WebChangeMonitor is portable!

[Morten MacFly]

FYI: WebChangeMonitor (WCM) is portable by default. So, if you have WCM in a folder with write access, then:

• put an empty or your existing WebChangeMonitor.config in the same folder, where WebChangeMonitor.exe is
• put an empty or your existing INI file named WebChangeMonitor.ini in the same folder, where WebChangeMonitor.exe is
• if you want, you can active the "Portable" checkbox in the config dialog (menu "Tools" > "Configuration") to store the temporary files portabl in that folder, too (its the systems temp folder otherwise)
• if you want, you can active the "Portable" checkbox in the log dialog (menu "Tools" > "Show log") to store the application log file portabel in that folder, too (its the systems temp folder otherwise)

This way, you can have serval instances working completely independend with an independend set of settings. For this to work, the config, INI and log file must have the same name like the executable (i.e. WebChangeMonitor.{exe/ini/config/log} ).

[smaragdus]

@Morten MacFly

Thank you for the useful instructions! I needed such a program, WebChangeMonitor had been in my test list for quite some time and today I finally found time to test it. Following your tips I can confirm that WebChangeMonitor can run in portable mode. My setup:

• Extract the archive;
• Create empty WebChangeMonitor.config file in program folder;
• Create empty WebChangeMonitor.ini file in program folder;
• Run the executable file- WebChangeMonitor.exe;

When this setup is used the only file WebChangeMonitor creates outside its own folder is the log file- WebChangeMonitor.logbut this is not a problem since the user can specify directory for temporary files:

• Tools->Configuration->Files/Folders->Directory for temporary files:

My question- is there a way to specify a relative path for directory for temporary files, for example, the log file always being saved to WebChangeMonitor program folder?

I think that there might be a possible improvement for the procedure for running WebChangeMonitor in portable mode- on program start the program might check its own folder for Portable file (without extension) for example and if such file exists in program folder WebChangeMonitor should save all configuration and log files in its program folder. This way the user would not need to create configuration files manually before running the executable. Another option might be a new check box in Configuration- Portable mode which, when checked, would force the program to save all configuration and data files in program folder. But this is not of great importance since WebChangeMonitor runs just fine in portable mode.

I might suggest some other tiny enhancements in the future.

Thank you for maintaining this very useful program!

Regards

[Morten MacFly]

Would you please file a feature request for the second part (the questions) so that it doesn't get lost? Thank you!

[smaragdus]

@Morten MacFly

Would you please file a feature request for the second part (the questions) so that it doesn't get lost? Thank you!

I will but tomorrow, I will be going out soon and I prefer to open the feature request from my computer rather than from my phone. I will also post the link to this thread in the feature request thread for reference.

Regards

[smaragdus]

@Morten MacFly

I opened a new feature request. Sorry for the delay.

Regards

[Morten MacFly]

No problem, it was just a little too late because its already implemented in SVN (and FR#47 was there to keep track).

I'll update the first post in this thread so that people know what to do.

[smaragdus]

@Morten MacFly

You are quite fast, thanks! I was a bit busy these days so I could not publish the feature request earlier and I did not notice that you had already opened #47 Improve Portable App.

Thank you for your excellent work!

[smaragdus]

@Morten MacFly

I updated to version 20.10 but I could not find Portable check boxes neither in Comfiguration nor on Log windows. Am I missing something?

[Morten MacFly]

These portability changes where part of commit #705 which was after 20.10. You'll have to wait until 20.11. (See here: https://sourceforge.net/p/webchangemon/code/commit_browser .)

[smaragdus]

@Morten MacFly
Thanks for the clarification. I am not in a hurry, I was just wandering whether I could not see these check boxers.