[Gnumed-devel] GNUmed options / preferences and migration through successive updates

[James Busser]

I am noticing that among GNUmed's many client menus are a variety of  
settings. It is not always clear (to me) which of them are going to  
affect

- all GNUmed users for that praxis
- all GNUmed users by default unless they can override on a per-user  
level
- only that copy of the client
- only that user (no matter which copy of the client they use)

I think it would also make a challenge for anyone setting up GNUmed  
to need to navigate into many individual menu items.

Would the following be useful to work toward:

1) A single configuration area

2) Configuration is not managed "inside" a widget or plug-in or  
arbitrary dialog but instead these locations can provide a button  
which would pass a parameter to the configuration manager, taking the  
user to the relevant area within the configuration manager

3) The configuration manager can have tabbed areas similar to how the  
"Patient details" widget has "Identity" and "Contacts". Within the  
manager, i could be the level of user privilege that determines what  
is relevant to offer to be changed, and perhaps those areas that  
require <gm-dbo> could be their own tab within the Manager.

As far as migrating client preferences through successive updates, do  
we expect any incompatibility if users (or their IT support) should  
simply copy the "old" version of a user's .conf file into the new  
client folder?

If some change is needed to the .conf file is it likely to be limited  
to the addition of new "chunks" and would this enable any pieces  
missing from the old .conf to be added-to (say from the /etc/gnumed/  
file) upon first usage in the new client?

Sorry if this is already documented but it does become relevant as  
people begin spending more time in more-fully configured clients :-)