PreferenceLoader: Difference between revisions

	PreferenceLoader
	Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Cydia Package
Developer	Thomas Moore (volatile-dev)
Package ID	preferenceloader
Latest Version	1.1

Revision as of 07:29, 15 November 2009

PreferenceLoader is a MobileSubstrate based utility that allows developers to add entries to the Settings app, similar to the Settings bundles that AppStore apps use.

The approach PreferenceLoader takes is different that other approaches in that the Settings plist files are not modified on disk. Entries are dynamically added to the list when the Settings app is loaded. PreferenceLoader gives the developer two options for entries. The first option is to simply create a single plist with basic options like PSSwitchCell or PSEditTextCell. The second option is allows the developer to create a full-blown PreferencesBundle.

Regardless of the approach taken, each new entry is specified in its own plist located at /Library/PreferenceLoader/Preferences/. The plist must contain a dictionary containing a dictionary element named entry, as shown TestSettngs.plist:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
    <plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
          <key>entry</key>
          <dict>
                <key>cell</key>
                <string>PSLinkCell</string>
                <key>icon</key>
                <string>TestIcon.png</string>
                <key>label</key>
                <string>Test</string>
          </dict>
    </dict>
    </plist>

In this example, a new entry with the label "Test" is created that links to the settings page defined in Test.plist using the icon TestIcon.png. Both of these files should be placed in the Preferences directory with TestSettings.plist. One interesting thing that can be done is to combine the entry plist with the settings plist. This works because the settings plist has elements named items and title, so adding an entry element does not break anything. Here's an example of Test.plist that is combined:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
    <plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
          <key>entry</key>
          <dict>
                <key>cell</key>
                <string>PSLinkCell</string>
                <key>icon</key>
                <string>TestIcon.png</string>
                <key>label</key>
                <string>Test</string>
          </dict>
          <key>items</key>
          <array>
                 <dict>
                      <key>cell</key>
                      <string>PSSwitchCell</string>
                      <key>default</key>
                      <true/>
                      <key>defaults</key>
                      <string>com.test.TestSettings</string>
                      <key>key</key>
                      <string>testKey</string>
                      <key>label</key>
                      <string>Test Setting</string>
                </dict>
          </array>
          <key>title</key>
          <string>Test</string>
    </dict>
    </plist>

There is a good tutorial on how to create these settings plists on MMi at http://modmyi.com/forums/file-mods/22453-how-make-custom-menus-preferences-app-custom-preferences.html.

PreferenceBundles

For those of you that want to create more complex settings pages, then the PreferenceBundles is for you. With this technique, you can actually create custom pages that are able to execute code. Skylar Cantu has put together a very useful guide on PreferenceBundles at http://www.touchrepo.com/guides/preferencebundles/PreferenceBundles.doc

The only difference to his guide that is to be noted is that like the simple approach given above, the developer should create a plist in /Library/PreferenceLoader/Preferences/. Here's an example of an updated TestSettings.plist:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
    <plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
          <key>entry</key>
          <dict>
                <key>bundle</key>
                <string>TestSettings</string>
                <key>cell</key>
                <string>PSLinkCell</string>
                <key>icon</key>
                <string>TestIcon.png</string>
                <key>isController</key>
                <true/>
                <key>label</key>
                <string>Test</string>
          </dict>
    </dict>
    </plist>

The difference here is that instead of loading Test.plist, this entry will load the TestSettings.bundle located at /System/Library/PreferenceBundles/. Unlike the simple method, all of the files except TestSettings.plist are located inside the bundle. A skeleton PreferenceBundle project can be found at http://www.volatile-dev.com/PreferenceLoader/TestSettings.zip

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-PreferenceLoader is a MobileSubstrate based utility that allows developers to add entries to the Settings app, similar to the SettingsBundles that app store apps use.
+{{Infobox Package
+|screenshot=PrefLoaderScreenshot.png
+|developer=Thomas Moore (volatile-dev)
+|version=1.1
+|package=preferenceloader
+}}
+'''PreferenceLoader''' is a [[MobileSubstrate]] based utility that allows developers to add entries to the [[Preferences.app|Settings app]], similar to the Settings bundles that AppStore apps use.
 The approach PreferenceLoader takes is different that other approaches in that the Settings plist files are not modified on disk. Entries are dynamically added to the list when the Settings app is loaded. PreferenceLoader gives the developer two options for entries. The first option is to simply create a single plist with basic options like PSSwitchCell or PSEditTextCell. The second option is allows the developer to create a full-blown PreferencesBundle.
-Regardless of the approach taken, each new entry is specified in its own plist located at /Library/PreferenceLoader/Preferences/. The plist must contain a dictionary containing a dictionary element named entry, as shown TestSettngs.plist:
+Regardless of the approach taken, each new entry is specified in its own plist located at <tt>/Library/PreferenceLoader/Preferences/</tt>. The plist must contain a dictionary containing a dictionary element named entry, as shown <tt>TestSettngs.plist</tt>:
+<source lang="xml">
      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
      <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
@@ Line 20: / Line 28: @@
      </dict>
      </plist>
+</source>
-In this example, a new entry with the label Test is created that links to the settings page defined in Test.plist using the icon TestIcon.png. Both of these files should be placed in the Preferences directory with TestSettings.plist. One interesting thing that can be done is to combine the entry plist with the settings plist. This works because the settings plist has elements named items and title, so adding an entry element does not break anything. Here's an example of Test.plist that is combined:
+In this example, a new entry with the label "Test" is created that links to the settings page defined in <tt>Test.plist</tt> using the icon <tt>TestIcon.png</tt>. Both of these files should be placed in the Preferences directory with <tt>TestSettings.plist</tt>. One interesting thing that can be done is to combine the entry plist with the settings plist. This works because the settings plist has elements named items and title, so adding an entry element does not break anything. Here's an example of Test.plist that is combined:
+<source lang="xml">
      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
      <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
@@ Line 55: / Line 65: @@
      </dict>
      </plist>
+</source>
-There is a good tutorial on how to create these settings plists on MMi at: http://modmyi.com/forums/file-mods/22453-how-make-custom-menus-preferences-app-custom-preferences.html
+There is a good tutorial on how to create these settings plists on MMi at http://modmyi.com/forums/file-mods/22453-how-make-custom-menus-preferences-app-custom-preferences.html.
 == PreferenceBundles ==
-For those of you that want to create more complex settings pages, then the PreferenceBundle is for you. With this technique, you can actually create custom pages that are able to execute code. Skylar Cantu has put together a very useful guide on PreferenceBundles at: http://www.touchrepo.com/guides/preferencebundles/PreferenceBundles.doc
+For those of you that want to create more complex settings pages, then the [[PreferenceBundles]] is for you. With this technique, you can actually create custom pages that are able to execute code. Skylar Cantu has put together a very useful guide on PreferenceBundles at http://www.touchrepo.com/guides/preferencebundles/PreferenceBundles.doc
-The only difference to his guide that is to be noted is that like the simple approach given above, the developer should create a plist in /Library/PreferenceLoader/Preferences/. Here's an example of an updated TestSettings.plist:
+The only difference to his guide that is to be noted is that like the simple approach given above, the developer should create a plist in <tt>/Library/PreferenceLoader/Preferences/</tt>. Here's an example of an updated <tt>TestSettings.plist</tt>:
+<source lang="xml">
      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
      <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
@@ Line 83: / Line 95: @@
      </dict>
      </plist>
+</source>
+The difference here is that instead of loading Test.plist, this entry will load the <tt>TestSettings.bundle</tt> located at <tt>/System/Library/PreferenceBundles/</tt>. Unlike the simple method, all of the files except <tt>TestSettings.plist</tt> are located inside the bundle. A skeleton PreferenceBundle project can be found at http://www.volatile-dev.com/PreferenceLoader/TestSettings.zip
-The difference here is that instead of loading Test.plist, this entry will load the TestSettings.bundle located at /System/Library/PreferenceBundles/. Unlike the simple method, all of the files except TestSettings.plist are located inside the bundle. A skeleton PreferenceBundle project can be found at: http://www.volatile-dev.com/PreferenceLoader/TestSettings.zip
+{{Navbox Library}}
+[[Category:Directories in /Library]]