Question on Code Explorer in Positron Studio

[JohnB]

The Code Explorer on the ProtonIDE is re-entrant which means it holds the code tree for the main bas file and all the include files. You can therefore explore the entire project as one tree from the code explorer.

I never found this any more than a novelty when using the ProtonIDE but I would be interested in users views on whether they would find this a useful feature for Positron Studio.

[See_Mos]

I usually overlook it and just scroll the code but the code explorer does provide a quick way to jump into specific places.

I think the only time that I used it was when developing the PAL test card generator which has over thirty procedures.

[JonW]

I never found this any more than a novelty when using the ProtonIDE. Still, I would be interested in users views on whether they would find this a valuable feature for Positron Studio.

If you write a lot of libraries like I do, the code explorer is a must for quickly opening and finding procedures within included files. I find this the most powerful feature of the whole IDE.  I also think the highlighting and structure of the code layout are extremely easy to read and navigate. 

The latest build seems solid on my PC, I have tried all of the other IDEs, but this one is by far my preferred go-to IDE.

Cheers for all the effort John

[JohnB]

I think you have missed my point. I am not doubting the usefulness of the code explorer and at present in Positron Studio to navigate to a function in a library you simply open the relevant include file.  In the original Proton IDE you could expand the include node in the explorer to show all entities in that file.

Personally I never thought this useful but Dave Barker at the time was quite proud of this feature.  If  you have a number of nested libraries the explorer becomes quite deep. As nobody has commented on the lack of this feature I am guessing its not really used.

The reason I brought the subject up is that I am looking at restructuring the database into a more homogenous form which I believe will make it a little quicker and hopefully simplify the code.

[Gamboa]

John,
I use includes in the BAS file and I find it useful.

Regards,

Gamboa

[Stephen Moss]

I have found the ability to click on the include name and have it open to list the Varaibles, Constands and so on used within it useful in the past, particualry when I have been away from something for a while as I may want to check whether or not I have already use the name of a new Variable, Constant, Sub/Proc or lable somewhere to aviod duplication that may crash my program.

That said, personally I think I would prefer to have them grouped together in one place, i.e. you Click on a tree node such as Variables, Constants, Lables it lists all the relevant items used be they defined in the main .BAS file or an include file.
If done that way would what may then be useful is if different colour icons were used, i.e. the current white background for globals and another with say a light blue background for locals definied in a Proceedure.

[JonW]

Hi John

I'm sorry. I get what you are saying now. I am the same as Stephen in that viewing the variables and procedures in the same Explorer tree is useful. As time passes, I tend to forget what procedures are in the library, and the older IDE shows this in the same tree without having to open the .INC separately.  However, as my libraries grow, I tend to write headers showing example calls of procedures within the include file, so I need to open the .inc file.  This is where VSCODE is good as you can have split screen .BAS + .INC's side by side, and I tend to use vscode when developing the library files (.INC) and writing an example .BAS file to test the library.

[JohnB]

@JonW You can place an Include file alongside the main file by dragging the include file and docking it to the left of the form.  I wonder how much user people of the docking features.

I will endeavour to emulate the ProtonIDE code explorer and provide expansion of include files.  I know how  to do is but its a matter of getting the recursion right,

[JonW]

I never knew that cheers John!