New user - external editor

[Paul Muhlbach]

Good day:
Although I am relatively new at programming, I have been in computing on
the technical side since 1985 using DOS, Win(all flavors), some Warp
(good old days), and some Linux.

Using Windows XP SP2 fully patched(arrgh :)), I have installed
OpenWatcom C++ IDE version 1.3. In order to limit problems, I am using
it in a normal user account (no specific privileges).

I have also downloaded Emacs (which is needed for the course I'm
taking), and am getting used to using this as an editor.

Each time I start the IDE, I am able to go into the IDE and specify the
alternative editor. However, I'd like this to happen automatically, or
save my preferred editor. I have not found any registry settings, nor
have I identified any specific .ini files that will let me make this a
permanent setting.

Does anyone know of a way I can specify the path of my preferred editor
as a permanent setting, either through one of the ways aforementioned,
or by a command line?
Please advise at your convenience.

With regards,
Paul

[Hans-Bernhard Broeker]

Paul Muhlbach wrote:

> Using Windows XP SP2 fully patched(arrgh :)), I have installed
> OpenWatcom C++ IDE version 1.3. In order to limit problems, I am using
> it in a normal user account (no specific privileges).

Those three, together with %windir% being on an NTFS drivem, form
exactly the combination in which this:

> Each time I start the IDE, I am able to go into the IDE and specify the
> alternative editor. However, I'd like this to happen automatically, or
> save my preferred editor.

cannot work. At least as of OW 1.3, the IDE configuration is still
stored in %windir%\ideinit.cfg (usually c:\windows), into which your
normal user, on XP and NTFS, cannot write.

So if you want this setting permanent, you'll have to do it as
administrator. Either by directly editing ideinit.cfg, or by doing it
inside the IDE itself, while running it as administrator.

[Peter C. Chapin]

Hans-Bernhard Broeker wrote:

> cannot work. At least as of OW 1.3, the IDE configuration is still
> stored in %windir%\ideinit.cfg (usually c:\windows), into which your
> normal user, on XP and NTFS, cannot write.
>
> So if you want this setting permanent, you'll have to do it as
> administrator. Either by directly editing ideinit.cfg, or by doing it
> inside the IDE itself, while running it as administrator.

For what it's worth, I believe this has changed in 1.4. The IDE
configuration is now stored in watcom.ini under

%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Open Watcom

Peter

[Paul Muhlbach]

Ahh..the one nice thing about NTFS - File Permissions.
As an administrator, I simply located the file, added modify rights for
users,, logged out, logged back in as a user - and now the editor change
worked.
Thanks for the assist. Keep up the good work.

Regards,
Paul

Paul M. Muhlbach, A+, CNA, MCSA, MCT
APM Computer Services
Lethbridge, AB Canada