Some status update:

Selecting install directory in installer
I'm using NSIS with the default settings for the installation directory. (For those who know NSIS a bit better: With the correct "\" at the end of the default installation directory string.) The installer will always display the chosen directory in the "Installation directory" edit field and not add some "\D-Fend Reloaded" subdirectory record automatically. As already mentioned this is the default behavior of all NSIS made installers. Because guessing if there should be a "\D-Fend Reloaded" added to the installtion path (because the user has chosen "C:\Program files") or not (because the user has chosen "E:\OldGames") would only cause problems so I will keep the current mode.

Storing the size of the capture viewer area
I just found out: D-Fend Reloaded is already storing the size of the capture viewer area if "Restore window size at program start" is activated. So there is no need for adding this in the next version. - But due to a bug the size was not restored correctly yet. (Fixed in RC3.)

Usage of the Default=... language string
In RC2 this string was used nowhere. In RC3 it will be used as the name for the default DOSBox installation in the program options dialog the profile editor and (again) to mark the "DirectX" SDL video driver setting as the default value. Because I've added the Default=... after string freeze to the language files, this key is not intended to be translated for 0.5.0. I have added it to my NewLanguageStrings.txt file for 0.6.0 where the "Default" list entry will officially be translateable.

Visible pages after changing the emulation type in wizard
Fixed.

Capture viewer area
I can confirm this problem now. But because the sounds ListView is set to alClient and the info label panel is set to akTop the info label panel should not be able to hide some parts of the ListView control. So this is really some VCL related problem. But finally I have a solution:

1SoundInfoPanel.Visible:=...;
2SoundInfoPanel.Height:=IfThen(SoundInfoPanel.Visible,17,0);

Release candiate 3
I have made a new release candidate and uploaded it to the default beta versions page. I really hope this will be the last release candiate. If no new bugs arise until tomorrow, I will release D-Fend Reloaded 0.5.0 tomorrow.

Maybe use a "default" and a "custom" installation mode (checkbox or page)
where the first uses %ProgramFiles%\DFReloaded and the latter enables the
user to specify the directory.

Hi, Alexander!
I hope it is the last update of russian translation for ver.5.
Some notes:
In DosBox Settings, button 'More settings for this DOSBox installation' shows dialog. In dialog caption installation name 'Default' is not translated.
And may you make 'SDL driver' combobox a liitle wider (a couple of letters would be enough).

Hi wd,
I have also thought of something like this in the past, but than decided to stay with the NSIS default mode: Even beginners know how normal installers work (welcome page, license page, install type (user dir mode, prg dir or portable mode), components to install, folder, progress, finish page) and experts would think when there is a simple/custom page "What is the installer trying to hide from me ?" - At least I would think this. So I think the effect of making the installer easier by adding a further page to it wouldn't be very big.
But I will again think of it for the next version.

Hi skatz,
added, fixed and fixed. 😀
But saidly it looks like I will have no time on Thursday to release 0.5.0. But on Friday I should have plenty of time.

Even beginners know how normal installers work

Just add some checkbox or button to the "select installation path" page that
un-grays the path selection. If it's unchecked (default) the path is fixed,
if it's checked entering a path is enabled. Or something like that.

Alexander wrote:

But saidly it looks like I will have no time on Thursday to release 0.5.0. But on Friday I should have plenty of time.

Better safe than sorry, Alexander. The last beta is holding up pretty well, anyway.

BTW, remember some of us will need a translation TODO list, as usual, but with the changes since latest beta, not since the last stable release.

Hello Alexander

I'm testing the RC3 and is great, but i've some things that would add.
For example:

1) In groups tree, i would add a DOS, Windows and Scumm groups for filter or to add a only group that is platform
2) I would put in somewhere the total games added
3) In gamelist a grid it would be brilliant

At the moment any more is not happened to me.

Greetings at all.

Hi, ...

I have found some of English text, that have not been translated, in D-Fend Reloaded. = [Text Remain In English] = See file included.

Also, ...

And the word CDROM must "also/or be changed to " = "OpticalDisk", or "CDROM or better", or "DVDROM or better", "IsoFile [drive or Disk]",

----------------------------------------------------------------
Sylvain St-Amand

Hi all,

first of all: There are no new language strings since the string complete beta 2 version. All translations for 0.5.0 are complete, there is nothing to do at the moment.

Second: Requests from Lord_Rius:
1.) Good idea, but 0.5.0 is feature frozen and will be released very soon. I do not want to add new functions (also bringing perhaps new bugs) at the moment. But for 0.6.0 I would like to implement this.
2.) In Help|Statistics you can see the total number of games, templates, auto setup templates, games per genre etc.
3.) I'm using the TListView control for displaying the games list. I haven't check if the control is capable of showing grid lines. But if so, I think this would be a nice option for the next release.

And finally to sst:
This names come directly from the prof file. Using exactly this names is a tribute to D-Fend (classic) for not confusing users changed from D-Fend to D-Fend Reloaded by new names in the mount dialog. But by now I think it's time to use nicer names here, too. -> Next release.

Hi again

About scumm.
Just like it happened with the graphical filter happens with the language of the game, i change the language for example (eng -> esp) in a game scumm settings, click in ok and when i enter again the language is set in eng.

And about Scumm again:
If you set 'Use last profile editor page' mode on, and the last page for DOSBox'es is profile page (with the program file selector) then when opening ScummVM profile you see this page as for DOSBox profile. Changing page to smth other and back reverts right view.

Hi Lord_Rius and skatz,
I've just fixed both bugs. I have declared this two issues to be the last ones fixed for version 0.5.0. I will build and upload the official 0.5.0 packages within the next hours.

Thank you again to all of you for testing and translating D-Fend Reloaded. I think 0.5.0 will be a great release.

But nevertheless I have already started making some todo list for the next version:

• "Open capture folder" function in context menu of the screenshot/sound/video viewer area.
• Support of savepath for ScummVM.
• Setup option "Show grid lines in view mode 'report'".
• Making the drive type names on the "Drives" page of the profile editor translateable.
• Use mediaplr.dll for playing sounds (which hopefully will allow to play ogg sounds).
• New "Emulation type" node in games tree.

D-Fend Reloaded 0.5.0 released

The new version of D-Fend Reloaded is ready for download now. You can find download links to the different available packages on the download page of the project homepage.

Have fun with the new version and have a nice weekend.

Hi, Alexander!
DFR 5 work almost fine.
I have some more notions, but while thre are no big complaints you for sure may suspend these till next version.

1. On starting DFR searching dosbox process does not takes in account stored default dosbox path. If dosbox is installed under DFR directory (as in your default installation), DRF finds it almost at once, but if it is outside - process takes some time and may find another installation.

2. In dialog 'More DOSBox settings' three buttons (open and seacrch) do nothing (wrong tags an onclicks).

3. More complex. Feature to restore minimized DFR window after DOSBox closing looks for windows with 'DOSBox' in their title beginning. But you may have another such windows - open files 'dosbox.txt','dosbox.ini', etc or you may simply open main dosbox configuration from 'Run' menu. And some unofficial CVS builds may have another titles, e.g. 'DOSBox Daum Cafe' build has no DOSBox in title ('CPu: type cycles, Frameskip frames, Program')
Maybe you may check runned dosbox handles as in ZipManager? And for minimizing feature for Scumm profiles?

4. That's old (and strange). When hint in main list is displayed and you start dosbbox and DFR goes to minimized, (and maybe DOSBox becames centered) - hint may stay on screen behind dosbox window. And very strange: now I may reproduce this only for 'DOSBox Dos' profile. 🙁
Maybe you may simply hide hints before minimizing or runnung something.

The new version's nice, but there are a few issues with it that I've noticed:

1. I upgraded by choosing 'Search for updates...' from the help menu, so I assumed this would keep my settings, but not all settings were preserved. In particular, my custom dosbox installation (gulikoza, which every game uses since I use PhysFS) wasn't listed, and all the games had reverted to the default installation. I had to add the custom installation again and change over all the games. Too, I had the fullscreen resolution set for every game to be my LCD's native resolution, but all the games have reverted to 'original', so I'll have to change those as well.

2. Auto-creating a folder for physfs writes is awesome, but for one thing: it creates the folder in the main D-Fend Reloaded folder (.\SOMETHING\, that is), which will clutter up the main directory very quickly. I'd prefer if these default write folders could be created in a subdirectory (I put them as subfolders of .\PhysWrite\, for example) so as to keep the main one clear.

3. One more feature request: can the dialog used to add a drive remember which type of drive I last added? Since I always add PhysFS drives, it's a little annoying to have to choose it every time.

Those things aside (although the first one is a rather major problem), this seems like a solid release. I like the use of a drop-down box on the drive adding dialog rather than tabs, and the software seems stable as usual. Thanks for your hard work.

Hi skatz,

1.+2.: Confirmed and fixed.
3.: Good idea, already implemented in my internal development build.
4.: I know this problems from other applications (Thunderbird with MinimizeToTray for example) but haven't seen this in D-Fend Reloaded yet. There is not much I can do because the hint window is managed by the TListView control. I've added a

1ListView.ShowHint:=False;
2ListView.ShowHint:=PrgSetup.ShowTooltips;

when starting DOSBox. This should at least hide the tooltip window. Because of the good feedback from the 0.5.0 beta process I have decided to start earlier publishing 0.6.0 test builds. No nightly builds but perhaps every two or three weeks or so. Beause I can not reproduce this problem it would be nice if you could check this when 0.6.0 alpha 1 got released.

And by the way: The 0.6.0 feature wish list is opened now. Things I have already done:

• The profile editor and the profile wizard now also support setting a saved games path for ScummVM profiles.
• New setup option for configuration the appearance of the games list: Show grid lines in view mode "report".
• Option to open the capture folder in the Explorer right from the context menu of the capture viewer area.
• [Fix] When using some other DOSBox installation than the one in the "DOSBox" subdirectory of the D-Fend Reloaded program directory as default DOSBox installation, D-Fend Reloaded will reset the path at each start.
• [Fix] Clicking the buttons for selecting or searching the DOSBox directory and for selecting a mapper file in the "More DOSBox settings" dialog (on DOSBox settings page of the program options dialog) did nothing.

And things that are planed:

• Translation for mount types on mount page of profile editor
• Use mediaplr.dll for playing sounds
• Games tree: "Emulation type" node
• Direct starting dialog (something like the Explorer window that will start DOSBox with the selected exe file immediately)

Hi Sopoforic,

1. This sounds like the first bug found by skatz. Please check if everything is ok now on the next release. And by the way: D-Fend Reloaded is reseting the DOSBox installation (to an existing one) on opening the profile editor. So if you would have corrected your DOSBox installations before opening the profile editor, you wouldn't have needed to correct all your profiles. Sorry for this.)
2. Good idea, I will think about this.
3. Should also be no bigger problem.

Hi, Alexander!
So new wishes:
Most of them are Scumm's.

1. Main ScummVM.ini - for now you search them two ways: in main menu through APPDATA folder directly and in 'gui theme' part under scumm program folder. But as far as I know ScummVM never looks for ini in it's program folder (of course, if you do not specify it directly). The first way is better. But you miss possible location in windows folder. When you get games list, generated file has in the first line name of used ini-file. You may try to locate this file, and on fault try for APPDATA. What do you think?

2. This config file has unix-like line sperator LF (not DOS-inherited CRLF) and opened by Notepad it is displayed as one very long line. I can not yet decide what is better: to convert it before editing (scumm may proceed CRLF as well) or use another editor (e.g. Wordpad/Write and Word show this file correctly).

3. On adding new ScummVM profile get initilal settings from this ini. Or (if you want to maintain default yourself) you may add additional tabs to 'Default template'.

4. Very general: add other scumm settings, so user may use only one frontend. Unknown settings from [scummvm] section of main ini - add them as is.

5. Scumm zip support. ScummVM team decide do not support internal zip usage. But you already have all to implement unpack/play/repack feature.

Not Scumm:

6. Maybe support for non-zip packers through external programs?

7. Strange idea: auto search for cd-roms. When you create profile that use real CD-ROM you must specify certain drive letter of CD-ROM. On other computer drive letter may be different. And on single computer with two drives you should remember which tray to open. Suggestion: mount based on drive label or certain file location - search all CD-ROMs for specified condition and if found mount this drive in dosbox, if not - display message.

That's all. For now I'm empty.
Any case - thanks for your great work.

Hi skatz,

very good ideas, I have added most of your requests to my todo for 0.6.0. There is only one thing where I don't understand what I should do:

2. This config file has unix-like line sperator LF (not DOS-inherited CRLF) and opened by Notepad it is displayed as one very long line. I can not yet decide what is better: to convert it before editing (scumm may proceed CRLF as well) or use another editor (e.g. Wordpad/Write and Word show this file correctly).

ScummVM is using only LFs (unix style) in the default scummvm.ini file (located in $APPDATA\ScummVM). D-Fend Reloaded is using CR&LF (DOS/Windows style) when creating ini files for calling ScummVM. ScummVM can handle both line break modes. On Windows systems I would recommend using CR&LF as line breaks (because many editors, including Notepad, do not understand a single LF). D-Fend Reloaded is using CR&LF on all text files it creates (prof, conf and ini files) just because it uses RTL/operating system functions for writing text files.

When clicking the "Open ScummVM configuration file" menu item it just opens the $APPDATA\ScummVM\ScummVM.ini in the default editor registered for opening txt files. That's it. Of course I could make a temporary copy of the scummvm.ini file, convert it to CR&LF, run the editor with this copy, wait for closing the editor and then reconvert the file. But: Why ? In my opinion this is a ScummVM/Notepad related problem. Either ScummVM should deliver a default configuration file using CR&LF on Windows plattform or you can use a better editor than Notepad.

Remark: D-Fend Reloaded is not opening the ScummVM.ini with Notepad (hard coded) but with the program registered for opening txt files. If you for example have Notepad++ registered for opening txt files everything would be fine.

Greetings
Alexander

Alexander wrote:

When clicking the "Open ScummVM configuration file" menu item it just opens the $APPDATA\ScummVM\ScummVM.ini in the default editor registered for opening txt files. That's it. Of course I could make a temporary copy of the scummvm.ini file, convert it to CR&LF, run the editor with this copy, wait for closing the editor and then reconvert the file.

There is no need to reconvert it back, because scumm can eat it.
My idea was to simplify life for those who use default settings and don't want to mess with file associations with only one issue.
Propositon: silently convert this file LF->CRLF before edit and overwrite old with converted (on Windows system). May be with hidden option in dfend.ini (default to off).

ADDED:
By the way, in windows profiles game parameters are used for setup program and vice versa.

Hi !

sst: Thank you for your corrections in the French translations.

Alexander: I found new sentences in English in the translation of DFR 0.5.0.
And I corrected numerous details in the French version.

Here is the latest French translation.
For a next version of DFR.

Bye!