[Weter]

Looking for the best configuration (*.eng/*.wag/*.con/*.sms)-files editor program
(by the way, which can you suggest?)
I've decided to try Notepad+
I didn't have success yet with defining my own syntax to view MSTS-files, but maybe there is ready syntax somewhere?

[R H Steele]

Don't know of any specifically for msts files but here's a list, you might find something useful >>> Notepad++ Plugins
I know there's something for ConText, I think that's just a highlighter.

[scottb613]

Weter, on 15 February 2021 - 08:27 AM, said:

Looking for the best configuration (*.eng/*.wag/*.con/*.sms)-files editor program
(by the way, which can you suggest?)
I've decided to try Notepad+
I didn't have success yet with defining my own syntax to view MSTS-files, but maybe there is ready syntax somewhere?

Hi...

I started one in this the following thread - download for my Notepad++ syntax is in there - the issue is we still need an official definitive list of ORTS variables...

http://www.elvastowe...__1#entry252855

Regards,
Scott

[Weter]

Gerry, thanks: I knew and used ConText.
Yes, there was MSTS highliter.
<Interesting: what distinct between syntax and highliter?>
But one day it corrupted locomotive's description block, wrote in Russian, due to changing Cyrillic symbols to other during save- so I'm afraid of saving files in ConText.

Scott, thanks.

[pwillard]

I created the first attempt at using Context editor highlighter to work on ENG and WAG files... It has never messed up a file on me.


The problem with Context is that it's really simple to create a highlighter... but the simplicity of that feature means that the highlighter has issues keeping up with code context (pun intended). It has trouble with nested states and comments. So Context was never ideal.

The right way to come up with a solution is to figure out how Visual Studio Code does it and come up with a solution for that. Even Notepad++ suffers from understanding the contextual changes as seen on the nested parens format (It has an official name, I just forgot ) This is why I feel that ORTS should support more than one kind of Copnfigiration format. once that is a more common industry standard like maybe JSON and the traditional one.

Note: I've just started reading up on how to make a proper syntax-based highlighter in Visual Studio Code. Seems not so easy at this stage.

I still happily use Context.exe myself.

[R H Steele]

I use Notepad++ to diagnose and find bracket problems...the way it justifies a file to the left margin is excellent, many of the msts files are a mess in that regard, hard to read. I've never found how to use ConText to justify the file to the left margin. I use ConText for everything else.

[Genma Saotome]

I use the professional version of Emeditor. They have a free version you can download here. One of the features you might like is a find, find+replace function that works on unopened files. I'm pretty sure the free version lets you color strings that match certain words and it should also allow having those assigned to specific file types instead of everything.

I don't recall if the free version allows you to use either escape characters or natural expressions (the Pro version has them and I just love them). If the free version allows for escape characters you can convert a multi-line block of data to a single line. I do that for the entire Tsection file, all route *.ref files, and on occasion world files too (even all of the world files for a route). They're easier to read and moving them over to excel and back again is trivial.

[pwillard]

I would also like to make a plea to all "tool makers" for ORTS. Consider using open source.

[RR1]

scottb613, on 15 February 2021 - 12:23 PM, said:

- the issue is we still need an official definitive list of ORTS variables...

This is about as close as you can get right now. ORParameters.

See the second sheet ('Lists_by_Type') for a bunch of lists.

Everything comes from within the OR code. Current version is as of Feb 8th.

The thing that is missing, however, is a flagging of Parameters (that don't start with "ORTS") which are not needed for an OR only file. An example is friction. There is no way to determine this without carefully inspecting the code but if anyone knows of parameters which are not needed by OR, and are only there to satisfy MSTS diehards, please let me know and I can then compile a list which I can use to update the MSTS only parameters.

[scottb613]

RR1, on 16 February 2021 - 06:41 AM, said:

This is about as close as you can get right now. ORParameters.

See the second sheet ('Lists_by_Type') for a bunch of lists.

Everything comes from within the OR code. Current version is as of Feb 8th.

The thing that is missing, however, is a flagging of Parameters (that don't start with "ORTS") which are not needed for an OR only file. An example is friction. There is no way to determine this without carefully inspecting the code but if anyone knows of parameters which are not needed by OR, and are only there to satisfy MSTS diehards, please let me know and I can then compile a list which I can use to update the MSTS only parameters.

Hi...

Whoa - now that's an EPIC effort - good stuff - can't imagine the difficulty involved with compiling THAT list...
:sign_thanks:

Regards,
Scott