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 \func{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 \func{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::GetInstallPrefix}\label{wxstandardpathsgetinstallprefix}
  99
 100 \func{wxString}{GetInstallPrefix}{\void}
 101
 102 \textbf{Note: } This function is only available under Unix.
 103
 104 Return the program installation prefix, e.g. \texttt{/usr}, \texttt{/opt} or
 105 \texttt{/home/zeitlin}.
 106
 107 If the prefix had been previously by
 108 \helpref{SetInstallPrefix}{wxstandardpathssetinstallprefix}, returns that
 109 value, otherwise tries to determine it automatically (Linux only right
 110 now) and finally returns the default \texttt{/usr/local} value if it failed.
 111
 112
 113 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetLocalDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetlocaldatadir}
 114
 115 \func{wxString}{GetLocalDataDir}{\void}
 116
 117 Return the location for application data files which are host-specific and
 118 can't, or shouldn't, be shared with the other machines.
 119
 120 This is the same as \helpref{GetDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetdatadir} except
 121 under Unix where it returns \texttt{/etc/\textit{appname}}.
 122
 123
 124 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetLocalizedResourcesDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetlocalizedresourcesdir}
 125
 126 \func{wxString}{GetLocalizedResourcesDir}{\param{const wxChar*}{ lang}, \param{ResourceCat}{ category = ResourceCat\_None}}
 127
 128 Return the localized resources directory containing the resource files of the
 129 specified category for the given language.
 130
 131 In general this is just the same as \arg{lang} subdirectory of
 132 \helpref{GetResourcesDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetresourcesdir} (or
 133 \texttt{\arg{lang}.lproj} under Mac OS X) but is something quite
 134 different for message catalog category under Unix where it returns the standard
 135 \texttt{\textit{prefix}/share/locale/\arg{lang}/LC\_MESSAGES} directory.
 136
 137
 138 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetPluginsDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetpluginsdir}
 139
 140 \func{wxString}{GetPluginsDir}{\void}
 141
 142 Return the directory where the loadable modules (plugins) live.
 143
 144 Example return values:
 145 \begin{itemize}
 146     \item Unix: \texttt{\textit{prefix}/share/\textit{appname}}
 147     \item Windows: the directory where the executable file is located
 148     \item Mac: \texttt{\textit{appname}.app/Contents/Resources} bundle subdirectory
 149 \end{itemize}
 150
 151 \wxheading{See also}
 152
 153 \helpref{wxDynamicLibrary}{wxdynamiclibrary}
 154
 155
 156 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetResourcesDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetresourcesdir}
 157
 158 \func{wxString}{GetResourcesDir}{\void}
 159
 160 Return the directory where the application resource files are located. The
 161 resources are the auxiliary data files needed for the application to run and
 162 include, for example, image and sound files it might use.
 163
 164 This function is the same as \helpref{GetDataDir}{wxstandardpathsgetdatadir} for
 165 all platforms except Mac OS X.
 166
 167 Example return values:
 168 \begin{itemize}
 169     \item Unix: \texttt{\textit{prefix}/lib/\textit{appname}}
 170     \item Windows: the directory of the executable file
 171     \item Mac: \texttt{\textit{appname}.app/Contents/PlugIns} bundle subdirectory
 172 \end{itemize}
 173
 174 \wxheading{See also}
 175
 176 \helpref{GetLocalizedResourcesDir}{wxstandardpathsgetlocalizedresourcesdir}
 177
 178
 179 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserConfigDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserconfigdir}
 180
 181 \func{wxString}{GetUserConfigDir}{\void}
 182
 183 Return the directory for the user config files:
 184 \begin{itemize}
 185     \item Unix: \tt{~} (the home directory)
 186     \item Windows: \tt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}}
 187     \item Mac: \tt{~/Library/Preferences}
 188 \end{itemize}
 189
 190 Only use this method if you have a single configuration file to put in this
 191 directory, otherwise \helpref{GetUserDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir} is
 192 more appropriate.
 193
 194
 195 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir}
 196
 197 \func{wxString}{GetUserDataDir}{\void}
 198
 199 Return the directory for the user-dependent application data files:
 200 \begin{itemize}
 201     \item Unix: \tt{~/.\textit{appname}}
 202     \item Windows: \tt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Application Data$\backslash$\textit{appname}}
 203     \item Mac: \tt{~/Library/Application Support/\textit{appname}}
 204 \end{itemize}
 205
 206
 207 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserLocalDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserlocaldatadir}
 208
 209 \func{wxString}{GetUserLocalDataDir}{\void}
 210
 211 Return the directory for user data files which shouldn't be shared with
 212 the other machines.
 213
 214 This is the same as \helpref{GetUserDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir} for
 215 all platforms except Windows where it returns
 216 \texttt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Local Settings$\backslash$Application Data$\backslash$\textit{appname}}
 217
 218
 219 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::SetInstallPrefix}\label{wxstandardpathssetinstallprefix}
 220
 221 \func{void}{SetInstallPrefix}{\param{const wxString\& }{prefix}}
 222
 223 \textbf{Note:} This function is only available under Unix.
 224
 225 Lets wxStandardPaths know about the real program installation prefix on a Unix
 226 system. By default, the value returned by
 227 \helpref{GetInstallPrefix}{wxstandardpathsgetinstallprefix} is used.
 228
 229 Although under Linux systems the program prefix may usually be determined
 230 automatically, portable programs should call this function. Usually the prefix
 231 is set during program configuration if using GNU autotools and so it is enough
 232 to pass its value defined in \texttt{config.h} to this function.
 233
 234