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Two quick questions about upgrading to Twine 2.1.3
I typically do a lot of my work on my current game project while I'm at work (I'm a security guard; LOTS of time with nothing else to do but stare out the window or draw). I've been taking a lot of the blank time between human contacts to write, create, and learn the programming languages a little at a time (mostly thanks to a bunch of you here).
Now, I cannot install anything on the desk computer at work - no admin privileges - but I CAN plug my portable drive in, and Twine 2.1.1 runs perfectly off the portable drive without being installed on the machine itself (i just have to move the project folder back and forth from drive to drive).
Two questions are:
1. Are there any bits of code I'll have to update in this cats-trophy of code that I call a project, if I upgrade now?
&
2. Will 2.1.3 also run off my portable drive without being installed on this machine?
Now, I cannot install anything on the desk computer at work - no admin privileges - but I CAN plug my portable drive in, and Twine 2.1.1 runs perfectly off the portable drive without being installed on the machine itself (i just have to move the project folder back and forth from drive to drive).
Two questions are:
1. Are there any bits of code I'll have to update in this cats-trophy of code that I call a project, if I upgrade now?
&
2. Will 2.1.3 also run off my portable drive without being installed on this machine?
Comments
The Twine 'application' is made up of two parts: the Application, and the included Story Formats.
The Application (aka the Story editor) is responsible for editing the (Passage, Javascript, CSS) content of the story, and combining that content with the selected Story Format to create a story HTML file.
The Story Format(s) is responsible for everything else, including (but not limited to) defining: the syntax and feature list of it's macro language; the layout and style of its generated page; if and how it's core functionality is extendable; the syntax highlighting functionality of the Passage editor.
When you upgrade the Twine 'application' you can be upgrading both the Application and one or more of the included Story Formats. Generally the Application upgrade itself does not result in a need to change the content of your story, but that may not be the case with the Story Format upgrade(s) depending on how backwardly compatible the release was.
NOTE: The story format developers endeavour to make each of their releases within a series (eg. 1.x vs 2x of story format) as backwardly compatible as possible.
WARNING: Because the more recent versions of the Application are designed to automatically upgrade all story projects to use the most recent installed release of the associated Story Format you will be automatically effected by any backward incompatibilities.
Re: run off my portable drive
I don't know because I have never tried doing that with the install-able release, but I guess that if the earlier versions worked then the later ones should also.
It occured to me reading that, that I could create another folder and keep both versions of Twine on the drive until I know one way or the other.
As far as upgrading Sugarcube versions, I was about "DearGodIAmNotWritingAllThatAgain" far along before I realized that I was on a much older version than was current; so I've been pretty leery of upgrading it into the 2.'s until I had Blue House done... but given how long this is taking, and how much is going to be in it... probably faster to update NOW than go through fixing EVERYTHING at once LATER...
* The physical location used to store the project files can be determined by using the Twine > Show Library menu items, this location can change based on the brand of Operating System (OS) being used and Language (in OS or in application) selected by the end-user. The location is also influenced be things like OS Environment variables but that is less likely to occur on a non-programmer's machine.
** Unless you are using a non-English Language and your old version of the Twine 2 Application is one that does not have the "Language Based Project Folder Name" feature, in which case the location could be different than that of the more recent versions of Twine 2.
** Different versions of Twine 2 can be bundled with different versions of the main Story Formats, which combined with the "Automatic Story Project Updating" I warned about in my previous comment can result in a project referencing a story format version that does not exist in a previous version of Twine 2. This can generally be solved in the previous version of Twine 2 by opening the project, selecting a story format you don't want, and then re-selecting the one you do.
There are some differences between the 1.x series of SugarCube and the 2.x series, but they are generally easy to overcome. The upside is you change from a series (1.x) which is no longer being actively developed, to one (2.x) that is.
And for the record, they are both English-primary installs. The work computer uses Windows 7, and my rendering tower has Windows Virus. ...I mean 10...
Thanks! Feel a bit more confident about updating everything now. As usual, though: backups, backups, backups.
1: As far as I can tell, the legacy code still works (though I will start updating it where I can as I stumble through things). Updating Sugarcube, not a problem. (I did have to snitch a new version of Claretta's popup code, but that was an easy find.)
2: Twine 2.1.3 works just perfectly from a portable drive. Woot! (Now to sit here typing and looking professional...)