I tried adding names to names resoures dll

You need to press “Update” in the bottom right corner and when you have done all the changes you want, you press “Apply Changes”. Make sure the DLLs are not read-only.

Quick note on FL Dev…

Just as with FL-ID Referrer and some others, FL Dev does not notify the user if the target dll is write-protected, and does not save the changes!

The only sure way is to manually delete the target file in the “Save as” window if there is one (not always).

FF, is there any way you can update FL Dev to look for this and flag a failed write?

And it would be nice if FL Dev took a backup of any changed dll, once in each session, numbering the last save sequentially so that we can go back one or two when needed? TIA.

FF, I can show you how to change the attributes of a file to read-write if your interested, I’m pretty sure the same command is used in dot net just with something else attached to the start of it (IE System.etc ). My autoupdater has this built-in and sets all downloaded files to read-write to overwrite the file then sets it back to read-only after the file is installed.

The issue is bigger I’m afraid. The DLL routine I created uses some Windows core functions (not .NET) which do NOT, for some reason, notify of a failed write attempt. I’ve looked around for a while and couldn’t find anything about it. Attempting to verify the file beforehand outside of this routine with .NET code works, but only for the “read-only” state; if the DLL is being used by FL, the update will also silently fail AND the .NET functions will still return it as being available for read-write.

However, I do believe when it fails it creates a new DLL with a hex-like name in the output folder; that DLL holds the modifications you wanted to do and I do think you can just delete the write-protected DLL and replace it by that one.

Also, ST, FLDev has automated DLL editor backups. What it does is dump the modified entries every so often (the time limit and amount of backups is determined in the settings tab), but it does not backup the full DLL. I guess I could attempt to do that too.

It would make it so much better FF.

Thanks in advance.

By the way - the Update button does not enable ever until I switch to the infocard entry window and type something. Then it enables, so I have to delete my typing, and click back to the string entry window to click update. On top of the other problems - it’s a PAIN!

@FriendlyFire:

The issue is bigger I’m afraid. The DLL routine I created uses some Windows core functions (not .NET) which do NOT, for some reason, notify of a failed write attempt. I’ve looked around for a while and couldn’t find anything about it. Attempting to verify the file beforehand outside of this routine with .NET code works, but only for the “read-only” state; if the DLL is being used by FL, the update will also silently fail AND the .NET functions will still return it as being available for read-write.

Are you calling GetLastError() after using the WinAPI functions? The return value of that should tell you whether the last function call succeeded, and if not the error code.

It’s been a while since I last checked, but I believe I had large troubles with something related to it and I already knew about GetLastError.

FF - I will give one last chance for FL Dev…

BUT ONLY if and after you upgrade it…

After updating one dll successfully but only with a lot of pain, as I said the UPDATE button will not enable unless I go to the Infocard window first, then it would not save until I made a copy of my dll and renamed it, took another copy and renamed that one and used it. Grrrr…

Then I wasted the last 4 hours just now “updating” another one of my dll files, believing that it was saving the dll after I ensured it was NOT read-only and doing the same as I did with the first dll as above…

…and to be more sure, I clicked back to the Home tab after each bunch of changes and clicked Update on the freelancer.ini path, believing it was reloading the goddam dll files from the originals - NO, it was NOT!

It was showing me the changes from its goddam cache!

And - it was NOT saving my changes into either the original dll nor an RCXnn.tmp as it had done (once) before.

There’s another point - why did it write a RCXnn.tmp file only one time?

So - all my changes were fictitious.

Sorry to rain on your parade but this utility is next to useless in its current state, I want it to do what it thinks it is doing, but it’s been pissing on me for the past 4 hours and now it’s telling me it was raining!!

Clearly others have not tested it as I have done.

You must put in checks to be sure its dlls are not reserved, not read-only, and that the dll is really written each time, and you need to find out why it’s not reloading from the original files when I click the Update bar in the freelancer.ini path on the Home tab without closing the program and restarting it.

I’m not a “proper” programmer but the few utilities that I have written are full of error checks to prevent foolish people like myself from going wrong.

One tired and frustrated bunny-rabbit. It’s now 05:20 and I wasted my sleep time. Gnnaaaaaahhhhh!!

The issue is that I’ve never seen this kind of behavior unless Freelancer was running at the time you attempted to write your changes.

The Update button also works just fine over here, which makes me believe the problem might be on your end. Considering the amount of people who use FLDev and love it, I’m not sure everyone would’ve gone over such a blatant bug.

You will have to tell me which operating system you are on, whether you’ve downloaded the latest .NET framework, whether Freelancer was running during this period, if you were running multiple instances of FLDev at once, etc. Basically anything you were doing or which could have anything to do with FL, FLDev or Windows. I’m shooting in the dark here since your rant appears to be directed at my program and not at fixing the issue.

I hope we can resolve this issue together, otherwise I suggest you go back to FLEd-IDS and enjoy using it. Remember FLDev is still in beta for a reason; I can’t possibly debug it on all machines and combinations.

You might also want to try out using the Output folder option and pointing it elsewhere; it might alleviate some of the issues you are having.

P.S.: I’ve done quite a few error checks. If you’re paranoid, go in the Settings tab, select 1000 DLL backups and make them go at each minute. Otherwise, you can always export the changes with the “Export Changes” button in the DLL Editor tab to make sure you do not lose anything while using such a badly made and not foolproof tool. If you look in FLDev’s execution folder, you might even find a backup sitting there, who knows…

Yeh I’m still tired. And pissed at losing 4 hours of work and 4 hours of sleep.

Keep your hair on and I’ll try to help, I’m not pissed off at you, I’m pissed that these things happen. FL Dev will be very useful once it works the way you mean it to. Right now it doesn’t for me.

Right -

1. I’m running XP with SP2. My .NET Framework says v2.0
2. I am not running FL at the same time, and only 1 instance of FL Dev.
3. I rebooted the system several times to ensure no dlls were in use or locked. Started FL Dev only, as the first program. Same.
4. The FL Dev I have has no “Settings” tabs or Export settings buttons anywhere. Just the 4 tabs at the top, no menu or help button. Is this an old version? I just downloaded it a week ago or so??

There is nothing to tell me what version it is.

Do this to follow what I do:-

First problem:-
1. Start FL Dev.
2. On the Home tab, click Freelancer.ini Path Browse and go find Freelancer.ini. FL Dev loads in my 8 dlls.
3. Click DLL Editor tab. Click nameresources.dll and type anything in the search window that it is sure to find, like “xenos”, check “search through all dlls” and click “Search”.
4. Click on entry 047083. Click in the upper edit window, type something. UPDATE does not enable on my machine.
5. Click the “Infocard” radiobutton, type something in the lower edit window. The UPDATE button enables. Delete the entry to go back to Name edit. Then UPDATE remains enabled. Alter the entry and can click UPDATE.

I just switched back to FL Dev now from this post… and guess what - the Name edit window did not get redrawn, it’s just a blank space above the out-of-focus infocard edit window!!!

I give up. I’ll try to send you a screenshot by pm, don’t know how to upload it here.

(Sent it by email.)

Downloaded FL Dev and it is a different file, FLDev_1.001b01.zip

Installed it, there is a help link and the Update button works.

But no settings tab/button, no Output Folder option, no Export changes button.

And it still does not update the real dll, even from fresh reboot.

Where do I go now?

You didn’t get the last version. Get it there:
http://forge.the-starport.net/gf/project/fldev/frs/

EDIT: Got your email. As I’ve said, get the 1.1 version; it’s been changed so much I can’t even begin to tell you what exactly was modified. It’s the result of like 4-5 months of usage

Ah no! I had no idea the link was so old!

OK, I got the 1.1b, many thanks.

Maybe I can start regrowing my hair now.

It would be a good idea to hunt down those old links & update them - here’s the one I used this morning:
URL http://freelancercommunity.net/download.php?id=39

Thanks pal.

Ya, I kinda knew I’d end up having problems by letting other sites hosting the files. I told Dwn to keep it updated, but he must’ve skipped the release…

Sending this link to Soupman, he does the updating. I just drink all the beer in the fridge. ;D

@DwnUndr:

. I just drink all the beer in the fridge.  ;D

Is that not cold?