CybTekSol

These are some of the 'placeholders' that I am currently using within my custom templates. Ketarin users can modify them to suit their particular needs and situations. These examples include the use of the new 'options' feature which provides the capability of incorporating 'drop-down' style selection menus. IMHO, this ability has provided a dramatic improvement in the power and flexibility of 'placeholders'. Use these at your own risk as some of these are still be tested! Note: 'Placeholder options' require Ketarin 1.0.6b3 or newer. Hint: If you place an additional 'pipe symbol' ( | ) at the end of the 'options' entries, you can easily blank/null an existing value with the 'drop-down' menu for those entries that can be empty. Warning: Be especially careful with the 'commands' as they are for MY setup... THEY MUST BE MODIFIED for YOUR SETUP! Also, refer to 'Flo's primary Ketarin tutorial' in this section for other command options such as 'background execution' by adding the ampersand ( & ) to the end of the command... Examples of use within template tags: <DownloadBeta><placeholder name="Download Beta Versions?" value="Default" options="Default|Avoid|AlwaysDownload" /></DownloadBeta> <CheckForUpdatesOnly><placeholder name="Check for Updates Only?" value="false" options="false|true" /></CheckForUpdatesOnly> <VariableChangeIndicator><placeholder name="Change Indicator?" value="" options="{version}|" /></VariableChangeIndicator> <ExclusiveDownload><placeholder name="Exclusive Download?" value="false" options="false|true" /></ExclusiveDownload> <ExecuteCommand><placeholder name="Execute Command AFTER Downloading?" value="" options="copy /y "{file}" "{archive_folder}\{category}"|copy /y "{file}" "{install_cache_folder}"|copy /y "{file}" "{shared}\{category}"|{run_7-zip} e "{file}" -aoa -o"{install_cache_folder}{appname:replace: :_}_v{version}"|{run_ue} "{file}" "{install_cache_folder}{appname:replace: :_}_v{version}"|{run_7-zip} e "{file}" -aoa -o"{nirsoft_utilities_root_folder}{appname:replace: :_}"|{run_7-zip} e "{file}" -aoa -o{sysinternals_suite_root_folder}|" /></ExecuteCommand> <ExecutePreCommand><placeholder name="Execute Command BEFORE Downloading?" value="copy /y "{file}" "{archive_folder}\{category}"" options="copy /y "{file}" "{archive_folder}\{category}"|move /y "{root_folder}\{category}\{appname:replace: :_}*.*" "{archive_folder}\{category}"|move /y "{target}\{category}\{appname:replace: :_}*.*" "{archive_folder}\{category}"|del /q "{root_folder}\{category}\{appname:replace: :_}*.*"|del /q "{target}\{category}\{appname:replace: :_}*.*"|" /></ExecutePreCommand> <Category><placeholder name="Category?" value="New" options="Antivirus|CD-DVD|Data|Distros|Drivers|Education|Engineering|Finance|Games|Internet|Media|Miscellaneous|New|Office|Personal Productivity|Programming|Security|Test|Text|Utilities" /></Category> <DeletePreviousFile><placeholder name="Delete Previous Version?" value="true" options="false|true" /></DeletePreviousFile> <TargetPath><placeholder name="Save to Location?" value="{root_folder}\{category}\" options="{root_folder}\{category}\|{target}\{category}\" /><placeholder name="Rename Rule Convention?" value="{appname:replace: :_}_v{version}.{url:ext}" options="{appname:replace: :_}_v{version}.{url:ext}|{appname:replace: :_}_install_v{version}.{url:ext}|{appname:replace: :_}_installer_v{version}.{url:ext}|{appname:replace: :_}_setup_v{version}.{url:ext}|{url:basefile}_v{version}.{url:ext}" /></TargetPath> <TargetPath><placeholder name="Save to Location?" value="{root_folder}\{category}\" options="{root_folder}\{category}\|{target}\{category}\" /><placeholder name="Rename Rule Convention?" value="{appname:replace: :_}_v{f:yyyy}-{f:MM}-{f:dd}.{url:ext}" options="{appname:replace: :_}_v{f:yyyy}-{f:MM}-{f:dd}.{url:ext}|{appname:replace: :_}_install_v{f:yyyy}-{f:MM}-{f:dd}.{url:ext}|{appname:replace: :_}_installer_v{f:yyyy}-{f:MM}-{f:dd}.{url:ext}|{appname:replace: :_}_setup_v{f:yyyy}-{f:MM}-{f:dd}.{url:ext}|{url:basefile}_v{f:yyyy}-{f:MM}-{f:dd}.{url:ext}" /></TargetPath> <Name><placeholder name="Application Name?" value="New App Download" /></Name> Miscellaneous Examples: <placeholder name="Recurring 'Anchor String' BEFORE and NEAR Version Number? (Example: Version)" value="Version" options="Current|Current Version|Current Version:|Latest|Latest Version|Latest Version:|Version|Version:" /> <placeholder name="Recurring 'Anchor String' BEFORE and NEAR URL? (Example: Download)" value="Download" options="Current|Current Version|Current Version:|Download|Download:|Download Now|Download Now:|Latest|Latest Version|Latest Version:|Link|Link:" /> <placeholder name="Extension of Desired Download? [Example: exe or zip]" value="exe" options="exe|7z|zip|zip2|arc|bz|bz2|bzip|gz|gzip|jar|lha|lzh|lzw|pak|rar|sit|sit!|sit5|sitd|sithqx|sitx|tz|wsz|cab|msi|bin|img|iso|xpi|pbp" /> <placeholder name="Desired SourceForge Mirror? [internap, voxel, etc.]" value="voxel" options="freefr|internap|internode|kent|osdn|ovh|softlayer|superb-east|superb-west|transact|ufpr|voxel|waix" /> <placeholder name="Policy Agreement Required?" value="no" options="no|yes" /> <placeholder name="Operating System Preference? [Windows OR Linux OR MacOSX]" value="Windows" options="Windows|Linux|MacOSX" /> As you can see from these examples, templates can be greatly enhanced with the clever use of 'placeholder options'... practically limited to one's own ingenuity and creativity! MODIFIED: June 4th, 2009 to include quotes ( " ) (or " specifically) around the variable {file} as used in the 'command placeholders' above to accommodate the changes for Ketarin 1.0.7... They can be removed if you do not have spaces a particular file's path (or use an older version of Ketarin).

I have discovered a 'nasty little secret' regarding SoftPedia today FranciscoR. Unfortunately, there is no solution I can think of to overcome this. I had both the beta and stable versions of Floola setup as separate downloads from a 'dual-version' page and with the latest release SoftPedia reverted to a 'single-version' page which killed both my configured downloads! That sucks! Have you had that happen before or is this an anomaly? I find myself relying more and more on SnapFiles these days as their site has been the most consistent by far (so far). Combine this development with the MajorGeeks failure and this has been a depressing week for me with downloads.

I could definitely use this as well Flo as I have disabled all my Linux Distro apps due to size but sometimes download the smaller stable releases so this would save a couple of steps on each.

It should be <ExecuteCommand /> instead of <ExecuteCommand \> (ForwardSlash instead of BackSlash). Sorry I didn't catch that when I referenced it earlier. It's simply a typo on FranciscoR's part... I'll correct that and the <ExecutePreCommand \> typo to <ExecutePreCommand /> in the template for FranciscoR.

That would work if I had started with such a variable from the beginning, but I would hate to have to manually add that info to 1200+ app entries now!

Thank you FranciscoR for following-up on this with shelichrg.

I agree with FranciscoR completely... CHIP.DE would be quite an undertaking cool400. Lots of inconsistencies which makes for a template development nightmare. It my very well be one of those sites for which developing a 100% reliable template is unachievable. Sorry for the bad news. FranciscoR has given you a solid start. My recommendation would be to get comfortable with regex and work with that start and edit as necessary for the apps you must get from there.

This is an unfortunate development indeed FranciscoR. I could sure use that 'search/search & select' feature we requested right now to sort through 1200+ total app entries to disable the MajorGeeks hosted ones!

I have been doing this very thing for my business for months now Jager in a slightly different fashion. I use copy, delete, move, 7-zip extract and Universal Extractor commands with Ketarin variables to keep an 'Install Cache' folder current on my FreeNAS server which is synched with my thumb drives and subsequently used for diagnostics, setup and repair of PCs and Linux boxes. You can piece this ability together through referring to the 'Tips and Tutorials' section of the forum and searching related keywords on the forum. It will take some time but it is well worth the effort.

This may very well be a bug and I have noticed some other Ketarin 'housekeeping' anomalies such as the start/end text remnants that are let over after a variable type is changed as is demonstrated in the exports above. One item even has a start text remnant with no matching end text. To compensate for this in the past I have usually done this cleanup manually and it has never been an issue until now. Flo... can you take a look at the issues in this thread when you get a chance? On another note shelichrg... I noticed that you have a start/end text selection based upon a 'volatile' portion of the web page which is NEVER a good idea as it will fail as soon as the page changes. I haved used regex exclusively since the first month of using Ketarin as I have found it to be much more reliable.

Lookin' good FranciscoR. I'm having a blast using 'placeholder options'... I've reworked ALL my templates. Now I have to find the time to update some of my template posts... maybe next week as this week is fully loaded for me.

Welcome shelichrg, No... Ketarin is not supposed to do this when everything is configured properly. Please post your xml exports of these and we'll try to sort things out.

That is EXACTLY the reason I am using it in addition to the fact it appears to be portable which allows me to have it on a thumb drive with all the latest utilities ready to run or copy to the PCs I build/service/maintain Stalker! FranciscoR, I still download ALL the utilities individually that have been setup in Ketarin with your templates for those cases where I do not need the entire collection on a PC. IMHO, I do believe WSCC is a very worthy app for a shotgun approach to PC utilities/diagnostics though... give it a try... it's pretty rad... if you don't like it all you have to do is delete the folder.

I may replace my posted SoftPedia template with it when I have the time since you feel that way FranciscoR.

I feel confident that it is a 'false positive' as only 4 out of 20 Antivirus Apps detect it at "Jotti' and I have been using Nirsoft Utilities for nearly a decade with no problems.

I have been using 'Windows System Control Center' by KLS Soft for several months now and I consider the latest version (1.6.0.0) a 'must have' for the average PC geek's toolbox. It incorporates all of Nirsoft's and SysInternal's Apps into one GUI with descriptions, launch and download/update capability. SWEEEEEEET! Let me know if any of you agree. You can get it HERE.

If my memory serves me correctly, it was an issue with 'Everest Ultimate Edition' where Softpedia Secure Download \(RO\) for the stable version captured the Beta instead.

It was only for your review FranciscoR... to show how I used your ideas... I don't think it's different enough to post, so I intended to delete it after you saw it... done...

I LOVE IT Flo! I'm having lots of FUN playing with 'placeholder options' in templates... WOW it has streamlined some of my templates already! And thanks for the 'right-click paste' drop-down in the 'textual variable' edit window... I stumbled upon it by chance as I didn't look at the v3 changes at the beginning of this thread because I was so excited about the 'placeholder options'. Once again... I'm impressed!

It appears their redirect requires cookies which is a feature not currently supported by Ketarin cTn... Maybe a release in the near future will. Cookie mosvisitor=1; mosvisitor=1; b1f886610b064cddffd8cf2cd7d6ce69=6d1c28748a7b0d183a916a41aca0e554 My suggestion in the interim is to try to find an alternate download link or site.

My two-cents input Flo: 1) Cookie support that seems to be a favorite for many... 2) PlaceHolder 'drop-down' menu options that FranciscoR and I are lobbying for... 3) Search feature as we have discussed extensively... I'm sure others will have a different order of preference or other input... I'll be happy with whatever you feel like tackling.

I was thinking more along the lines of: 'choice1' = External Mirror 1 regex 'choice2' = External Mirror 2 regex 'choice3' = Softpedia Secure Download (US) regex 'choice4' = Softpedia Secure Download (RO) regex referring to your template, but... yes, you are correct! ...preset to user's default choice of locations from their template. The 'select' option would indeed work, I'm for whatever Flo can implement in the near future.

Freemind... I remember trying that in it's infancy on a Linux-Box years ago... looks like it has progressed well. Useful indeed... go for it... but hopefully we will have to adjust them when Flo gives us a 'placeholder drop-down' feature. I'm lobbying for it all I can!

I look forward to the 'placeholder drop-down' feature for templates like this FranciscoR... especially for mirrors to be pre-programmed with the most frequent. It would be even more powerful if the 'drop-down' could be variable 'key tags' (with descriptions) for entire regex substitutions... i.e. ... there could be 3/4 choices which would substitute the entire version regex based on the desired release. Thoughts?

Don't laugh Flo... another 'right-click' request from me. lol Can you please add 'paste' to the 'right-click' 'drop-down' options for the 'textual content' edit window for the next release?