Can I have my Custom Effect settled separately from PresetEffects.xml?

If you've never done document creation or modification before through ExtendScript it can be difficult as there are a number of variables to encounter. Also the chance for deleting a file or worse a directory. I've done that before when learning. Was not a fun lesson. There is no warning to proceed, and no undo for it.

The PresetEffects.xml scripts I had made were in a closed environment, so I could easily fix hurdles I ran into. Hurdles like handling file permissions. I did that manually, and not by script. I'm sure it's possible given enough system command knowledge, but outside my knowledge scope. The other was Win vs Mac file path differences, something I did manually at the time too.

These steps pretty much should be separate functions to do the one task to make life easier.

The basic process:

- Verify the PresetEffects.xml files exists so you know you have the right file path and file.

- Duplicate the file and rename that so you have a backup of some kind if things go south.

- Read original document contents

- Verify contents to make sure your effect doesn't already exist. Usually a Regular Expression to find your effect match name in the contents.

- If is doesn't exist then append your effect text to the document, making sure you place it at the end of the document, but not after the last closing Effects tag, just before it.

- Relaunch After Effects and hope all goes well.