Guidelines for reading patch files into a MetaEdit+ 2.5 image

MetaCase Consulting is continually improving MetaEdit+. Rather than distribute a whole large image file to you, improvements can be added to your existing image by filing in patches. Patches are files (*.pat) that include modifications, new features, and improvements to the MetaEdit+ environment.

With the `File in Patches' function in the Startup Launcher you can modify the client image. The File in Patches function will only work with special encoded patch files from MetaCase Consulting. Make sure that the patch file is applicable to your version of MetaEdit+.

Before you proceed:

• Save the patch files supplied by MetaCase Consulting somewhere on your local hard disk (below we use the example directory 'c:\meplus').
• Take a backup copy of the MetaEdit+ image (normally meplus.im).

To file in patches:

• Start MetaEdit+ but do not log in.
• In the MetaEdit+ Startup Launcher that opens, press the down arrow button at the bottom right, and an extended window appears (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Extending the MetaEdit+ StartUp Launcher Window.

• Press the ‘File in Patches’-button, and a File List browser will open. This has 3 panes (subwindows).
• Click in the top pane and write the path of the patch files' directory followed by *.pat, (e.g. c:\meplus\*.pat) (Figure 2).

Figure 2. File List browser Window.

• The middle field should now list all patch files.
• To load a patch, choose it in the middle pane and choose 'file in' from its popup menu.

Remember to load patches in the right order (increasing date, or on the basis of some other advice given with the patch files).

• Close the "File list" window and the "MetaEdit+ Help" window
• Close the Startup Launcher, e.g. by double-clicking. You will be asked whether you want to continue after saving the patched image, and then you will be asked for the name of the image to be saved - answer e.g. 'meplus'. Now the patched MetaEdit+ image is saved to that name, and the program will exit or continue, depending on your answer to the first confirmation dialog.

As a result you have now a new version of MetaEdit+. The saved image (meplus.im) now contains the patches, and you should use that image in future as the first parameter on the command line/target. (e.g. c:\meplus\meplus.exe c:\meplus\meplus.im)