My favorites | Sign in
Project Home Wiki Issues Source
READ-ONLY: This project has been archived. For more information see this post.
Search
for
ConfiguringExpresser  
Describes how to configure and run eXpresser
configuration
Updated Dec 17, 2010

Configuring eXpresser

Developer Configuration Options

The following options are read from a file named migen.ini in the same folder as the launcher.

user-name a space separated first and last name (can still log off and on with a different name)

home-page-only if true launch with home page

setup-frame-only if true (and home-page-only is not true) luanch setup frame

enable-server if false disable server communication

ignore-error-file-name which if true will ignore the configuration file's setting of error-file-name

Activity specific options

Depending on the release you are working with there are some configurable features. We usually include different sets of configuration with eXpresser to facilitate testing but you can also write your own preferred configuration.

To change to a different configuration than the one the system starts with, click Configure at the splash screen. You will see the following window.

here

You can select a pre-made configuration from the built-in ones. The current one is annotated with a green rectangle around its name. Click your preferred one and then click Use. Closing the window will take you back to the splash screen where you can start the system.

If you want to use your own configuration option then you can create a new local one. Write the name of your new set of configuration options (e.g. my-config) and click Enter. This will create a new file under the Local folder that you can edit and use (note: this file is located in your configs folder in your harddrive, contrary to the other files that are built-in with the system, so you can use your own editor like Notepad or Emacs to edit).

We suggest copying all the options from the default config (Use CTRL-A to select as it is not editable, CTRL-C to copy) and pasting them in your own file (CTRL-V). Make the changes you want and then click Save, Use and then Start to start eXpresser with the new config options.

The format of the config file is two space separated columns. The first column is the flag and the second is it's value. There should be no white space before the first column. Flags cannot have whitespaces in them but values can.

An example of a simple config file could be

my-config.txt
----------

packed-size true
vertical-split true

Configuration options


option-name < true | false >

Default: false.

When set to true, bla. When set to false, bla.


BNF basics: ;-)

Optional (please note the spaces)

< variable > (please note the spaces)

different | possible | values


packed-size true

Starts the system in a packed state rather than full-screen

vertical-split true

Separates the "student's world" from the "parallel world" vertically rather than the default which is horizontal.

back-space-deletes-shape true

Enables the backspace for deleting shapes rather ALD-D which is the default. As current version of the system doesn't have undo enabling this can result to accidental deletes.

opacity number

Sets the opacity level. Default is opacity 100. opacity 255 is opaque

no-colour-allocation true

Starts the system with no colour allocation (i.e. patterns are created and colour are automatically correctly allocated and user can never see or change them)

under-colour-allocation-feedback-framed true (only in release 1453configurable)

Demonstrates under-colour allocation with a spanish-coloured frame around the pattern rather than little squares inside the tiles (pox)

minimal-tools true

Was used by our team to conduct a study where students use first the system to explore making patterns by using one-by-one tiles. Demonstrates how tedious it is and time consuming to make patterns this way. You may find it fun to use it.

Powered by Google Project Hosting