Still using 2012 to edit, building in 2014. :(

General
#1

I’ve tried to make friends with the Xojo editor, and I keep giving it a go.

But I have worked out what it is that makes me return to the 2012 edition time after time to make changes.
Its the property inspector.

I have an integer property, I select it.
I’m presented with acres of empty screen space, but nowhere on the whole screen can I see or edit the value of the integer

Instead I have to open the inspector window.
It floats, and it goes away when Im not watching. If I leave it open, I have to keep moving it ‘out of the way’
And when I close it when Im done out of habit, I have to keep opening it again when I need to amend anything else.

If I could dock it inside the main window I’d be content.
Its a small thing, but it stops me short and irritates every single time , like finding a hair in your food.

I can’t see any reason why the value can’t be at the top of the massive empty pane of the editor window.

Is it only me that runs into this?
Is there a trick or setting that I’ve missed?

#2

Preferences ->General->Show Library and Inspector -> In project window

#3

It’s docked by default. You must have changed it to float at some point.

#4

I too still develop with RB and compile with Xojo. My main problems - besides the one you are describing - are:

  • the navigator is not manageable by keyboard strokes only (like the RB one). Suddenly the focus jumps to the editor, even if it doesn’t make sense (computed properties for example).
  • there is an option missing in the Preferences dialog, that in the navigator the focus should jump only on pressing Return/Enter, not when you arrive at an item.
  • searching for text has become more complicated (you can’t reach “Match Case” and “Whole Word” without using the mouse).
  • there is no keyboard shortcut for closing the bottom panel (Search, Errors, Debug).
  • Alt-Tab is gone for switching between the window and the code editor.
  • after running an app from the IDE, the code editor doesn’t get the keyboard focus back.
  • and there are more keyboard/mouse-related issues.

For me an IDE, where you need to use the mouse to work within it, is not a well-thought product. I can spend hours of programming in XCode, and not once must my right hand leave the keyboard.

#5

Joy. :slight_smile:

#6

and forget about it later.

This happens to me all the time !

#7

That’s the reason why I am commenting my code…
I already forgot, what I’ve done yesterday :wink:

#8

I learned ithat the hard way, back when I buy my first Apple computer (an Apple //c) with the save mantra (save, save, save before the power off…).

I was in 1984 or 1985… 30 years ago !

#9

Save , Save etc… :wink:

Lost count of the times in the past when it was
Save, Save… oh wait… oh no!!! I accidentally deleted a whole chunk of vital code and saved over the original!!!

#10

Subversion, Git or any other source control system really helps with this.

#11

[quote=114805:@Eli Ott]I too still develop with RB and compile with Xojo. My main problems - besides the one you are describing - are:

  • the navigator is not manageable by keyboard strokes only (like the RB one). Suddenly the focus jumps to the editor, even if it doesn’t make sense (computed properties for example).
  • there is an option missing in the Preferences dialog, that in the navigator the focus should jump only on pressing Return/Enter, not when you arrive at an item.
  • searching for text has become more complicated (you can’t reach “Match Case” and “Whole Word” without using the mouse).
  • there is no keyboard shortcut for closing the bottom panel (Search, Errors, Debug).
  • Alt-Tab is gone for switching between the window and the code editor.
  • after running an app from the IDE, the code editor doesn’t get the keyboard focus back.
  • and there are more keyboard/mouse-related issues.

For me an IDE, where you need to use the mouse to work within it, is not a well-thought product. I can spend hours of programming in XCode, and not once must my right hand leave the keyboard.[/quote]
Searching in the Xojo IDE is easy. It is an improvement from RealStudio in my opinion. Large projects are more manageable.

#12

One year after Xojo appears, I am still feeling insecure when using the IDE.

Sometimes I even put an Event to the wrong location (the Window instead of the Control…).

Go figure !

PS: Once Xojo was available I trashed RS / RB / Whatever previous version and uniquely used Xojo.

#13

[quote=114805:@Eli Ott]I too still develop with RB and compile with Xojo. My main problems - besides the one you are describing - are:

  • the navigator is not manageable by keyboard strokes only (like the RB one). Suddenly the focus jumps to the editor, even if it doesn’t make sense (computed properties for example).
    [/quote]

I too need a way to fix this as it is the one of the biggest issues I have with Xojo as I am mostly a keyboard person.

#14