For a few days now, I have been struggling with a problem, namely that the settings written by my settings class for a parser are not persistent when the program gets restarted. This problem occurs only on Windows, but in both Python x86 and x64 environments and when compiled using PyInstaller. It also does not matter whether the program is run as Administrator or not.
When the program first runs, write_def(self) is called by the constructor. This function writers teh defaults correctly to the file specified. After this, read_set(self) is called so the class variables are set.These class variables then do match the default values.
In another file, namely frames.py, write_set(self) is called, and all settings are passed as arguments. Using print statements I have asserted that the write_set(self) function receives the correct values. No errors occur when writing the settings to the file, and when running read_set(self) again, the new settings are read correctly and this is also shown in the GUI.
However, when closing the program and running it again, the default settings are again shown. This is not behaviour I expected.
Below I have added the settings class implementing a cPickle. When using pickle the behaviour is the same. When using shelve as in this file, the behaviour is the same. When using dill, the behaviour is the same. When implementing a ConfigParser.RawConfigParser (in the configparser branch of the GitHub repository linked to earlier), the behaviour is the same, and additionally when viewing the settings file in a text editor it is visible that the settings in the file are not updated.
When running the same code on Linux (Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS with Python 2.7), everything works as expected with pickle and shelve versions. The settings are correctly saved and loaded from the file. Am I doing something wrong? Is it a Windows-specific issue with Python?
Thank you in advance for any help!
RedFantom.
# Written by RedFantom, Wing Commander of Thranta Squadron and Daethyra, Squadron Leader of Thranta Squadron
# Thranta Squadron GSF CombatLog Parser, Copyright (C) 2016 by RedFantom and Daethyra
# For license see LICENSE
# UI imports
import tkMessageBox
# General imports
import getpass
import os
import cPickle
# Own modules
import vars
# Class with default settings for in the settings file
class defaults:
# Version to display in settings tab
version = "2.0.0_alpha"
# Path to get the CombatLogs from
cl_path = 'C:/Users/' + getpass.getuser() + "/Documents/Star Wars - The Old Republic/CombatLogs"
# Automatically send and retrieve names and hashes of ID numbers from the remote server
auto_ident = str(False)
# Address and port of the remote server
server = ("thrantasquadron.tk", 83)
# Automatically upload CombatLogs as they are parsed to the remote server
auto_upl = str(False)
# Enable the overlay
overlay = str(True)
# Set the overlay opacity, or transparency
opacity = str(1.0)
# Set the overlay size
size = "big"
# Set the corner the overlay will be displayed in
pos = "TL"
# Set the defaults style
style = "plastik"
# Class that loads, stores and saves settings
class settings:
# Set the file_name for use by other functions
def __init__(self, file_name = "settings.ini"):
self.file_name = file_name
# Set the install path in the vars module
vars.install_path = os.getcwd()
# Check for the existence of the specified settings_file
if self.file_name not in os.listdir(vars.install_path):
print "[DEBUG] Settings file could not be found. Creating a new file with default settings"
self.write_def()
self.read_set()
else:
try:
self.read_set()
except:
tkMessageBox.showerror("Error", "Settings file available, but it could not be read. Writing defaults.")
self.write_def()
vars.path = self.cl_path
# Read the settings from a file containing a pickle and store them as class variables
def read_set(self):
with open(self.file_name, "r") as settings_file_object:
settings_dict = cPickle.load(settings_file_object)
self.version = settings_dict["version"]
self.cl_path = settings_dict["cl_path"]
self.auto_ident = settings_dict["auto_ident"]
self.server = settings_dict["server"]
self.auto_upl = settings_dict["auto_upl"]
self.overlay = settings_dict["overlay"]
self.opacity = settings_dict["opacity"]
self.size = settings_dict["size"]
self.pos = settings_dict["pos"]
self.style = settings_dict["style"]
# Write the defaults settings found in the class defaults to a pickle in a file
def write_def(self):
settings_dict = {"version":defaults.version,
"cl_path":defaults.cl_path,
"auto_ident":bool(defaults.auto_ident),
"server":defaults.server,
"auto_upl":bool(defaults.auto_upl),
"overlay":bool(defaults.overlay),
"opacity":float(defaults.opacity),
"size":defaults.size,
"pos":defaults.pos,
"style":defaults.style
}
with open(self.file_name, "w") as settings_file:
cPickle.dump(settings_dict, settings_file)
# Write the settings passed as arguments to a pickle in a file
# Setting defaults to default if not specified, so all settings are always written
def write_set(self, version=defaults.version, cl_path=defaults.cl_path,
auto_ident=defaults.auto_ident, server=defaults.server,
auto_upl=defaults.auto_upl, overlay=defaults.overlay,
opacity=defaults.opacity, size=defaults.size, pos=defaults.pos,
style=defaults.style):
settings_dict = {"version":version,
"cl_path":cl_path,
"auto_ident":bool(auto_ident),
"server":server,
"auto_upl":bool(auto_upl),
"overlay":bool(overlay),
"opacity":float(opacity),
"size":str(size),
"pos":pos,
"style":style
}
with open(self.file_name, "w") as settings_file_object:
cPickle.dump(settings_dict, settings_file_object)
self.read_set()
Sometimes it takes a while to get to an answer, and I just thought of this: What doesn't happen on Linux that does happen on Windows? The answer to that question is: Changing the directory to the directory of the files being parsed. And then it becomes obvious: the settings are stored correctly, but the folder where the settings file is created is changed during the program, so the settings don't get written to the original settings file, but a new settings file is created in another location.