Thanks Marco.
As you say this is a single instruction xml file for left and right arrow key on tthe keyboard.The "Resource.xml" refreed to in the Wiki has multiple instructions (For others reading the link to it in the wiki ftp://ftp.jriver.com/pub/downloads/music/misc/Resource.xml appears to be wrong....so instead use ftp://ftp.jriver.com/pub/downloads/music/misc/ and save the xml file).
For me, the link on the wiki works, but only if I right click and choose "Save link as...". My browser is Firefox. I think others may vary but am not certain. Neither of your links work for my if I left click on them.
As you say whatever "Resource.xml" file used, its resides in the newly created "Custom Resources" folder alongside the existing "Default Resources" foder containing its own Resources.xml (to be left alone).
As you say the custom takes precedence over the default reource.xml
I wonder if you would be kind enough to briefly explain what the Custom reources/resource.xml does and when you would use it ?
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/User_Defined_Global_Keyboard_Shortcuts refers to it and mentions core commands and so fourth but all a little confusing....eg Is "resources" just a sub section of "Core Commands", just another way of issuing core commands etc ? ?
I'll try, but this kind of thing is not my forté...
The "Resource.xml" file in the default folder defines the commands and keyboard shortcuts that come with MC as standard.
MC allows users to define their own keyboard shortcuts in a separate file that is protected from being deleted by the program installer.
MC merges the two files, with the custom file taking precedence. This ensures that if the defaults change, or have new stuff added, they are still available to those taking advantage of the "Custom" system.
You can use "MCC" commands to get MC to do stuff for you. You have found the list. It is extensive. I think much of it is best left for MC to use internally, but some of the stuff exposed to us here is pure gold. The commands can be passed to the program via another program that MC installs in our Windows folder, and always matches the major build number, so, currently, this little helper program is called "MC18.exe".
Try pressing Win+R to bring up the 'Run' box, paste this in there... mc18.exe /mcc 10047
and press enter.
If MC is running, this will start audio playback using the Play Doctor feature. If MC is not running, it will do nothing.
My custom resources file contains a global keyboard combo that fires this command when I hit "Ctrl+Alt+R"...
<Entry Key="Ctrl;Alt;R" Command="10047" Global="1" />
Which allows me to kick off a Play Doctor session even if MC is not the focussed program.
I also use this in Theater View, but here, it's a button press on the remote that sends the command off to MC18.exe, which passes it on to the program and starts radio playback.
You can get creative with these things. Back in my XP days, I used to keep windows shortcuts with custom icons in a folder that I would add to the taskbar as a toolbar. The shortcuts performed actions such launch/close MC, play, pause, rew, fwd, set ratings on the current playing track 1-5, all using MCC commands fired to MC via the MC18 program. I don't use that now, but at the time, was super handy, and should hopefully give an idea how these things can be applied.
To be honest, I think the standard view, desktop defaults have pretty much everything covered. The MCC commands really come in to their own when using Theater View, and you want buttons on your remote control to do specific things. I have set one of my buttons to restart MC. Coupled with auto update, if an update has been downloaded, it will be automatically installed before the program restarts. It's also handy if we get frustrated waiting for the server to push new files out to the HTPC as a restart forces a library refresh from the server, and we're good to go.
A tad rambly, not very well structured, but hopefully of some use to you...
-marko.