Using SmartSimple Plug-ins in Multiple Instances
 This feature is deprecated and should no longer be used, but may still be available for reasons of backwards compatibility.
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Contents
Overview
The SmartSimple plug-ins retain the last configured settings. If you frequently switch between multiple instances, it can become tedious to continually have to change these settings. As such, the following quick solution is available to accommodate users working within multiple instances requiring frequent access to the plug-ins.
Using a DOS Batch File, we can create a simple menu allowing the user to save multiple plugin configurations and switch easily between them.
Sample Configuration Batch File
@ECHO OFF CLS GOTO MENU :MENU ECHO. ECHO ..................................... ECHO . SMARTSIMPLE INSTANCE SETTING COPY . ECHO ..................................... ECHO. ECHO This will copy your SmartSimple settings for Office and Online Edit ECHO Tool into a folder on your local hard drive. ECHO. ECHO ** This is a REQUIRED step for SMART SWITCH to function ** ECHO. ECHO - INSTRUCTIONS - ECHO In Word, configure your SmartSimple Settings as you normally would for ECHO the instance you are logging into. Once you have done this and saved ECHO the settings, close out of all Office applications and select the ECHO instance you are currently configured to access using the menu below. ECHO. ECHO Repeat this step for the second instance. When you are done, EXIT. ECHO. ECHO. ECHO PRESS 1 or 2 to select your instance, or 3 to EXIT. ECHO. ECHO 1 - INSTANCE A ECHO 2 - INSTANCE B ECHO 3 - EXIT ECHO. SET /P M=Type 1, 2, or 3, then press ENTER: IF %M%==1 GOTO INST_A IF %M%==2 GOTO INST_B IF %M%==3 GOTO EOF :INST_A MD %USERPROFILE%\SmartSimple\INSTANCE_A CLS ECHO. ECHO. XCOPY "%APPDATA%\SmartSimple\SETTING.INI" "%USERPROFILE%\SMARTSIMPLE\INSTANCE_A" /Q /R /Y ECHO. ECHO. ECHO If you see any errors above, please contact SmartSimple Administrator. PAUSE GOTO MENU :INST_B MD %USERPROFILE%\SmartSimple\INSTANCE_B CLS ECHO. ECHO. XCOPY "%APPDATA%\SmartSimple\SETTING.INI" "%USERPROFILE%\SMARTSIMPLE\INSTANCE_B" /Q /R /Y ECHO. ECHO. ECHO If you see any errors above, please contact your SmartSimple Administrator. PAUSE GOTO MENU :EOF CLS
How It Works
The settings are stored in the following location:
VISTA/WIN 7: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\SmartSimple\SETTING.INI
WINDOWS XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\SmartSimple\SETTING.INI
The batch file creates a folder called SmartSimple within the user profile folder:
VISTA/WIN 7: C:\Users\username\SmartSimple
WINDOWS XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\SmartSimple
Within that folder, subfolders are created to accommodate storing the SETTING.INI for each instance.
VISTA/WIN 7: C:\Users\username\SmartSimple\INSTANCE_A
VISTA/WIN 7: C:\Users\username\SmartSimple\INSTANCE_B
WINDOWS XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\SmartSimple\INSTANCE_B
WINDOWS XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\SmartSimple\INSTANCE_A
In our example, there are only two instances to switch between, but the batch file can be modified to work with any number of instances.
With the folders in place, the Config batch will copy the SETTING.INI to the appropriate folder based on the user’s input.
It is possible for the user to copy the their SETTING.INI into the wrong folder as there is no verification aside from the user visually confirming that the correct settings were applied and saved in the SmartSimple Plug-in prior to initiating the copy.
It is advisable to make a habit of checking the settings twice to confirm they were applied correctly prior to initiating the copy.
After initiating the copy, there is a pause which prompts the user to visually confirm that there were no errors received during the copy process. It then returns the user to the main menu options to allow for them to configure another instance if needed, otherwise they can exit the application.
With the configuration complete, the SmartSwitch file will then enable the user to switch quickly between the instances using a menu. The batch file closes instantly after the copy is completed.
Sample Smart Switch Batch File
@ECHO OFF CLS :MENU ECHO. ECHO ..................................... ECHO . SMARTSIMPLE INSTANCE QUICK SWITCH . ECHO ..................................... ECHO. ECHO If you haven't already, ensure that you have closed out of all ECHO Microsoft Office applications. This includes Word, Outlook, Excel ECHO PowerPoint and Access. ECHO. ECHO. ECHO PRESS 1 or 2 to select your instance, or 3 to EXIT. ECHO. ECHO 1 - INSTANCE A ECHO 2 - INSTANCE B ECHO 3 - EXIT ECHO. SET /P M=Type 1, 2, or 3, then press ENTER: IF %M%==1 GOTO INST_A IF %M%==2 GOTO INST_B IF %M%==3 GOTO EOF :INST_A ECHO. XCOPY "%USERPROFILE%\SMARTSIMPLE\INSTANCE_A\SETTING.INI" "%APPDATA%\SmartSimple\SETTING.INI" /Q /R /Y CLS GOTO EOF :INST_B ECHO. XCOPY "%USERPROFILE%\SMARTSIMPLE\INSTANCE_B\SETTING.INI" "%APPDATA%\SmartSimple\SETTING.INI" /Q /R /Y CLS GOTO EOF :EOF CLS
Configuring the Batch File to Function in Multiple Environments
Taking into consideration that users could be running different versions of Windows and computers may be shared amongst multiple users, this would require the batch file to work with multiple profiles as well as multiple configurations. While one workaround would be to create a different batch file for each install type, our recommendation is to make use of Windows Environment Variables to allow for the batch files to work in any environment of Windows.
The SETTING.INI file saves in the following folder:
%APPDATA%\SmartSimple
And the multiple configurations are stored in a SmartSimple folder created within the user’s profile:
%USERPROFILE%
If you paste the above into your Windows Run box it will direct you to the correct path regardless of the version of Windows you are running (assuming your version of Windows is no earlier than 2000).
