HierarchicalPreferences

= Hierarchical Preferences =

Eclipse has a preference system that allows each plugin to provide default settings, but the builder of a "product" can then add site-specific settings, and finally the user might be able to adjust them. This describes the suggested use for CSS

== Plugin Defaults ==

Each plugin with configurable settings has a file "preferences.ini" that

1. Defines those settings, i.e. their name
2. Documents their meaning, supported values
3. Establishes the default

{{{

Example preferences.ini for plugin org.csstudio.demo

Enable the super feature.

enable_super=true

URL of server where the super feature connects

url=http://localhost/superdata }}}

The Eclipse preference service for a plugin will automatically use this file.

== Product (Site) Defaults == When bundling plugins into a site-specific product, a file "plugin_customization.ini" in the product plugin is automatically used by Eclipse to override settings.

{{{

Example plugin_customization.ini

Override defaults of plugin org.csstudio.demo:

URL of our super feature server

org.csstudio.demo/url=http://my.site.org/mysuperdata }}}

This way, "your" product has the settings for "your" site built-in.

== Slight Tweaks to the Site Defaults == If a select installation at a site requires a few extra changes, for example a test network installation needs settings that differ from your main campus network, put those into a file with the same format as "plugin_customization.ini", for example "testnet.ini", and run the product with a command-line option

{{{ my_product -pluginCustomization /path/to/testnet.ini }}}

== End User Settings == Finally, the GUI code can offer Preference Pages via which the end user can change the settings.