Two plugins editing the same widget

[tmiranda]

How can two plugins edit the same widget? In the default STV there is a conditional widget that determines if a panel in the header will be displayed. The widget looks like this:

if (NTEState != null) || (!GetProperty("jusjoken/video_lib_include_watched_videos", true)) || (AlertLevel > 0) || IsDoingLibraryImportScan() || (Size(GetCurrentlyRecordingMediaFiles()) > 0) || (Size(GetAiringsThatWontBeRecorded(false)) > 0) || (GetProperty("show_mouse_icons", true) && IsDesktopUI())

A panel widget is the child of this conditional widget.

One of my plugins and another plugin both need to add to the expression. The problem seems to be that the last plugin that is installed (in this case the CVF plugin by jusjoken) removes the expression inserted by the first plugin (mine).

So how can the second plugin add to the expression without removing what the first put in?

Tom

[Fuzzy]

I don't believe there's a clean way to do it. The 'correct' way would be for each to add their own conditional and if they need to display the panel, the 'true' branch would point to a reference of the panel. That way, either would be able to 'get-r-done'. This works for an 'OR' type situation, where any of the multiple items can cause the panel to display. Now, on the other hand, if you need AND capabilities, it'd be more difficult.

[PLUCKYHD]

Yeah i would just add another true branch and then my condition.

[tmiranda]

Two approaches to consider, thanks.

[Opus4]

When you run into things like this, let me know.

I made a to-do item for v7.1 (no more v7.0 STV changes unless they are really needed) to add some code that will allow multiple customizations to add their own icons to the header w/o having to modify that conditional. It will probably be a LayoutStarted hook w/a variable like AddCustomHeaderIcon initially set to false & then any customizations could add a child to that widget changing it to true... I think that would solve it.

- Andy

[tmiranda]

Andy,

That sounds like it will work well. I'll hold off making any changes until you implement that. Let me know if you need any help testing because I have several plugins that will need to be modified to take advantage of the change.

Tom

[Tiki]

I posted a similar thread a while back.

Basically, the only other solution was to not use the built-in STVi generator from Studio, but instead build your import mostly-manually using the Studio Tools plugin. Then you could put code in the import to check for the existence of the other plug-in. You would still have to be sure that your "smarter" plug-in gets installed last.

[Opus4]

Tiki: If that is still an issue, send me a PM with the menu in question so I have an email & can look into a possible STV change later on.

- Andy

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

That sounds like it will work well. I'll hold off making any changes until you implement that. Let me know if you need any help testing because I have several plugins that will need to be modified to take advantage of the change.

Please check out the STV change to support this in the v7.0.23.1, 2010120101, STV update and let me know if there are issues with this change.

- Andy