.ini files read order

[~Guest~]

Okay, so i have an idea here and i'm sure it have been brought up before somewhere. But i didn't see anything like this on this site so ill post it up.

Rules/Art/Sound/AI (md).ini files:

The probably worst thing when working on an complete Rules/Art/Sound/AI (md).ini file is that it's hard to track if you have made any errors, and if you accidentally edited any value in it that was not intended, because it's big, loads of comments etc. Of Course comments can be removed by programs and such but still.

So the idea is basicly like this: That you can have more than 1 of each .ini files at the same time and working the same way as the EXPAND## and ECACHE##. Thus allowing to add all modified stuff into 1 seperate ini file, making the mod smaller, easier to track and easier to remove/install. This could also work the same way as gamemode.ini(s) files and custom map codes. By doing like this, lets say i have first Rulesmd.ini unmodified and i also have a Erulesmd01.ini where i have all my modded code, etc.

Making it load Erulesmd01.ini ontop of rulesmd.ini, thus making all code in rulesmd.ini overwritten by all code in erulesmd.ini (which exist in rulesmd.ini) and all code that is not present in erulesmd01.ini will be loaded from rulesmd.ini. Like Layers.

This could be made for all .ini files or the ones we mod, could be discussed.

Shouldnt be to hard codewise since the logic already exists ingame but with other files.

[Beowulf]

I like that idea. Makes for a compact mod INI structure.

[Bobingabout]

If you do something like this, you'd probably need to add a tag at the top of the file, something like "LoadModificationOnly=yes" to activate this new loading system, basicly, think of things like TCs that want to totally replace whats already there.

Also, i think it only does load the latest rules file. but think about it, if it has to load the original, then all your changes, it'd take longer to load, and since i've gone through my rulesmd.ini file and removed everything un-necasary from it, including obsolete units, so, my load time would be even quicker the way it is anyway.

these days, diskspace isn't an issue, atleast not when we're talking about saving less than 1 megabyte. The smallest hard drive of the computers i still use is 250GB.

[~Guest~]

As you said Bobingabout. But i don't think you need the tag, unless peoples quickly want to play unmodded game without removing files.
Simply meaning it uses the gamemode logic which loads ontop of the rules(md).ini file. But as you said, 1mb disk/RAM space are not a problem nowdays when it comes to Red Alert 2. And the game loads really fast nowdays too so it should not be any noticeable diffrence either

Maybe i should add this as an suggestion report?

[Electro]

DCoder did it, see here.

[~Guest~]

DCoder did it, see here.

Ah i see. Really good! but about the entry list. does it mean you have to organize it like he mentioned or can you just have 1 additional rules(md).ini file containing all vehicles, general, infantry etc?

And does it support Art, sound, AI aswell?