1. RE: Couple questions/"features" about Judith's IDE
SR.Williamson wrote:
> Used it today for a project that I'd been putting off as not worth the
> trouble. Very, very good, and very handy.
>
> But....
>
> There were a couple things. I had it crash on me once, and I don't know
> why. I was never able to duplicate it, and I was multitasking pretty
> heavily so I don't remember what might have caused it. More later if it
> happens again. If not, no problem.
I've had some crashes with IDE usually when I'm needing to recycle. I
suspect there are memory leaks.
>
> Also, weird behavior from the group control. I originally had a form
> layed out without groups, then decided it would look better and be
> easier to change it if I had a bunch of EditTexts on groups instead. So
> I moved them over. I had the darnedest time getting them to work right.
> I would try to edit the location in the property sheet so that I could
> line them up, but it kept sending them to the location as soon as I
> started typing the numbers, so if it was supposed to be 100, it would
> send it to location 1.
To add existing EditTexts, or any control, to a new control, such as a
group, first select and drop the group onto Form Design. The easy way to
move the EditTexts to the Group is via mouse or keyboard arrow keys.
Properties was designed to be instantly interactive with Design but I've
changed that behavior for a few Properties attributes. I've got an
outstanding request on my ToDo list to change X, Y, CX and CY only after
an enter key but I have not gotten to it yet.
>
> That wasn't the worst part. Sometimes after it would do that, it would
> automatically go to the next control, so I would be typing in the wrong
> location for that control also. Quite the pain.
I'm not sure how the next control got into Properties. Could you perhaps
have clicked in Design?
>
> Then after I had it set and saved, I tried to move the group, and all of
>
> them moved fine except one. None of the controls moved with that group.
> I have no idea what was different about that one.
You tried to move with mouse or via Properties? It could be that the
problems you encountered with Properties did not assign parenting to the
EditTexts properly. When a control is moved into a container control,
the container becomes its parent, until the control is moved away again.
Also some containers will try to obtain parenting over a control it is
moved over.
>
> Seems it would be really handy to have a multiple select (I've mentioned
>
> this before), or to make it clear how to do it if it's already there. It
>
> doesn't seem to follow the Windows standard if it is.
I have a request for multiple control select for Properties caption. I
intend to use left click followed by ctrl+left click for additional
selections. I would change all selected controls to the caption
subsequently entered for the first one. I made a stab at this request
awhile back without success. What attributes would you be wanting to
change with multiple select?
>
> Another thing that would go well would be a way to lay out controls in a
>
> grid, automatically. There may be a way now, but it wasn't obvious if
> so.
Look at TABLE control. There are specific instructions how to use it in
IDE.htm near the bottom of the document.
>
> One other thing: is there going to be some documentation at some point?
Other than IDE.htm? I'm working on a "Guide for new users of IDE" but it
is very sketchy at this point. I've also been asked for a Tutorial.
IDE.htm is not well organized. There are so many requests for IDE that
documentation keeps sliding back.
> Most of the stuff was pretty intuitive if you've used VB or Builder or
> Delphi before, but I wasn't sure about how to use the code editor
> (though I figured it out eventually) or the module stuff.
>
> Still, even with the small flaws, well worth the time spent on it. Good
> job!
Thanks. Many people have made suggestions and offered code. They all
deserve credit.
Judith
2. RE: Couple questions/"features" about Judith's IDE
>> Also, weird behavior from the group control. I originally had a form
>> layed out without groups, then decided it would look better and be
>> easier to change it if I had a bunch of EditTexts on groups instead. So
>> I moved them over. I had the darnedest time getting them to work right.
>> <<
>> I would try to edit the location in the property sheet so that I could
>> line them up, but it kept sending them to the location as soon as I
>> started typing the numbers, so if it was supposed to be 100, it would
>> send it to location 1. <<
> To add existing EditTexts, or any control, to a new control, such as a
> group, first select and drop the group onto Form Design. The easy way to
> move the EditTexts to the Group is via mouse or keyboard arrow keys. <
> Properties was designed to be instantly interactive with Design but I've
> changed that behavior for a few Properties attributes. I've got an
> outstanding request on my ToDo list to change X, Y, CX and CY only after
> an enter key but I have not gotten to it yet. <
I did move them onto the control by mouse, but then to get the spacing
exactly right, I tried to edit the location via property sheet, and
that's when the fun began. I can live with having to do it with keyboard
arrows if I can get the same fine control as typing it into the property
sheet.
>> That wasn't the worst part. Sometimes after it would do that, it would
>> automatically go to the next control, so I would be typing in the wrong
>> location for that control also. Quite the pain.<<
> I'm not sure how the next control got into Properties. Could you perhaps
> have clicked in Design?
Nope, I was typing away in the property sheet. I think what happened,
now that you explained that property sheet responds instantaneously, is
that the property sheet, and location in particular had focus. I started
typing in the new location. It took the first number, decided I was
done, and went to the next control since the property sheet still had
focus. If I can change locations with the keyboard, then this won't be a
problem any more.
>> Then after I had it set and saved, I tried to move the group, and all of
>> them moved fine except one. None of the controls moved with that group.
>> <<
>> I have no idea what was different about that one.<<
> You tried to move with mouse or via Properties? It could be that the
> problems you encountered with Properties did not assign parenting to the
> EditTexts properly. When a control is moved into a container control,
> the container becomes its parent, until the control is moved away
> again.<
> Also some containers will try to obtain parenting over a control it is
> moved over.<
I was using the mouse to move the group.
>> Seems it would be really handy to have a multiple select (I've mentioned
>> this before), or to make it clear how to do it if it's already there. It
>> doesn't seem to follow the Windows standard if it is.<<
> I have a request for multiple control select for Properties caption. I
> intend to use left click followed by ctrl+left click for additional
> selections. I would change all selected controls to the caption
> subsequently entered for the first one. I made a stab at this request
> awhile back without success. What attributes would you be wanting to
> change with multiple select?<
It would be nice to be able to set them all the same size, and the same
caption, color, parent, etc. but what I'm really looking for is the
ability to move a group without using a group control. The group control
is an okay workaround, I just don't like the border and caption.
Sometimes I would like it to be blank. Is there a way to turn off the
border and caption? Using a space for a caption still shows a blank spot
in the border, but that obviously doesn't matter if you can turn the
border off.
>> Another thing that would go well would be a way to lay out controls in a
>> grid, automatically. There may be a way now, but it wasn't obvious if
>> so.<<
> Look at TABLE control. There are specific instructions how to use it in
> IDE.htm near the bottom of the document.<
Thanks. I figured I was just missing it.
>> One other thing: is there going to be some documentation at some
>> point?<<
>Other than IDE.htm? I'm working on a "Guide for new users of IDE" but it
>is very sketchy at this point. I've also been asked for a Tutorial.<
>IDE.htm is not well organized. There are so many requests for IDE that
>documentation keeps sliding back.<
>> Most of the stuff was pretty intuitive if you've used VB or Builder or
>> Delphi before, but I wasn't sure about how to use the code editor
>> (though I figured it out eventually) or the module stuff. <<
>>Still, even with the small flaws, well worth the time spent on it. Good
>>job!<<
> Thanks. Many people have made suggestions and offered code. They all
> deserve credit.<
Agreed.
One other thing now that I'm thinking about it. I set the locations for
the refman and win32lib html files, but didn't see how you could bring
them up from the program.
> Judith
3. RE: Couple questions/"features" about Judith's IDE
SR.Williamson wrote:
> I did move them onto the control by mouse, but then to get the spacing
> exactly right, I tried to edit the location via property sheet, and
> that's when the fun began. I can live with having to do it with keyboard
>
> arrows if I can get the same fine control as typing it into the property
>
> sheet.
The number of pixels the control will move when using the arrow keys is
the same size as the Design overlay grid spacing - the default is 4. You
can change the size in configuration/grid.
> > I'm not sure how the next control got into Properties. Could you perhaps
> >
> > have clicked in Design?
>
> Nope, I was typing away in the property sheet. I think what happened,
> now that you explained that property sheet responds instantaneously, is
> that the property sheet, and location in particular had focus. I started
>
> typing in the new location. It took the first number, decided I was
> done, and went to the next control since the property sheet still had
> focus.
IDE won't change controls without some action on you part. At least I've
not progammed it to do that
> I was using the mouse to move the group.
Ok I'll look into the parenting routines again.
> > What attributes would you be wanting to change with multiple > > select?
>
> It would be nice to be able to set them all the same size, and the same
> caption, color, parent, etc. but what I'm really looking for is the
> ability to move a group without using a group control. The group control
>
> is an okay workaround, I just don't like the border and caption.
> Sometimes I would like it to be blank. Is there a way to turn off the
> border and caption?
You can turn off caption by deleting it in Properties but I think it
will still show a small gap in the border. You might try to turn off the
border using style overrides. Look into Win32lib and see what style
Group has and then enter the style in Properties without the border.
>
> One other thing now that I'm thinking about it. I set the locations for
> the refman and win32lib html files, but didn't see how you could bring
> them up from the program.
In Code Editor under HELP menu.
Judith
4. RE: Couple questions/"features" about Judith's IDE
SR.Williamson wrote:
> but what I'm really looking for is the
> ability to move a group without using a group control.
I've thought about your request and remember Dan Moyer once suggesting a
popup window from right click in Design that would bring up a listbox of
created contols and allow user to select ones to do the same action with
all at once. I believe he was thinking of deleting controls but I think
the same method would work for moving controls also.
I'll dust off the idea for a coming IDE version. I know it won't be
ready for 0.12.0 but perhaps the next one.
5. RE: Couple questions/"features" about Judith's IDE
Judith wrote:
>> One other thing now that I'm thinking about it. I set the locations for
>> the refman and win32lib html files, but didn't see how you could bring
>> them up from the program.
>
> In Code Editor under HELP menu.
I guess that makes sense, because that's where you'd need to see it.
Okay. Thanks.
