Where to store modified XSLTs?

[Quorcork]

Hi Folks!
I just found out i lost a modified MMD XSLT when updating scrivener, stupid me simply installed the update without backing up the old application package containig my modified files.
This brings me to the question where i should store such files in the future. Modifiying the application package is waiting for disaster to happen again. MMD has no own folder in the users application support folder as far as i can see. Where do you store your modified XSLTs, etc.?
Best regards
Silvan

[AmberV]

From the FAQ:

@FAQ

:arrow: [size=100][6] [NEW] What steps do I need to take to add to or change how MultiMarkdown works; or, where do I put this XSLT file I downloaded.[/size]
Scrivener includes the latest version of MMD within its application bundle. This can be accessed by right-clicking on the Scrivener application itself, and selecting Show Package Contents. Once in there, the path to MMD is Contents/MacOS/MultiMarkdown. The XSLTs are located in this directory, as are the Perl scripts which use them.

However, it is recommended that you download the MultiMarkdown Distribution, and extract the contents of the zip archive into your ~/Library/Application Support directory. The zip contains an identical distribution to the one found in Scrivener (at the time of this writing). Scrivener will check for the presence of this directory before consulting its own system. You may edit the scripts and XSLT files in the Library folder, without worrying about damaging the pristine distribution in Scrivener.

With a little knowledge of XSLT, and optionally Perl or other scripting languages, you can highly extend Scrivener’s export potential. For all intents and purposes, Scrivener has a fully programmable export system. Because MultiMarkdown is distributed under the GNU Public License, you may use the existing code to base your own scripts, as long as you use the GPL for your derivatives.

[fletcher]

At one point I developed an installer that would update the Application Support folder when upgrading MMD, but it was ridiculously complicated to do this. Since MMD can either be installed at the system level or the user level, it made the installer too complex for to bother with. Apple could easily redesign the utilities, but I guess they have chosen not to.

So for now, MMD is available as a zipfile that can be decompressed and installed by the user.

Once you follow Amber’s directions, you will of course have to be careful when updating MMD as the same problem could occur if you overwrite your old MMD installation.

And, of course, the usual comments about having a good system of backups apply as well…

[AmberV]

@fletcher

Once you follow Amber’s directions, you will of course have to be careful when updating MMD as the same problem could occur if you overwrite your old MMD installation.

Indeed! Here is what I do: I keep all of my XSLT files in a completely separate location where they will be safe from all updates. Then symbolically link them to the XSLT folder. This is important. Using OS X aliases does not work because MMD operates at the Unix level and does not properly recognise them. Symbolic links look just like aliases in the Finder, but at the core they are very different.

That step keeps your modifications safe and in another location from the volatile area, so that even if you accidentally blow them away in an update they will not be truly lost. The next step is in how you upgrade. When you wish to update MMD, use Terminal and the command line unzip to extract the file. Double-clicking in Finder will just create an entirely new directory, but unzip allows for a more flexible approach.

Copy or move the file to Library/MultiMarkdown (user or system level, wherever your installation is), and then in Terminal type unzip MultiMarkdown.zip. Immediately you should be asked if you wish to overwrite some file, whatever is first in the list. Choose option capital ‘A’ to overwrite all. Everything in the distribution that needs to be updated, will be updated, and your files will not be touched. This is because unzip treats existing folders as sacred. It will create new ones as necessary, but existing ones will only have their contents update.

In general, this is pretty safe to do. If the newer MMD distribution no longer uses a file that it used to use, then you’ll still have it in that directory, but no scripts will be accessing it so it is just dead weight (and nothing to worry about, seriously—there are thousands of files on your system that you’ll never use). If you do have problems using this method, however, a clean install should fix it. You’ll just have to re-create the symbolic links.

[Quorcork]

Thanks for the replies and i promise to consider RTFM harder.
Silvan