TSLPatcher: Only modify file if it's present

[Kexikus 995]

I'm currently setting up the installer for my Full Jedi Council mod v2.0 and I've run into a problem.

 

My mod edits holorec.dlg and since this file is also modified by several other mods (TSLRCM, TSLRCM No Overlay, PartySwap to name a few) I use TSLPatcher to apply my changes to a file already present in the Override. The problem is that TSLRCM places its edited holorec.dlg in 950COR.mod and not in the Override. So there are two options:

Apply my changes to the holorec.dlg in 950COR.mod which could be either from TSLRCM or from the 950COR.mod that I install if it's not present. But then any of the other mods that places holorec.dlg in the Override would override my changes.

The other option would be to make my changes to holorec.dlg in the Override. That way I could apply them to a holorec.dlg already installed there by other mods but that results in an issue when installing on a vanilla installation or with only TSLRCM. Then I'd have to provide a holorec.dlg that these changes could be applied to. So either I'd use the vanilla holorec.dlg for that, overriding TSLRCM's changes or the TSLRCM file, installing TSLRCM changes for a user who probably doesn't want them or he'd have installed TSLRCM before doing so.

 

I could of course just put TSLRCM as a requirement in my read-me but I'd rather avoid that. Ideally I'd just tell TSLPatcher to modify the holorec.dlg in 950COR.mod and if holorec.dlg is present in the Override folder modify that as well. The first part is no problem but so far I've not been able to tell TSLPatcher to do the latter. Is this even possible? And if it is, how?

[superSzym 155]

Maybe you could set your TSLPatcher to edit both only if they are present, omitting them if they are not. I think you could do this with setting only GFFEdit and not placing the vanilla .dlg in the directories, if the file is not present then TSLPatcher has nothing to edit and just skips it with a warning.

[Kexikus 995]

I tried not having the file in the tslpatchdata folder but then TSLPatcher would open a window asking me to select the file and if I abort this prompt, TSLPatcher will stop the installation with a critical error.

[superSzym 155]

Strange. Maybe you should set up different options (if you have no holorec.dlg in your Override and if you have).

[DarthParametric 3,783]

You should look at section 3.8. Setup List of the TSLPatcher readme. I think that's the route you'll need to go (i.e. essentially 2 different install options).

[Kexikus 995]

Install options would definetly be a possibility but I was hoping to avoid them.

[superSzym 155]

I guess that there is not much to do about it then aside from giving the headers some kind of friendly name, like "With TSLRCM- use this if you have TSLRCM installed. Note that if you use any mods which place a holorec.dlg in your Override folder, you should use non-TSLRCM option" and "Non-TSLRCM - use this if you don't use TSLRCM or have its holorec.dlg overwritten through Override". Considering that any mod which overwrites holorec.dlg in 950COR.mod keeps a camera effect, and any mod which places it in the Override doesn't, TSLRCM could add a camera effect to any of the added nodes while Non-TSLRCM option wouldn't.

[Fair Strides 509]

Install options would definetly be a possibility but I was hoping to avoid them.

...But.... But that's exactly what they were designed for!

 

I mean, you're trying to do something while ignoring the feature designed to do what you want. I'm just not seeing the logic here.

[DarthParametric 3,783]

He pretty much wants automated install options in practice. I can see the utility of it.

[Kexikus 995]

...But.... But that's exactly what they were designed for!

 

I mean, you're trying to do something while ignoring the feature designed to do what you want. I'm just not seeing the logic here.

For me the primary use install options is and has always been to provide different versions of a mod and I've seen them used for compatibility options. If the different versions would come down to more than the location of one file I would have used install options immediately but I figured that editing a .gff file only if it's present is not too far from what I knew TSLPatcher can do and thus might be available as a feature.