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::GetInstallPrefix}\label{wxstandardpathsgetinstallprefix}
 115
 116 \constfunc{wxString}{GetInstallPrefix}{\void}
 117
 118 \textbf{Note: } This function is only available under Unix.
 119
 120 Return the program installation prefix, e.g. \texttt{/usr}, \texttt{/opt} or
 121 \texttt{/home/zeitlin}.
 122
 123 If the prefix had been previously by
 124 \helpref{SetInstallPrefix}{wxstandardpathssetinstallprefix}, returns that
 125 value, otherwise tries to determine it automatically (Linux only right
 126 now) and finally returns the default \texttt{/usr/local} value if it failed.
 127
 128
 129 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetLocalDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetlocaldatadir}
 130
 131 \constfunc{wxString}{GetLocalDataDir}{\void}
 132
 133 Return the location for application data files which are host-specific and
 134 can't, or shouldn't, be shared with the other machines.
 135
 136 This is the same as \helpref{GetDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetdatadir} except
 137 under Unix where it returns \texttt{/etc/\textit{appname}}.
 138
 139
 140 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetLocalizedResourcesDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetlocalizedresourcesdir}
 141
 142 \constfunc{wxString}{GetLocalizedResourcesDir}{\param{const wxChar*}{ lang}, \param{ResourceCat}{ category = ResourceCat\_None}}
 143
 144 Return the localized resources directory containing the resource files of the
 145 specified category for the given language.
 146
 147 In general this is just the same as \arg{lang} subdirectory of
 148 \helpref{GetResourcesDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetresourcesdir} (or
 149 \texttt{\arg{lang}.lproj} under Mac OS X) but is something quite
 150 different for message catalog category under Unix where it returns the standard
 151 \texttt{\textit{prefix}/share/locale/\arg{lang}/LC\_MESSAGES} directory.
 152
 153 \newsince{2.7.0}
 154
 155
 156 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetPluginsDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetpluginsdir}
 157
 158 \constfunc{wxString}{GetPluginsDir}{\void}
 159
 160 Return the directory where the loadable modules (plugins) live.
 161
 162 Example return values:
 163 \begin{itemize}
 164     \item Unix: \texttt{\textit{prefix}/share/\textit{appname}}
 165     \item Windows: the directory where the executable file is located
 166     \item Mac: \texttt{\textit{appname}.app/Contents/Resources} bundle subdirectory
 167 \end{itemize}
 168
 169 \wxheading{See also}
 170
 171 \helpref{wxDynamicLibrary}{wxdynamiclibrary}
 172
 173
 174 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetResourcesDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetresourcesdir}
 175
 176 \constfunc{wxString}{GetResourcesDir}{\void}
 177
 178 Return the directory where the application resource files are located. The
 179 resources are the auxiliary data files needed for the application to run and
 180 include, for example, image and sound files it might use.
 181
 182 This function is the same as \helpref{GetDataDir}{wxstandardpathsgetdatadir} for
 183 all platforms except Mac OS X.
 184
 185 Example return values:
 186 \begin{itemize}
 187     \item Unix: \texttt{\textit{prefix}/lib/\textit{appname}}
 188     \item Windows: the directory of the executable file
 189     \item Mac: \texttt{\textit{appname}.app/Contents/PlugIns} bundle subdirectory
 190 \end{itemize}
 191
 192 \newsince{2.7.0}
 193
 194
 195 \wxheading{See also}
 196
 197 \helpref{GetLocalizedResourcesDir}{wxstandardpathsgetlocalizedresourcesdir}
 198
 199 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetTempDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgettempdir}
 200
 201 \constfunc{wxString}{GetTempDir}{\void}
 202
 203 Return the directory for storing temporary files. To create unique temporary files,
 204 it is best to use \helpref{wxFileName::CreateTempFileName}{wxfilenamecreatetempfilename} for correct behaviour when
 205 multiple processes are attempting to create temporary files.
 206
 207 \newsince{2.7.2}
 208
 209 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserConfigDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserconfigdir}
 210
 211 \constfunc{wxString}{GetUserConfigDir}{\void}
 212
 213 Return the directory for the user config files:
 214 \begin{itemize}
 215     \item Unix: \tt{~} (the home directory)
 216     \item Windows: \tt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Application Data}
 217     \item Mac: \tt{~/Library/Preferences}
 218 \end{itemize}
 219
 220 Only use this method if you have a single configuration file to put in this
 221 directory, otherwise \helpref{GetUserDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir} is
 222 more appropriate.
 223
 224
 225 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir}
 226
 227 \constfunc{wxString}{GetUserDataDir}{\void}
 228
 229 Return the directory for the user-dependent application data files:
 230 \begin{itemize}
 231     \item Unix: \tt{~/.\textit{appname}}
 232     \item Windows: \tt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Application Data$\backslash$\textit{appname}}
 233     \item Mac: \tt{~/Library/Application Support/\textit{appname}}
 234 \end{itemize}
 235
 236
 237 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::GetUserLocalDataDir}\label{wxstandardpathsgetuserlocaldatadir}
 238
 239 \constfunc{wxString}{GetUserLocalDataDir}{\void}
 240
 241 Return the directory for user data files which shouldn't be shared with
 242 the other machines.
 243
 244 This is the same as \helpref{GetUserDataDir()}{wxstandardpathsgetuserdatadir} for
 245 all platforms except Windows where it returns
 246 \texttt{C:$\backslash$Documents and Settings$\backslash$\textit{username}$\backslash$Local Settings$\backslash$Application Data$\backslash$\textit{appname}}
 247
 248
 249 \membersection{wxStandardPaths::SetInstallPrefix}\label{wxstandardpathssetinstallprefix}
 250
 251 \func{void}{SetInstallPrefix}{\param{const wxString\& }{prefix}}
 252
 253 \textbf{Note:} This function is only available under Unix.
 254
 255 Lets wxStandardPaths know about the real program installation prefix on a Unix
 256 system. By default, the value returned by
 257 \helpref{GetInstallPrefix}{wxstandardpathsgetinstallprefix} is used.
 258
 259 Although under Linux systems the program prefix may usually be determined
 260 automatically, portable programs should call this function. Usually the prefix
 261 is set during program configuration if using GNU autotools and so it is enough
 262 to pass its value defined in \texttt{config.h} to this function.
 263