01. Getting Started

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up and customizing the INI Configurator to create your own configuration editor application. The configurator allows you to design a custom graphical interface for managing .ini files by modifying fields and constants.

1. Navigate to the GitHub repository LaswitchTech/ini-configurator.
2. Click the Fork button in the top-right corner to create your own copy of the repository under your GitHub account.

1. Go to your forked repository.
2. Create a new branch named dev:
   • In GitHub, go to the Code tab.
   • Click the branch dropdown, type dev, and select Create branch: dev.
3. This branch will be used to compile your .exe file and manage development.

1. Clone your forked repository using Git:

   git clone -b dev https://github.com/<your-username>/ini-configurator.git
   cd ini-configurator

2. Verify that you are on the dev branch:

   git branch

The src/lib/fields.json file defines the sections and fields displayed in the configurator. Update this file to specify the .ini configuration options you want to manage.

Example: Here’s an example of a fields.json entry:

fields.json

{
    "General": {
        "appName": {
            "label": "Application Name",
            "tooltip": "The name of your application",
            "type": "text",
            "default": "MyApp",
            "required": true
        },
        "debugMode": {
            "label": "Enable Debugging",
            "tooltip": "Enable or disable debug mode",
            "type": "checkbox",
            "default": "false",
            "required": false
        }
    }
}

At the start of the src/configurator.py script, modify the constants to set your application name, .ini file name, and debugging preferences:

# Declare Constants
APP_NAME = "INI Configurator"
INI_FILE = "conf.ini"
LOG_FILE = "log.log"
ENCODING = "mbcs" if sys.platform == "win32" else "utf-8"
DEBUG = False

• APP_NAME: Name of your application.
• INI_FILE: Name of the .ini file that will be managed.
• LOG_FILE: Name of the log file.
• ENCODING: This constant sets the default encoding method for the .ini file.
• DEBUG: Set to True for debugging during development.

This script converts your src/icons/icon.png file into icon formats suitable for Windows and macOS.

Usage:

1. Place your custom icon in src/icons/icon.png.
2. Run the script:

   ./iconset.sh

3. The script generates the required icon files for your application.

This script compiles the configurator for macOS. Usage: Run the script:

./build.sh

The compiled macOS .app file will be created in the dist/macos directory.

To compile the .exe file for Windows:

1. Push your changes to the dev branch:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Customize fields.json and constants"
   git push origin dev

2. GitHub Actions will automatically build the .exe file. It uses the build.yml workflow in the .github/workflows/ directory.

1. Run the application locally or test the .exe or .app files to ensure everything works as expected.
2. Refine the fields, constants, or icons as needed.
3. Repeat the build process after each update.

By following this guide, you can easily set up, customize, and build your own version of the INI Configurator. Enjoy creating your custom configuration editor!

Once you’ve finished customizing and testing your configurator, follow these steps to create a release version:

1. Go to your forked repository on GitHub.
2. Navigate to the Pull Requests tab and click New pull request.
3. Set the base branch to stable and the compare branch to dev.
4. Review the changes in the pull request and click Create pull request.
5. Once the pull request is created, review and merge it into the stable branch.

1. After merging, ensure you are on the stable branch:

   git checkout stable
   git pull origin stable

2. Create a version tag for the release:

   git tag v1.0.0
   git push origin v1.0.0

   1. Replace v1.0.0 with your desired version number following semantic versioning conventions (e.g., v1.1.0, v2.0.0).

The push of a version tag (e.g., v1.0.0) to the stable branch will automatically trigger the GitHub Actions workflow for creating a release. This workflow will:

• Package the application for both Windows (.exe) and macOS (.app).
• Upload the compiled files as assets to the release in GitHub.

1. Once the release workflow is complete, go to the Releases section in your repository.
2. Find the newly created release (e.g., v1.0.0).
3. Download the compiled assets (Configurator.exe for Windows and Configurator.app for macOS).

By following these steps, you’ll ensure a smooth release process and maintain a clear separation between development and production code.