"DirShow" - what was it good for?

In the NSIS ToDo list i read:

* DirShow back

what was this command good for in old NSIS?
how did it work?
why do we need to have it back?

hmm, think i got it:

Specifies whether or not the user will see the directory selection page. Note that if 'hide' is specified, the installer will still check the validity of the installation path (using internal logic and .onVerifyInstDir if it is declared). If the path is deemed invalid, the directory page will be shown. To completely disable the Directory page (and install without prompting, even if a valid installation path is not available), specify DirText with no parameter (this might be useful if the installer installs everything into $SYSDIR or something like that).

so if i understood this right:
"DirShow show" is the normal behaviour if "Page directory" was specified.
"DirShow hide" checks for a valid installdir if "Page directory" is used, and hides the page if the installdir is valid. correct?

The last part should be removed from the docs, you'll only get a directory page if you add that Page command.

no, i copied that from the 1.98 docs 🙂

the "translation" to 2.0 series would be the text i wrote myself.

managed to get it back into NSIS2!!!

first version:


its not complete yet! but it works 🙂

Note that you can also write a script to get the same behavior.

Which would be easier in my opinion.

-Stu

i know, and i already did write such scripts.

but this is the first step only, and you can't solve the "free disc space" problem with a small script. DirShow is expected to check for free disk space too, even if it doesnt at this early stage.

and remember: i was not the one setting it on the ToDo list, so don't blame me 🙂

Thanks for backlog fixing NSIS, maybe not much people will notice these improvements , but I DO appriciate it!

🙂

i discussed the patch with kichik and we came to conclusion, that DirShow is depricated with the new page system.
it's far more flexible and useful to use some own simple routines.