René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"Custom preferences.txt location not working in Processing 4.5.2","articleBody":"### Most appropriate sub-area of Processing 4?\n\nPDE\n\n### Processing version\n\nProcessing 4.5.2 portable version (processing-4.5.2-windows-x64-portable.zip)\n\n### Operating system\n\nWindows 10\n\n### Bug description\n\nWhen a custom location for `preferences.txt` is defined in `settings.txt`: \n\n1. Processing creates a `preferences.txt` in that directory but does not write to (update) that file. \n2. Preference changes are written to the default preferences directory instead and are not used.\n3. Processing will use the custom `preferences.txt` if it is manually edited.\n\nProcessing should write to (update) the configured custom `preferences.txt` location.\n\nThis works as expected in Processing 4.4.x\n\n### Steps to reproduce this\n\nThis is a custom environment on my system.\n\nSteps to reproduce:\n1. Unzip `processing-4.5.2-windows-x64-portable.zip` into:\n   `D:\\Program_Portable\\`\n   This creates: `D:\\Program_Portable\\Processing\\`\n2. Create this folder (must be created manually):\n   `D:\\Program_Portable\\Processing\\mypreferences\\`\n3. Create this file:\n   `D:\\Program_Portable\\Processing\\app\\resources\\lib\\settings.txt`\n4. Put this single line into settings.txt:\n   `settings.path=D:\\Program_Portable\\Processing\\mypreferences`\n5. Launch Processing.\n6. Confirm it creates:\n   `D:\\Program_Portable\\Processing\\mypreferences\\preferences.txt`\n7. Change any preference in the UI (example: Editor font size and Console font size).\n8. Close Processing.\n9. Check which file actually changed:\n   - `D:\\Program_Portable\\Processing\\mypreferences\\preferences.txt`\n   - `%APPDATA%\\Processing\\preferences.txt`\n\nActual result:\n- Processing creates `D:\\Program_Portable\\Processing\\mypreferences\\preferences.txt`\n- Processing does not write preference changes to it.\n- Preference changes are written to `%APPDATA%\\Processing\\preferences.txt` instead.\n\nExpected result:\n- Processing should read/write preferences using the folder specified by `settings.path`.\n- You should see the _Editor font size_ change in real time when modifying it with the scrollbar\n\nReference:\n\n1. https://discourse.processing.org/t/custom-location-for-preferences-txt-not-working-with-processing-4-5-2/47872\n2. https://github.com/processing/processing4/wiki/Preferences#sketchbook-and-settings-location\n3. https://github.com/processing/processing4/releases\n\n### Additional context\n\nSee Processing Discourse for additional context:\n\nhttps://discourse.processing.org/t/custom-location-for-preferences-txt-not-working-with-processing-4-5-2/47872\n\n### Would you like to work on the issue?\n\nNo, I’m just reporting the issue","author":{"url":"https://github.com/glvjr","@type":"Person","name":"glvjr"},"datePublished":"2026-02-15T17:38:04.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":6},"url":"https://github.com/1435/processing4/issues/1435"}