS V5.3 kit; 2043.0 for 5.4 IFT kit
Moderator:STAR::VATNE
Created:Mon Oct 30 1989
Last Modified:Mon Dec 31 1990
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3726
Total number of notes:19516

1707.0. "DECW$XDEFAULTS.DAT Resource File?" by HOTAIR::BOYLES (Lead, Follow... Oh Sure !!) Thu Nov 09 1989 11:03

    This is sort of a question, and a complaint.
    
    Why did we abandon the use of the DECW$xdefaults.dat file under VMS?
    This seemed like a very handy file  to fall-through to, after the
    specific .DAT files were read.
    
    Now I realize that some of the resource parameters do still work,
    but I see that under V5.3 of VMS (V2.0 DECW) that the "wm*geometry"
    resource doesn't seem to work anymore.
    
    Finally...
    Does anyone have a list (hopefully complete) of the resources that
    can still be modified (I'll use them until they don't).
    
    Regards,
    
    Gary Boyles
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
1707.1see 1658.*ILOV30::HUTTONJimThu Nov 09 1989 11:200
1707.2DECWIN::FISHERBurns Fisher 381-1466, ZKO3-4/W23Thu Nov 09 1989 13:2116
.1 is not a real helpful answer, since the referenced topic does not really
answer the question either.

Let me take a small, non-authoritative crack at it.

First, remember that we have *ALWAYS* said that Xdefaults is unsupported.
This means that it may change.  We don't promise to support it for all time.
In this particular case, we KNEW we were going to change it.  Largely the
issue was that we wanted to move most text to UIL files so that they could
be translated for other languages.  In other cases, we knew that the resource
in question was not going to be relavent any more.


QED.

Burns
1707.3I thought I knew all about thisSDSVAX::SWEENEYStrike up the bandwidthThu Nov 09 1989 15:167
    I'm confused since I know that VMS 5.3 does open and read the client's
    resource base, DECW$XDEFAULTS.DAT when XGetDefault is called by a
    client application.  Was DECW$XDEFAULTS ever documented for any other
    purpose?
    
    Applications which use UIL/DRM fetch resources from UID files and
    appl.DAT files.
1707.4RE: .2 (It didn't need fixing)HOTAIR::BOYLESDon't Make A Difference... Be it!Thu Nov 09 1989 15:5014
    RE: .2
    Ok... lets look at the NEW problem, and maybe someone can tell me how
    it may or may not get resolved.
    
    The Xdefaults file let a user setup his/her workstation on login
    without spending 10 minutes setting colors, location, text.  Now that
    this isn't (was never) supported what is the answer to this problem?
    I mean let's face it... everyone liked being able to tailor their
    workstation to their particular tastes without having to worry about
    whether doing a "Save Current Settings" was going to override params
    that were just setup.
    
    gpb
1707.5Not that much has really changed.RIPPLE::FARLEE_KEInsufficient Virtual...um...er...Sun Nov 12 1989 16:5818
Re: .4, 

I don't think all that much has really changed.  decw$xdefaults.dat is now
unsupported.  It was always unsupported. No change.  decw$xdefaults.dat
used to work for some undocumented customizations.  It still does for most.
Not much change.

The reason (as I understand it) that the use of that file for customizing
your environment is unsupported is that the decwindows developers cannot
guarantee that all the customizations in the current version will work,
or even have any meaning, in future versions.  

I agree that it is nice to have such a handy mechanism for customizing your
environment. I use it extensively.  To support it would mean either tying
the developers' hands in terms of changing the layout and function of
applications, or it would break upward compatibility edicts.

Kevin
1707.6DECWIN::FISHERBurns Fisher 381-1466, ZKO3-4/W23Mon Nov 13 1989 13:305
We would also really like to have applications make real customization dialog
boxes for themselves rather than depending on this.  It is much more user-
friendly.

Burns