CafeTran

This morning I got this message:

>my settings backup file is a bit older

Where is this file located?

I meant the preferences xml export.

However, even if you had it (in the right version), the whole thing of resetting your view (fonts, colors etc.) is more than annoying, especially the very user-unfriendly sub menu thing. Maybe a kind of move of these view settings into the preferences or a kind of submenu would be a nice to have. Surely this is the first time someone asks for this.

> Where is this file located?

In the darkest dungeons of my brain, I remember having handled a kind of file and that I was able to export/import it from CafeTran. Could have been a nightmare. 

However, there is no trace of the settings, and the program package is actually full of entries that are unneeded (maybe a legacy problem). 

For all (or at least almost all) CAT tools there are hints where to find the settings file(s) in the OS. Would be nice to see CafeTran in this row. Finally, it is only an explanation. 

Hey, think I FOUND IT! 

Can you test on your end as well, please?

- Open Finder, then open the Go menu. 

- Press Alt, and open the user Library folder (a hidden user folder that just appears when you press Alt).

- Go to the Preferences subfolder (Library/Preferences).

The plist that holds CafeTran preferences is named: com.apple.java.util.prefs.plist

If you open it with TextEdit, and search for "cafetran", you'll find CafeTran related entries. This plist file is NOT for manual edits, unless you have made a backup. Just close it without changing anything.

To make a test: 

- Make sure CafeTran is closed. 

- Rename this file to something like com.apple.java.util.prefs-old.plist 

- Open CafeTran. It should display the licence, and all settings will be reset. 

- Close CafeTran. 

- Delete the new plist that was created and rename the old one as it was before. 

- Open CafeTran: all previous settings are restored.

For Linux, its a matter of copying the ~/.java folder.

I don't know yet how to do this on Windows.

The rest of the data are within the /cafetran folder, so these are all you need to backup, plus the projects folder, as required.

Cheers!

Jean

PS: If you have a Time Machine backup, you might be able to restore the settings you lost. Make sure you backup your current settings though. CafeTran should be closed during the operation.

> Digging in some preferences files is not a good idea.

That's true, but even when a new solution is there, there will not be any guarantee that you have the right file at hand. The most annoying things in this case where:

• clicking through half a dozen of submenus to get font sizes right (feels a bit like 1990s)
  
• QA and spell check for confirmed segments are by default not activated - this is not good
• getting back the adjustments in the keyboard shortcuts 

It great to know the Preferences import and export will be back.

Maybe tracking the version number can help in cases where incompatibilities may arise when older settings are imported.

Anyway, until the solution is up and running, copying the plist file as a backup and restoring it if needed on a MacOS or doing the same on the ~/.java folder on Linux is harmless and efficient.