Sample script to save preferences to XML

Thank you for sharing the US sample code. I added two radio buttons and a reset button to get familiar with the UI. In the UI the radio button behavior looks fine. In the XML file, it seems wrong.

For example, activating radiobutton2 only returns true for radiobutton1 and radiobutton2 instead of returning true for radiobutton2 only in the XML file.

Can you please help me find out what's causing this issue?

UI dialog:

Radiobutton 2 active

XML file displays

   <value_4>true</value_4>

   <value_5>true</value_5>

Reset button UI question

I could assign default values to the checkbox and radio button controls using the Reset button but not the textbox1. 

How can I assign a default value to the textbox1 using the rest button?

/*
Utility Pack Scripts created by David M. Converse ©2018-21

This script is a sample of how to read/write setings to an XML file
Will work with any application that supports ExtendScript

Last modified 7/19/2021

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
*/
main();

function main(){
    var prefsXmlStr = '''<preferences> <creator>Test Script</creator> <setting_1> <name>Default</name> </setting_1> <setting_2> <value_1>100</value_1> <value_2>Maximum</value_2> <value_3>true</value_3> <value_4>true</value_4> <value_5>false</value_5></setting_2> <data key="Version" value="1.0"/><data key="Last_Date" value="1-1-1"/></preferences>'''; //default settings, hardcoded for first run or if XML file is unusable
    
    var prefsXML = new XML(prefsXmlStr); //new XML object
    
    var prefsPath = '~/Desktop'; //this can be set as desired
    prefsPath = prefsPath + '/Br Test Script Prefs.xml'; //name as desired
    var prefsFile = File(prefsPath);
    
    //we use variables to abstract the values from the XML
    //XML values must be converted to String
    var Tname = prefsXML.setting_1.name.toString();
    var slider_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_1.toString());
    var radiobutton1_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_4.toString());
    var radiobutton2_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_5.toString());
    var checkbox1_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_3.toString());
    var dd1_value = prefsXML.setting_2.value_2.toString();
    var vers = prefsXML.data.(@key == 'Version').@value.toString();
    var Tdate = Date().toString(); //current date
    var lastDate = prefsXML.data.(@key == 'Last_Date').@value.toString();
    var testWindow = new Window('dialog', 'Test', undefined, {closeButton:true}); //new window, supports Photoshop

    function prefsRead(prefsFile){ //read existing XML settings file and load
        if(prefsFile.exists){
            try{
                prefsFile.open('r');
                prefsXML = new XML(prefsFile.read()); //replace hardcoded XML object with XML from file
                prefsFile.close();
                }
            catch(e){
                alert('Could not read preferences file. Default settings will be loaded.');
                prefsFile.remove(); //delete existing file on error
                return;
                }
            }
        else{ //can't find file
            try{
                var prefsFile = new File(prefsPath);
                prefsFile.open('w');
                prefsFile.write(prefsXML.toXMLString());
                prefsFile.close();
                }
            catch(e){
                alert('No preferences file found. Could not create new file.');
                return;
                }
            }
        }

    function prefsWrite(){ //write updated values to file
        if(! prefsFile.exists){ //prefs file not found
            try{
                prefsFile = new File(prefsPath);
                }
            catch(e){
                alert('Could not create preferences file.');
                return;
                }
            }
        try{ //save settings to prefs file
            prefsFile.open('w');
            prefsFile.write(prefsXML.toXMLString());
            prefsFile.close();
            }
        catch(e){
            alert('Could not save preferences file.');
            }
        return;
        }

    function createWindow(){
        try{
            testWindow.panel = testWindow.add('panel', undefined, ''); //master panel
            testWindow.panel.orientation = 'column';
            testWindow.panel.alignChildren = 'fill';
            testWindow.panel.preferredSize = [250, 200];

            //textbox1
            testWindow.panel.textbox1 = testWindow.panel.add('edittext', undefined, '');
            testWindow.panel.textbox1.preferredSize = [200, 25];
            testWindow.panel.textbox1.text = Tname;
            
            //slider1
            testWindow.panel.slider1 = testWindow.panel.add('slider', undefined);
            testWindow.panel.slider1.value = slider_value;

            //checkbox1
            testWindow.panel.cb1 = testWindow.panel.add('checkbox', undefined, ' Checkbox 1');
            testWindow.panel.cb1.value = checkbox1_value;

            //radio1
            testWindow.panel.rb1 = testWindow.panel.add('radiobutton', undefined, ' Radiobutton 1');
            testWindow.panel.rb1.value = radiobutton1_value; 

            //radio2
            testWindow.panel.rb2 = testWindow.panel.add('radiobutton', undefined, ' Radiobutton 2');
            testWindow.panel.rb2.value = radiobutton2_value; 
            
            //dropdownlist1
            testWindow.panel.ddl1 = testWindow.panel.add('dropdownlist', undefined, [ 'Dropdown 1', 'Maximum', 'Very High', 'High', 'Medium', 'Low']);
            testWindow.panel.ddl1.selection = testWindow.panel.ddl1.find(dd1_value);
            
            //textbox2
            testWindow.panel.textbox2 = testWindow.panel.add('statictext', undefined, '', {multiline:true});
            testWindow.panel.textbox2.preferredSize = [225, 25];
            testWindow.panel.textbox2.text = 'Version ' + vers;
            
            //textbox3
            testWindow.panel.textbox3 = testWindow.panel.add('statictext', undefined, '', {multiline:true});
            testWindow.panel.textbox3.preferredSize = [225, 75];
            testWindow.panel.textbox3.text =  'Current Date:\r' + Tdate + '\rLast Run:\r' + lastDate;
            
            //Apply btn
            testWindow.panel.button0 = testWindow.panel.add('button', undefined, 'Apply');
            
            //OK btn
            testWindow.panel.button1 = testWindow.panel.add('button', undefined, 'Ok');

            //Reset btn
            testWindow.panel.button3 = testWindow.panel.add('button', undefined, 'Reset');

            //Cancel btn
            testWindow.panel.button2 = testWindow.panel.add('button', undefined, 'Cancel');

            /*
            replace values with values from file
            */

            Tname = prefsXML.setting_1.name.toString();
            testWindow.panel.textbox1.text = Tname;
            
            //slider1
            slider_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_1.toString()); //evaluate to change string to number
            testWindow.panel.slider1.value = slider_value;

            //radiobutton1
            radiobutton1_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_4.toString()); //evaluate to change string to boolean
            testWindow.panel.rb1.value = radiobutton1_value;

            //radiobutton2
            radiobutton2_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_5.toString()); //evaluate to change string to boolean
            testWindow.panel.rb2.value = radiobutton2_value;

            //checkbox1
            checkbox1_value = eval(prefsXML.setting_2.value_3.toString()); //evaluate to change string to boolean
            testWindow.panel.cb1.value = checkbox1_value;
            
            //dropdown1
            dd1_value = testWindow.panel.ddl1.find(prefsXML.setting_2.value_2.toString()); //listItem
            testWindow.panel.ddl1.selection = dd1_value;
            
            //textbox2
            vers = prefsXML.data.(@key == 'Version').@value.toString(); //read key/value pair
            testWindow.panel.textbox2.text = 'Version ' + vers;
            
            //textbox3
            lastDate = prefsXML.data.(@key == 'Last_Date').@value.toString();
            testWindow.panel.textbox3.text = 'Current Date:\r' + Tdate + '\rLast Run:\r' + lastDate;
            lastDate = Tdate;
            prefsXML.data.(@key == 'Last_Date').@value = lastDate; //write value back to XML object

      
            /* 
            update XML object with changed values, will be written on close.
            */

            //textbox1
            testWindow.panel.textbox1.onChanging = function(){
                Tname = testWindow.panel.textbox1.text;
                prefsXML.setting_1.name = Tname;
                }

            //slider1    
            testWindow.panel.slider1.onChange = function(){
                slider_value = testWindow.panel.slider1.value;
                prefsXML.setting_2.value_1 = slider_value.toString();
                }

            //radio1 
            testWindow.panel.rb1.onClick = function(){
                radiobutton1_value = testWindow.panel.rb1.value;
                prefsXML.setting_2.value_4 = radiobutton1_value.toString();
                }

            //radio2 
            testWindow.panel.rb2.onClick = function(){
                radiobutton2_value = testWindow.panel.rb2.value;
                prefsXML.setting_2.value_5 = radiobutton2_value.toString();
                }

            //checkbox1    
            testWindow.panel.cb1.onClick = function(){
                checkbox1_value = testWindow.panel.cb1.value;
                prefsXML.setting_2.value_3 = checkbox1_value.toString();
                }

            //dropdown1
            testWindow.panel.ddl1.onChange = function(){
                dd1_value = testWindow.panel.ddl1.selection.text;
                prefsXML.setting_2.value_2 = dd1_value;
                }

            //button0
            testWindow.panel.button0.onClick = function(){
                prefsWrite();
                }

            //button1    
            testWindow.panel.button1.onClick = function(){
                testWindow.close();
                prefsWrite();
                }

            //button2    
            testWindow.panel.button2.onClick = function(){
                testWindow.close();
                prefsWrite();
                }

            //button3    
            testWindow.panel.button3.onClick = function(){
                prefsReset();
                prefsWrite();
                }

            testWindow.layout.layout(true);
            testWindow.show();
            testWindow.active = true;
            }
        catch(e){
            alert(e + ' ' + e.line);
            }
        }
    
        prefsRead(prefsFile); //read file
        createWindow(); //make window

        function prefsReset(){
            //alert('reset');

            Tname = testWindow.panel.textbox1.text;
            prefsXML.setting_1.name = 'Sunrise';

            slider_value = testWindow.panel.slider1.value = 33.33;
            prefsXML.setting_2.value_1 = slider_value.toString();

            testWindow.panel.cb1.value = false;
            prefsXML.setting_2.value_3 = false;

            testWindow.panel.rb1.value = false;
            prefsXML.setting_2.value_4 = false;

            testWindow.panel.rb2.value = false;
            prefsXML.setting_2.value_5 = false;

            testWindow.panel.ddl1.selection = 0;
  

        }

    }

Thank for providng this reference script. I can see that user input data is recorded into the Test Script Prefs.jsx

How do you actaully read the specifics values from the xml file?

For eaxample how do you ge the value from the text box into another script and alert this value? 

@Lumigraphics – thank you for sharing!