Re: Opening pgn files in xboard

Den 03-01-2012 17:31, h.g. muller skrev:
> Perhaps even simpler:
>
> 1) A new volatile ArgTrue option -viewer (default False)
> 2) A new persistent string option -viewerOptions (default "-ncp
> -engineOutputUp false")
>
> After parsing the settings file we would call:
>
> if(appData.viewer) ParseArgsFromString(appData.viewerOptions);

-viewerOptions seems fine, but is -viewer needed? We could apply the 
viewerOptions automatically when a PGN-file is loaded, no matter if it 
is because of a commandline option or from the "File|Load Game" menu.

Similary there cound also be other -xxxOptions which are applied when 
something happens or some mode is turned on.

> And perhaps we add a text-edit to the general-options dialog where the
> user can set
> the string. In case he wanted to configure for analysis with Stockfish,
> he could then
> change it to "-fcp stockfish -fUCI -engineOutputUp true -initialMode
> AnalyzeMode -saveSettingsOnExit false".
>
> Even if he has already an engine line for Stockfish in the
> -firstChessProgramNames,
> it is likely he wants to run it with other XBoard options for analysis
> than for playing
> against or with it. So there is no real need to relate it to his engine
> list.

No, there is no need, but it could be easier to have only one place to 
edit these settings, and the same engine can be several times in the 
list with different nicknames and options. It also be that the user 
wants to have several analysis engines to choose among, then he can 
prepare entries for them all in the engine list.

Yes, most Linux/Unix users will probably know about .xboardrc (or 
.xboard/xboardrc if moved) but only a few will know the format and 
possibilities for the options, so being able to edit 
-firstChessProgramNames inside xboard would be good.