Float values for listEntry setting

My app uses settings of the type listEntry. The code looks like the below:

settings.xml file:

<settings>
    <setting propertyKey="@Properties.distanceUnitIndex" title="@Strings.distanceUnit">
        <settingConfig type="list">
            <listEntry value="0">@Strings.kilometers</listEntry>
            <listEntry value="1">@Strings.miles</listEntry>
        </settingConfig>
    </setting>
</settings>

properties.xml file:

<properties>    
    <property id="distanceUnitIndex" type="number">0</property>
</properties>

source code:

// kilometers, miles
public static const DISTANCE_UNIT_MULTIPLIERS = [0.001f, 0.000621371f] as Array<Float>;
...

var distanceUnitMultiplier = DISTANCE_UNIT_MULTIPLIERS[Properties.getValue("distanceUnitIndex")];

So basically I preserve 0-based indexes in user-selectable settings and then take the actual value from the const array by this index in my app code.

The developer guide for app settings notes about the listEntry the following:

The type of the value should match the property it’s being saved to. If it doesn’t match a compile time error is thrown.

So, theoretically, we should be able to preserve in listEntry also Float values, the code should then probably look like this:

settings.xml file:

<settings>
    <setting propertyKey="@Properties.distanceUnitMultiplier" title="@Strings.distanceUnit">
        <settingConfig type="list">
            <listEntry value="0.001">@Strings.kilometers</listEntry>
            <listEntry value="0.000621371">@Strings.miles</listEntry>
        </settingConfig>
    </setting>
</settings>

properties.xml file:

<properties>    
    <property id="distanceUnitMultiplier" type="float">0.001</property>
</properties>

source code:

var distanceUnitMultiplier = Properties.getValue("distanceUnitMultiplier");

But this option doesn't work - it compiles and starts the app normally but when you go in the simulator to File -> Edit Persistent Storage -> Edit Application.Properties data, you are not able to see a dropdown selector for float properties. The simulator is Edge 1030.

So is developer documentation wrong and listEntry settings work only with integer values?

0 jim_m_58 over 2 years ago

Your property type is "number" yet you want to set it to a float. It should probably throw an error.

You might be able to remove both these settings and just use System.getDeviceSettings().distanceUnits

0 SpitRider over 2 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

Sorry, mistyped that param in the topic description (fixed it now). I of course tried to set the property type as "float". And I also tried to set values with the "f" suffix and without it - the result is the same - the app does start but the setting doesn't appear in the simulator.

And about the System.getDeviceSettings().distanceUnits - I'd like to make the app a bit more configurable and provide users the ability to select a unit for each displayed metric separately, rather than rely on device settings

0 jim_m_58 over 2 years ago in reply to SpitRider

Take a look at https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/core-topics/properties-and-app-settings/#settings

The way I read it, only a number is valid for a list, and that's the case in every example I see.

0 _psx_ over 2 years ago in reply to SpitRider

be careful with float in settings, there was a very old bug and I don't know if it was fixed, so workaround is a part of my lib

0 SpitRider over 2 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

Yes, there is only a number property in the official doc. And I only found examples with numbers when searching through the forum. But what confuses me is that the "type" param in properties.xml may be one of the following: number, long, float, double, boolean, string, array. And also the note about the <listEntry> tag

The type of the value should match the property it’s being saved to. If it doesn’t match a compile time error is thrown.

So theoretically the <listEntry> might support at least number, long, float, double, and string types.