HERE WE HAVE A WHOLE PROGRAM THAT WILL CREATE AN INI FILE
(in the Windows directory) and WRITE POSITION INFORMATION
FOR THE PROGRAM'S MAIN FORM TO THE INI FILE (so that the
second time you run the program the form is placed at it's
last position)...
See ReadINIFile() and WriteINIFile() routines below -best way to do it...
*************************************************************************
So, if you want to use INI files, remember to put ini file code IN A FORM'S
MAIN UNIT so that i) when the form loads it reads the ini file, and
ii) when the form closes it writes to the ini file: eg:
const
iniFileName = 'Karma.INI';
type
TSrchForm = class(TForm)
procedure ReadINIFile;
procedure WriteINIFile;
private
end;
procedure TSrchForm.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
ReadINIFile;
end;
procedure TSrchForm.FormClose(Sender: TObject; var Action: TCloseAction);
begin
WriteIniFile;
end;
procedure TRandForm.ReadINIFile;
var
thisProgIni: TIniFile;
begin
thisProgIni := TIniFile.Create(iniFileName);
with thisProgIni do
begin
try
RandForm.Left := ReadInteger('Position', 'Left', 0);
RandForm.Top := ReadInteger('Position', 'Top', 0);
finally
{and free up memory used in creating the INI file...}
Free;
end;
end;
{pathToExe := ExtractFilePath(exeFileName);}
end;
procedure TRandForm.WriteINIFile;
var
thisProgIni: TIniFile;
begin
thisProgIni := TIniFile.Create(iniFileName);
with thisProgIni do
begin
try
WriteInteger('Position', 'Left', RandForm.Left);
WriteInteger('Position', 'Top', RandForm.Top);
finally
{free up memory used in creating the INI file (again)...}
Free;
end;
end;
end;
************************************************************
unit IniUnit;
{Richard Dec '98}
{tiny prog to demonstrate the writing of an INI file (to keep
track of last screen position of a form, for instance) -note
the addition of IniFiles to the 'uses' clause...}
interface
uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls,
Forms, Dialogs, IniFiles, StdCtrls;
type
TMainForm = class(TForm)
ExitButton: TButton;
Label1: TLabel;
procedure ExitButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
procedure FormClose(Sender: TObject; var Action: TCloseAction);
private
{private declarations}
public
{public declarations}
end;
var
MainForm: TMainForm;
implementation
{$R *.DFM}
procedure TMainForm.ExitButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
Close;
end;
procedure TMainForm.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
thisProgIni: TIniFile;
exeFileName, iniFileName: String;
begin
exeFileName := Application.ExeName;
{get the filename without path information...}
exeFileName := ExtractFileName(exeFileName);
{and change the extension to .INI ...}
iniFileName := ChangeFileExt(exeFileName, '.INI');
thisProgIni := TIniFile.Create(iniFileName);
with thisProgIni do
begin
try
MainForm.Left := ReadInteger('Position', 'Left', 0);
MainForm.Top := ReadInteger('Position', 'Top', 0);
MainForm.Width := ReadInteger('Position', 'Width', 0);
MainForm.Height := ReadInteger('Position', 'Height', 0);
finally
{and free up memory used in creating the INI file...}
Free;
end;
end;
{pathToExe := ExtractFilePath(exeFileName);}
end;
procedure TMainForm.FormClose(Sender: TObject; var Action: TCloseAction);
var
thisProgIni: TIniFile;
exeFileName, iniFileName: String;
begin
exeFileName := Application.ExeName;
{get the filename without path information...}
exeFileName := ExtractFileName(exeFileName);
{and change the extension to .INI ...}
iniFileName := ChangeFileExt(exeFileName, '.INI');
thisProgIni := TIniFile.Create(iniFileName);
with thisProgIni do
begin
try
WriteInteger('Position', 'Left', MainForm.Left);
WriteInteger('Position', 'Top', MainForm.Top);
WriteInteger('Position', 'Width', MainForm.Width);
WriteInteger('Position', 'Height', MainForm.Height);
finally
{free up memory used in creating the INI file (again)...}
Free;
end;
end;
end;
end.
******************************************************************
make sure the paths are correct by using Application.ExeName, etc:
procedure TMainForm.ReadINIFile;
var
thisProgIni: TIniFile;
exeFileName, exeFilePath: String;
begin
exeFileName := Application.ExeName;
ExeFilePath := ExtractFilePath(exeFileName);
thisProgIni := TIniFile.Create(ExeFilePath + FormsIniFileName);
with thisProgIni do
begin
try
ThumbNailForm.Left := ReadInteger('ThumbNailFormPosition', 'Left', 0);
ThumbNailForm.Top := ReadInteger('ThumbNailFormPosition', 'Top', 0);
ProgressFloatForm.Left := ReadInteger('ProgressFloatFormPosition', 'Left', 0);
ProgressFloatForm.Top := ReadInteger('ProgressFloatFormPosition', 'Top', 0);
finally
{and free up memory used in creating the INI file...}
Free;
end;
end;
end;
procedure TMainForm.WriteINIFile;
var
thisProgIni: TIniFile;
exeFileName, exeFilePath: String;
begin
exeFileName := Application.ExeName;
ExeFilePath := ExtractFilePath(exeFileName);
thisProgIni := TIniFile.Create(ExeFilePath + FormsIniFileName);
with thisProgIni do
begin
try
WriteInteger('ThumbNailFormPosition', 'Left', ThumbNailForm.Left);
WriteInteger('ThumbNailFormPosition', 'Top', ThumbNailForm.Top);
WriteInteger('ProgressFloatFormPosition', 'Left', ProgressFloatForm.Left);
WriteInteger('ProgressFloatFormPosition', 'Top', ProgressFloatForm.Top);
finally
{free up memory used in creating the INI file (again)...}
Free;
end;
end;
end;
***********************************************************************
If you want to overcome the 64k size limit on INI files:
Try using TBigIni.
It a component written, by somebody (I can't remeber right now, sorry) to
overcome the 64K limit on INI files.
But since it does not use the Win32 functions, it should work.
It also is pretty much of a drop in, if you are using the TINIFile
component.
James.