Config file confusion!

[Cindy]

I'm having a little trouble installing Exult, and I can't make heads or tails
of the documentation or the config file.

I have a dir C:/ultima7 containing /blackgate and /serpentisle

What should my config file look like? The sample config file looks like
it was meant to be read by a robot, and I can't figure out where to put
anything.

Where it says do I replace the "path" with the path, replace the whole "" with the path, put it to the right of the "", or on the next line underneath the ""?

What do I do where it says ""? The example doesn't say. What about ""? Which of the bracketed options need to be specified, and which ones are just categories? (I suspect isn't really an option itself, but how can I tell when it appears just like the other options and the documentation doesn't say?)

Alot of the options seem to have two lines, an and an , does that slash mean that's a pathname that has to be specified?

Please help!

[wjp]

The line between and is the line containing the value of that option.

If you're using windows the Exult installer should create a working config file if you select the right paths during installation.

[Dominus]

See! That's the reason I'm just glad we converted from the xml-cfg over to the plain-ini one in Pentagram.

[MV]

Alot of the options seem to have two lines, an and an , does that slash mean that's a pathname that has to be specified?

Please help!

Ok, with using what I quoted above as an example, I'll try and explain some basics.

The is what is usually called the "open" tag. This is what describes or tells a program or person reading it what the text following it is used for.

The is what is usually called the "close" tag. It lets what or who reading it that the block of instructions has come to an end.

For example;


c:\games\ultima7


The first tag tells you that a path type of statement should be following, the path c:\games\ultima7 is the user defined or auto generated data, then it's followed by the close tag to let you know that the dictation of the path is ended and to continue on to the next instruction.

I hope that helps.

[nadir]

Dominik: in theory config files should be modified by hand only by people who know what they are doing, it doesn't matter if they are xml, ini or binary. IMHO if we require standard users to modify their config by hand then there is something wrong with the application itself.
Exult, and not the installer, should provide a way to choose paths to the game data files (as scummvm does)

[Dominus]

yup, then there is something wrong with Exult. And has been so for quite some time.

[Watt]

Nadir: Good point! Having the application or an extra configuration tool definitely helps the end users. Perhaps a config tool would help exult out a bit

Even though having a legible file format helps greatly when the tools are not availible or handle enough, it is still a burden on users. Even pentagram's ini files could be confusing due to the knowledge required to set up the sections and specific keys.