VBLM's build options, accessed and configured via the Build window, control the process in which VBLM builds localized versions of VB projects. Specific options and their effects, such as where to build, what to build, and what language table(s) to use, are discussed elsewhere, in the Configuring Build Options topic. This topic is focused more broadly.
VBLM maintains multiple sets of build option configurations; a default set stored in the initialization file, and project-specific sets stored in each VBLM project (LMP) file. When a project is first created, it inherits the default build config.
VBLM Default Build Options
When VBLM is first installed (and whenever it fails to find an INI file on startup, or finds one without entries in the [BuildOptions] section), it creates a default set of build options.
To view and/or change these defaults, select Project Build on the main options menu BEFORE loading or creating a VBLM project (ie, when the main window displays only the world map, with no project specs). When you're working with the defaults, the Build window is titled VBLM Default Build Control & Configuration.
All changes made to the default build options are stored in the INI file when you exit VBLM and loaded when you restart it.
Project-Specific Build Options
When you create a new VBLM project, VBLM's current default build options provide the initial build options for the project. With the exception of aliased target directory specs, the project options are set identical to the defaults.
From then on, however, the project's build options are stored with the project and are completely independent of the defaults stored in the INI file. When you display the Build window with a project loaded, the window is titled accordingly, with the name of the project.
Once a project is created or loaded, any and all build option changes that you make affect the build options stored in the project file (and hence set the file's dirty flag). These change have no effect, however, on the default build options.
Transferring Build Options
The Build window has a file menu that allows you to save and transfer the current build option configuration:
The Import Build Configuration entry allows you to import build option configurations from VBLM project files (*.LMP), where they are stored in binary format, and from INI or TXT files where they are stored as text. If no project is loaded when an import is performed, the imported config replaces the current defaults. If a project is loaded, it replaces the project configuration.
The Export Build Configuration entry allows you to export the current build option config -- whether default or project-specific -- to a text file, where they are stored in the same sectioned, keyed format of an INI file.
When a project is loaded, the file menu contains two additional entries:
The Save as VBLM Defaults entry copies the current project build options to VBLM's defaults.
The Reset to VBLM Defaults. copies the current default config into the project.