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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Suggestions for future version (Read 10108 times)
Infinity
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Suggestions for future version
Mar 24th, 2006 at 4:41pm
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I don't know if any of these have already been suggested (they probably have) but here goes anyway:

* The Program Editor currently shows error messages if the code fails to compile, but nothing occurs if the code checks out good.  It would be nice if a "Everything's OK" message popped up.

* The Program Editor would be much more friendly with scrollbars.

* It would be nice if there was a way to highlight or colorize or otherwise mark up programming code.  Having a way to make some portions stand out would be very useful.

* Is there any chance that the Command options (in the Commands control panel of SDesigner) could be represented by buttons on the toolbar?  Currently the toolbar has New, Open, Save and Preview, plus a LOT of empty space to the right of these.  Having iconic buttons would diminish the need to scroll up and down so much while working in designer, and then scrolling again within the Commands box itself.

Thanks for considering my ideas.
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #1 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 5:18pm
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How about a "spell checker" for the text editor? I have a couple of people that could really use that!
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #2 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 5:26pm
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Quote:
I don't know if any of these have already been suggested (they probably have) but here goes anyway:

* The Program Editor currently shows error messages if the code fails to compile, but nothing occurs if the code checks out good.  It would be nice if a "Everything's OK" message popped up.

In 2.0 the test button turns red while the code is being checked - turning back to its original color when finished. Having a message pop up has been considered, but decided that it would be too intrusive to have to clear the popup. We may add a "no errors" message to the error log that appears in the bottom pane. The problem with that is that it would be persistent until the next check - even you have introduced errors in the meantime. Mildly unclear.
Quote:
* The Program Editor would be much more friendly with scrollbars.

The editor in 2.0 is a complete rewrite and does include scrollbars (in both directions).
Quote:
* It would be nice if there was a way to highlight or colorize or otherwise mark up programming code.  Having a way to make some portions stand out would be very useful.

I am not entirely sure what you are asking for here: syntax highlighting, or some way for the programmer to arbitarily highlight specific section (without regard to synax)? If that latter, could they then highlight multiple sections simultaneously? How long would the highlighting persist - would it go away when the editor was closed, or be retained between runs, etc...?
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* Is there any chance that the Command options (in the Commands control panel of SDesigner) could be represented by buttons on the toolbar?  Currently the toolbar has New, Open, Save and Preview, plus a LOT of empty space to the right of these.  Having iconic buttons would diminish the need to scroll up and down so much while working in designer, and then scrolling again within the Commands box itself.

There has been a lot of discussion about what should be on button versus menus, versus command trees here at Lantica. We are all in agreement that the button bar is extremely valuable real estate and that decisions about what should go there should be made with great care.

I would like to see user defined commands there in SDesigner. That way the commands you use most frequently would be at your fingertips. And it would be entirely up to you to decide what command those would be. In 2.0, event macros extend into  SDesigner, and could be used for this.

In any case, it is unlikely that icons (pictures/images) etc..., would be used on the buttons. A picture is worth a thousand words and entirely unclear as to which - nevermind the tedium of hovering over a set of button one by one to cause the tooltip to appear, in order to find out what any of them do...

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Thanks for considering my ideas.


No problem. We would like to hear from everyone on this subject.
  
Mark Lasersohn&&Programmer&&Lantica Software, LLC
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Infinity
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #3 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 6:00pm
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In 2.0 the test button turns red while the code is being checked - turning back to its original color when finished.

That'll work for me!

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The editor in 2.0 is a complete rewrite and does include scrollbars (in both directions).

Cool!

Quote:
Quote:

* It would be nice if there was a way to highlight or colorize or otherwise mark up programming code.  Having a way to make some portions stand out would be very useful.

I am not entirely sure what you are asking for here: syntax highlighting, or some way for the programmer to arbitarily highlight specific section (without regard to synax)?

Yes.  Either, or both.

Quote:
If that latter, could they then highlight multiple sections simultaneously?

Yes.

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How long would the highlighting persist - would it go away when the editor was closed, or be retained between runs, etc...?

Retained.  I am thinking that the text could be colorized/bolded/highlighted in much the same way formatting is done in other text editors.  This would help distinguish specific sections of code which perform certain actions, as a way for the programmer to "jump to" the area he is concerned with, for whatever reason. 

Advanced programmers read code easily because of long practice, and can quickly see what a specific section of code does by quickly scanning it.  For beginners such as myself all the text "runs together" and I have to pick it apart piece by piece.  However, if I could highlight all my XLookups, for example, I could ignore all the unmarked (or differently colored) concatenation code that uses the XLookup results.  Just an example.  I think programmers could find numerous uses for formatted code.

Quote:
There has been a lot of discussion about what should be on button versus menus, versus command trees here at Lantica. We are all in agreement that the button bar is extremely valuable real estate and that decisions about what should go there should be made with great care.

I would like to see user defined commands there in SDesigner. That way the commands you use most frequently would be at your fingertips. And it would be entirely up to you to decide what command those would be. In 2.0, event macros extend into  SDesigner, and could be used for this.

Perhaps a set of commands could be offered in a "customize" right-click menu, which could contain all the user-defined commands as well as the built-in, much as Microsoft Word allows the user to build his toolbar structure.

Quote:
In any case, it is unlikely that icons (pictures/images) etc..., would be used on the buttons. A picture is worth a thousand words and entirely unclear as to which - nevermind the tedium of hovering over a set of button one by one to cause the tooltip to appear, in order to find out what any of them do...

I only have to hover over a new button a couple of times before I learn what they do.  After that, use of them becomes automatic.  I have not experienced the tedium you speak of.  Words seem better suited to drop-down menus than toolbars, IMO, and the time difference between selecting a menu item and scrolling down the list as opposed to just clicking on a button (however small that time is) justifies the use of a button.  Again, in my opinion.  Your mileage may vary.

Thanks again for listening to my ideas.
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #4 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 6:27pm
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How about a "spell checker" for the text editor? I have a couple of people that could really use that!


Purely a licensing issue. We would need to license a dictionary from someone (as opposed to typing in 30 million english words). So far, either way too expensive, or with unacceptable terms for a commercial product.
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #5 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 6:34pm
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How about an option to enlarge the window with the arrows you use to  flip between records and shows how many records there are? I am fine with it but one of the ladies that will be using the program has trouble with the small type.

I LOVE these suggestion boards. Usually anything I might have thought of is here already. Grin
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #6 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 7:02pm
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How about an option to enlarge the window with the arrows you use to  flip between records and shows how many records there are? I am fine with it but one of the ladies that will be using the program has trouble with the small type.

Does she have problems reading the text, or problems clicking on the small buttons - or both?
Quote:
I LOVE these suggestion boards. Usually anything I might have thought of is here already. Grin

Actually, I think this may be the first time we've had this particular suggestion. I do think it is a good suggestion.
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #7 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 7:14pm
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How about an option to enlarge the window with the arrows you use to  flip between records and shows how many records there are? I am fine with it but one of the ladies that will be using the program has trouble with the small type.


In the ini file in 2.0 there is an entry for Secondary Font Size. If you make this number bigger, both the Arrows and Record numbers get bigger.

-Ray
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #8 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 7:19pm
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Cool! Ask and ye shall receive Roll Eyes (helps it was already in the works though)

And Mark, you are right, she has trouble with both.

Thanx again
~Natalie
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #9 - Mar 24th, 2006 at 8:11pm
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How about a "spell checker" for the text editor? I have a couple of people that could really use that!


In March 2006 issue of InsideSesame gives detailed article about how the expanded field can be spell-checked in Sesame.  I have not tried it yet but I am sure it should not be that difficult.

Bharat Naik
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #10 - Mar 25th, 2006 at 1:03am
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Just found another one. Specifically, when changing the program execution order. If the last item needs to be at the top and you have LOTS of lines to go thru, you have to drag it to the top of the window, drop it, move the scroll bar a little then repeat the process until you get to the top. I was rather expecting it to scroll when I moved off the top of the window. There are other sections that do the same thing. It isn't something you see every day so not the highest priority but if it is an easy fix..... Roll Eyes

(might just be something really easy I missed someplace, like a key stroke or something too)
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #11 - Mar 25th, 2006 at 1:12am
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If you select the item you want to move, hold down shift and then press the cursor key up or down, the item will move and the list will scroll automatically.
  
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #12 - Mar 25th, 2006 at 10:29pm
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How about a "spell checker" for the text editor? I have a couple of people that could really use that!

Quote:
In March 2006 issue of InsideSesame gives detailed article about how the expanded field can be spell-checked in Sesame.  I have not tried it yet but I am sure it should not be that difficult.

Bharat Naik

In an upcoming issue of Inside Sesame (possibly the April issue), there will be some info which builds on Erika's article, that makes it very easy and seamless (i.e. no SBasic code or extra elements needed) to use a third-party spellchecker with Sesame.
  

Carl Underwood
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #13 - Mar 26th, 2006 at 5:02pm
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Just found another one. Specifically, when changing the program execution order. If the last item needs to be at the top and you have LOTS of lines to go thru, you have to drag it to the top of the window, drop it, move the scroll bar a little then repeat the process until you get to the top. I was rather expecting it to scroll when I moved off the top of the window. There are other sections that do the same thing. It isn't something you see every day so not the highest priority but if it is an easy fix..... Roll Eyes

(might just be something really easy I missed someplace, like a key stroke or something too)



As mentioned above, you can do this now by holding down shift and moving the item with the up/down cursor keys. In addition, I have changed it for 2.0 so that it will scroll if dragged with the mouse as well.
  
Mark Lasersohn&&Programmer&&Lantica Software, LLC
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Re: Suggestions for future version
Reply #14 - Mar 26th, 2006 at 11:13pm
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Thanx for the current solution & thanx twice for the future fix! You guys are SO cool! 8)
  
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