Shakeeb Alireza

Is there a way to obtain the configured External Editor from Max configuration via the c-api? If not is there a way to obtain it from the environment variable "EDITOR" via the c-api? I've tried the latter using 

Is there a way to obtain the configured External Editor from Max configuration via the c-api? If not is there a way to obtain it from the...

getting-provided-external-editor-from-max-configuration-using-c-api

I haven't played with it but i think "ext_preferences.h" provides some methods to query Max preferences..

 api out and report back here if it ends up working for me.

 works as advertised. You have to include the header in your external and then do something like this:

t_symbol* editor = preferences_getsym("externaleditor");

You can get the actual preference key by hovering over the preference entry and selecting 'copy attribute'.

Now for the problem: the full path is seemingly not stored in the field. So if you enter 

 part which is not so useful if you want to use 

 which requires the full path of the executable.

Now, I have to check if there's something 

Maybe it's in the search path. Try absolutepath on it.

Interesting result: it picked up the EDITOR environment variable this time:

if (const char* editor = std::getenv("EDITOR")) {
    post("editor from env: %s", editor);
    x->editor = gensym(editor);
} else {
    x->editor = gensym("");
}

I couldn't get the full executable path of the 

 even if I used something like the following:

t_symbol* ck_locatefile(t_symbol* name)
{
    char filepath[MAX_PATH_CHARS];
    char abspath[MAX_PATH_CHARS];
    char conform_path[MAX_PATH_CHARS];
    short path, res;
    t_fourcc outtype;
    t_fourcc filetypelist;
    t_max_err err;

    strncpy_zero(filepath, name->s_name, MAX_FILENAME_CHARS); 
    res = locatefile_extended(filepath, &path, &outtype, &filetypelist, 1);
    if (res != 0)
        error("ck_locatefile > locatefile_extended failed");
        return;
    err = path_toabsolutesystempath(path, filepath, abspath);
    if (err != MAX_ERR_NONE)
        error("ck_locatefile > path_toabsolutesystempath failed");
        return;
    path_nameconform(abspath, conform_path, PATH_STYLE_MAX, PATH_TYPE_BOOT);
    post("abspath: %s", abspath);
    post("conform_path: %s", conform_path);
    return gensym(conform_path);
}

Well 1 out of 2 worked so not such a bad outcome... still. how to excess the fullpath of the preference editor  remains a mystery.

max does not store absolute path to external editor into preferences file

It must be searching for it when editor needs to start,

App can be located on any hard drive or partition outside of search path.

then one can read prefs file and extract it.

 to different HD, also out of max search path,

On Mac, Applications seem to be registered in some way as you can start them without actually knowing the path 

Thanks for the feedback, help, and illuminating differences between macOS and Windows. 

 does work on macOS and the issue is moot in any case with Windows since the full path is stored.  So the issue looks like it's solved!

Getting provided External Editor from Max Configuration using c-api