docs/latex/wx/stdpaths.tex

   1 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
   2 %% Name:        stdpaths.tex
   3 %% Purpose:     wxStandardPaths documentation
   4 %% Author:      Vadim Zeitlin
   5 %% Modified by:
   6 %% Created:     2004-10-17
   7 %% RCS-ID:      $Id$
   8 %% Copyright:   (c) 2004 Vadim Zeitlin <vadim@wxwindows.org>
   9 %% License:     wxWindows license
  10 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  11
  12 \section{\class{wxStandardPaths}}\label{wxstandardpaths}
  13
  14 wxStandardPaths returns the standard locations in the file system and should be
  15 used by applications to find their data files in a portable way.
  16
  17 In the description of the methods below, the example return values are given
  18 for the Unix, Windows and Mac OS X systems, however please note that these are
  19 just the examples and the actual values may differ. For example, under Windows:
  20 the system administrator may change the standard directories locations, i.e.
  21 the Windows directory may be named \texttt{W:$\backslash$Win2003} instead of
  22 the default \texttt{C:$\backslash$Windows}.
  23
  24 The strings \texttt{\textit{appname}} and \texttt{\textit{username}} should be
  25 replaced with the value returned by \helpref{wxApp::GetAppName}{wxappgetappname}
  26 and the name of the currently logged in user, respectively. The string
  27 \texttt{\textit{prefix}} is only used under Unix and is \texttt{/usr/local} by
  28 default but may be changed using \helpref{SetInstallPrefix}{wxstandardpathssetinstallprefix}.
  29
  30 The directories returned by the methods of this class may or may not exist. If
  31 they don't exist, it's up to the caller to create them, wxStandardPaths doesn't
  32 do it.
  33
  34 Finally note that these functions only work with standardly packaged
  35 applications. I.e. under Unix you should follow the standard installation
  36 conventions and under Mac you should create your application bundle according
  37 to the Apple guidelines. Again, this class doesn't help you to do it.
  38
  39 This class is MT-safe: its methods may be called concurrently from different
  40 threads without additional locking.
  41
  42 \wxheading{Derived from}
  43
  44 No base class
  45
  46 \wxheading{Include files}
  47
  48 <wx/stdpaths.h>
  49
  50
  51 \latexignore{\rtfignore{\wxheading{Members}}}
  52
  53
  54 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::Get}\label{wxstandardpathsget}
  55
  56 \func{static wxStandardPathsBase\&}{Get}{\void}
  57
  58 Returns reference to the unique global standard paths object.
  59
  60
  61 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetConfigDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetconfigdir}
  62
  63 \constfunc{wxString}{GetConfigDir}{\void}
  64
  65 Return the directory containing the system config files.
  66
  67 Example return values:
  68 \begin{itemize}
  69     \item Unix: \texttt{/etc}
  70     \item Windows: \texttt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$All Users$\backslash$Application Data}
  71     \item Mac: \texttt{/Library/Preferences}
  72 \end{itemize}
  73
  74 \wxheading{See also}
  75
  76 \helpref{wxFileConfig}{wxfileconfig}
  77
  78
  79 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetdatadir}
  80
  81 \constfunc{wxString}{GetDataDir}{\void}
  82
  83 Return the location of the applications global, i.e. not user-specific,
  84 data files.
  85
  86 Example return values:
  87 \begin{itemize}
  88     \item Unix: \texttt{\textit{prefix}/share/\textit{appname}}
  89     \item Windows: the directory where the executable file is located
  90     \item Mac: \texttt{\textit{appname}.app/Contents/SharedSupport} bundle subdirectory
  91 \end{itemize}
  92
  93 \wxheading{See also}
  94
  95 \helpref{GetLocalDataDir}{wxstandardpathsgetlocaldatadir}
  96
  97
  98 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetDocumentsDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetdocumentsdir}
  99
 100 \constfunc{wxString}{GetDocumentsDir}{\void}
 101
 102 Return the directory containing the current user's documents.
 103
 104 Example return values:
 105 \begin{itemize}
 106     \item Unix: \tt{~} (the home directory)
 107     \item Windows: \texttt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Documents}
 108     \item Mac: \texttt{~/Documents}
 109 \end{itemize}
 110
 111 \newsince{2.7.0}
 112
 113
 114 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetExecutablePath}\label{wxstandardpathsgetexecutablepath}
 115
 116 \constfunc{wxString}{GetExecutablePath}{\void}
 117
 118 Return the directory and the filename for the current executable.
 119
 120 Example return values:
 121 \begin{itemize}
 122     \item Unix: \texttt{/usr/local/bin/exename}
 123     \item Windows: \texttt{C:$\backslash$Programs$\backslash$AppFolder$\backslash$exename.exe}
 124     \item Mac: \texttt{/Programs/exename}
 125 \end{itemize}
 126
 127
 128
 129 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetInstallPrefix}\label{wxstandardpathsgetinstallprefix}
 130
 131 \constfunc{wxString}{GetInstallPrefix}{\void}
 132
 133 \textbf{Note: } This function is only available under Unix.
 134
 135 Return the program installation prefix, e.g. \texttt{/usr}, \texttt{/opt} or
 136 \texttt{/home/zeitlin}.
 137
 138 If the prefix had been previously by
 139 \helpref{SetInstallPrefix}{wxstandardpathssetinstallprefix}, returns that
 140 value, otherwise tries to determine it automatically (Linux only right
 141 now) and finally returns the default \texttt{/usr/local} value if it failed.
 142
 143
 144 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetLocalDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetlocaldatadir}
 145
 146 \constfunc{wxString}{GetLocalDataDir}{\void}
 147
 148 Return the location for application data files which are host-specific and
 149 can't, or shouldn't, be shared with the other machines.
 150
 151 This is the same as \helpref{GetDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetdatadir} except
 152 under Unix where it returns \texttt{/etc/\textit{appname}}.
 153
 154
 155 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetLocalizedResourcesDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetlocalizedresourcesdir}
 156
 157 \constfunc{wxString}{GetLocalizedResourcesDir}{\param{const wxChar*}{ lang}, \param{ResourceCat}{ category = ResourceCat\_None}}
 158
 159 Return the localized resources directory containing the resource files of the
 160 specified category for the given language.
 161
 162 In general this is just the same as \arg{lang} subdirectory of
 163 \helpref{GetResourcesDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetresourcesdir} (or
 164 \texttt{\arg{lang}.lproj} under Mac OS X) but is something quite
 165 different for message catalog category under Unix where it returns the standard
 166 \texttt{\textit{prefix}/share/locale/\arg{lang}/LC\_MESSAGES} directory.
 167
 168 \newsince{2.7.0}
 169
 170
 171 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetPluginsDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetpluginsdir}
 172
 173 \constfunc{wxString}{GetPluginsDir}{\void}
 174
 175 Return the directory where the loadable modules (plugins) live.
 176
 177 Example return values:
 178 \begin{itemize}
 179     \item Unix: \texttt{\textit{prefix}/lib/\textit{appname}}
 180     \item Windows: the directory of the executable file
 181     \item Mac: \texttt{\textit{appname}.app/Contents/PlugIns} bundle subdirectory
 182 \end{itemize}
 183
 184 \wxheading{See also}
 185
 186 \helpref{wxDynamicLibrary}{wxdynamiclibrary}
 187
 188
 189 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetResourcesDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetresourcesdir}
 190
 191 \constfunc{wxString}{GetResourcesDir}{\void}
 192
 193 Return the directory where the application resource files are located. The
 194 resources are the auxiliary data files needed for the application to run and
 195 include, for example, image and sound files it might use.
 196
 197 This function is the same as \helpref{GetDataDir}{wxstandardpathsgetdatadir} for
 198 all platforms except Mac OS X.
 199
 200 Example return values:
 201 \begin{itemize}
 202     \item Unix: \texttt{\textit{prefix}/share/\textit{appname}}
 203     \item Windows: the directory where the executable file is located
 204     \item Mac: \texttt{\textit{appname}.app/Contents/Resources} bundle subdirectory
 205 \end{itemize}
 206
 207 \newsince{2.7.0}
 208
 209
 210 \wxheading{See also}
 211
 212 \helpref{GetLocalizedResourcesDir}{wxstandardpathsgetlocalizedresourcesdir}
 213
 214 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetTempDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgettempdir}
 215
 216 \constfunc{wxString}{GetTempDir}{\void}
 217
 218 Return the directory for storing temporary files. To create unique temporary files,
 219 it is best to use \helpref{wxFileName::CreateTempFileName}{wxfilenamecreatetempfilename} for correct behaviour when
 220 multiple processes are attempting to create temporary files.
 221
 222 \newsince{2.7.2}
 223
 224 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserConfigDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserconfigdir}
 225
 226 \constfunc{wxString}{GetUserConfigDir}{\void}
 227
 228 Return the directory for the user config files:
 229 \begin{itemize}
 230     \item Unix: \tt{~} (the home directory)
 231     \item Windows: \tt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Application Data}
 232     \item Mac: \tt{~/Library/Preferences}
 233 \end{itemize}
 234
 235 Only use this method if you have a single configuration file to put in this
 236 directory, otherwise \helpref{GetUserDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir} is
 237 more appropriate.
 238
 239
 240 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir}
 241
 242 \constfunc{wxString}{GetUserDataDir}{\void}
 243
 244 Return the directory for the user-dependent application data files:
 245 \begin{itemize}
 246     \item Unix: \tt{~/.\textit{appname}}
 247     \item Windows: \tt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Application Data$\backslash$\textit{appname}}
 248     \item Mac: \tt{~/Library/Application Support/\textit{appname}}
 249 \end{itemize}
 250
 251
 252 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserLocalDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserlocaldatadir}
 253
 254 \constfunc{wxString}{GetUserLocalDataDir}{\void}
 255
 256 Return the directory for user data files which shouldn't be shared with
 257 the other machines.
 258
 259 This is the same as \helpref{GetUserDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir} for
 260 all platforms except Windows where it returns
 261 \texttt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Local Settings$\backslash$Application Data$\backslash$\textit{appname}}
 262
 263
 264 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::SetInstallPrefix}\label{wxstandardpathssetinstallprefix}
 265
 266 \func{void}{SetInstallPrefix}{\param{const wxString\& }{prefix}}
 267
 268 \textbf{Note:} This function is only available under Unix.
 269
 270 Lets wxStandardPaths know about the real program installation prefix on a Unix
 271 system. By default, the value returned by
 272 \helpref{GetInstallPrefix}{wxstandardpathsgetinstallprefix} is used.
 273
 274 Although under Linux systems the program prefix may usually be determined
 275 automatically, portable programs should call this function. Usually the prefix
 276 is set during program configuration if using GNU autotools and so it is enough
 277 to pass its value defined in \texttt{config.h} to this function.
 278