Difference between revisions of "fcl-registry"

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fcl-registry is an [[FCL]] unit that provides access to the Windows registry.
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{{fcl-registry}}
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fcl-registry is an [[FCL]] unit that provides access to the Windows registry. '''It is cross-platform'''. How? In non-Windows operating systems it creates a <tt>reg.xml</tt> file. For example, under non-Windows operating systems it creates the per user XML file (HKEY_CURRENT_USER) <tt>reg.xml</tt> in the <tt>/home/[user]/.config/application_name/</tt> directory; the global XML file (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE) <tt>reg.xml</tt> is created in the <tt>/etc/application_name/</tt> directory which is invariably a read-only location unless you are the root or Admin user.  
  
 
== Registry terms ==
 
== Registry terms ==
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RootKey: registry hive where you want to start accessing the registry. Examples: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_CURRENT_USER
 
RootKey: registry hive where you want to start accessing the registry. Examples: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_CURRENT_USER
  
 
Key: the path to the "directory" that contains individual data. This is a bit counter-intuitive but a holdover from compatibility with earlier versions of the registry.
 
Key: the path to the "directory" that contains individual data. This is a bit counter-intuitive but a holdover from compatibility with earlier versions of the registry.
  
Name/value: the actual name/value pairs in the Key "directory". Each key can have a default value, whose name is '' (an empty string.
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Name/value: the actual name/value pairs in the Key "directory". Each key can have a default value, whose name is ''(an empty string)''.
  
 
== Example ==
 
== Example ==
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Example that tries to get a value:
 
Example that tries to get a value:
<syntaxhighlight>
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<syntaxhighlight lang=pascal>
 
uses ... registry...
 
uses ... registry...
  
Line 24: Line 29:
 
       CompileCommand:=Registry.ReadString(''); //read the value of the default name
 
       CompileCommand:=Registry.ReadString(''); //read the value of the default name
 
   finally
 
   finally
     Registry.Free;
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     Registry.Free; // In non-Windows operating systems this flushes the reg.xml file to disk
 
   end;
 
   end;
 
end;
 
end;
 
</syntaxhighlight>
 
</syntaxhighlight>
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 +
== Accessing 64 bit and 32 bit registry views ==
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 +
If you have 64 bit Windows, the registry is split up into a 64 bit and 32 bit (compatibility) part. By default, if you run a 32 bit process, you see the 32 bit part; if you run a 64 bit application, you see the 64 bit part.
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 +
You can also access the 32 bit part from 64 bit applications and vice versa. From [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa384129%28v=vs.85%29.aspx MSDN]
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* KEY_WOW64_64KEY: Access a 64-bit key from either a 32-bit or 64-bit application.
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* KEY_WOW64_32KEY: Access a 32-bit key from either a 32-bit or 64-bit application.
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These keys are defined in the registry unit so you can just use them:
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eg in the registry object's Access property, like this:
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<syntaxhighlight lang=pascal>
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Registry := TRegistry.Create;
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Try
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  Registry.Access:=Registry.Access or KEY_WOW64_64KEY;
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</syntaxhighlight>
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or in the registry.create call, eg:
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<syntaxhighlight lang=pascal>
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TRegistry.Create(KEY_READ or KEY_WOW64_64KEY);
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</syntaxhighlight>
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== Administrative privileges ==
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Depending on what you want to read/write in the Windows registry, you may need administrator rights and elevation (Windows Vista+). Please see [[IDE_Window:_Project_Options#Use_manifest_file_to_set_execution_level_.28Windows_only.29|Use manifest file to set execution level]]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
[[Packages List]]
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[[Package List|Packages List]]
 
 
[[Category:FCL]]
 
[[Category:FPC]]
 

Latest revision as of 12:48, 6 May 2020

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fcl-registry is an FCL unit that provides access to the Windows registry. It is cross-platform. How? In non-Windows operating systems it creates a reg.xml file. For example, under non-Windows operating systems it creates the per user XML file (HKEY_CURRENT_USER) reg.xml in the /home/[user]/.config/application_name/ directory; the global XML file (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE) reg.xml is created in the /etc/application_name/ directory which is invariably a read-only location unless you are the root or Admin user.

Registry terms

RootKey: registry hive where you want to start accessing the registry. Examples: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Key: the path to the "directory" that contains individual data. This is a bit counter-intuitive but a holdover from compatibility with earlier versions of the registry.

Name/value: the actual name/value pairs in the Key "directory". Each key can have a default value, whose name is (an empty string).

Example

Example that tries to get a value:

uses ... registry...

var
  CompileCommand: string='';
  Registry: TRegistry;
begin
  Registry := TRegistry.Create;
  try
    // Navigate to proper "directory":
    Registry.RootKey := HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE;
    if Registry.OpenKeyReadOnly('\SOFTWARE\Classes\InnoSetupScriptFile\shell\Compile\Command') then
      CompileCommand:=Registry.ReadString(''); //read the value of the default name
  finally
    Registry.Free;  // In non-Windows operating systems this flushes the reg.xml file to disk
  end;
end;

Accessing 64 bit and 32 bit registry views

If you have 64 bit Windows, the registry is split up into a 64 bit and 32 bit (compatibility) part. By default, if you run a 32 bit process, you see the 32 bit part; if you run a 64 bit application, you see the 64 bit part.

You can also access the 32 bit part from 64 bit applications and vice versa. From MSDN

  • KEY_WOW64_64KEY: Access a 64-bit key from either a 32-bit or 64-bit application.
  • KEY_WOW64_32KEY: Access a 32-bit key from either a 32-bit or 64-bit application.

These keys are defined in the registry unit so you can just use them: eg in the registry object's Access property, like this:

Registry := TRegistry.Create;
Try
  Registry.Access:=Registry.Access or KEY_WOW64_64KEY;

or in the registry.create call, eg:

TRegistry.Create(KEY_READ or KEY_WOW64_64KEY);

Administrative privileges

Depending on what you want to read/write in the Windows registry, you may need administrator rights and elevation (Windows Vista+). Please see Use manifest file to set execution level

See also

Packages List