IWB+ Progress Updates

[LarryMc]

Still working on docs for IWB 2.0.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

I finally finished the Help files for IWB 2.0 that I've been working on since mid Jan.
I've got to do some personal things I've put off (like income taxes) but I should be back working on the Designer before the end of the week.

Just as it did after my daughter's passing it will take me a while to get back up to speed.
I will also need to make some changes to reflect changes made in IWB 2.0.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Actually got to do some coding today. Felt good.

Working on the Toolbar editor.

21,800+ lines of code

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

All the editors are now dialogs instead of tabs on the main window.

Been working on the menu editor.
The preview of the actual menu at the top of the screen is now more dynamic.
As changes are made to the treeview(and in the edit fields to the right) the preview is automatically updated.

At any time the user may expand the menus in the preview to see what they  will look like in the final application.

A screenshot of that expansion is shown below.

23,000+ lines of code

[LarryMc]

Probably 95% complete on the new versions of the menu, toolbar, and tab editors.
That leaves the custom control editor ( I'm putting off a new Messagebox editor and About Box editor until the very last or possibly as a later revision.)

Decided to change the area I'm working in for a while.

Got the dialog completed for changing project options after a project is created.
Looks almost identical to IDE menu Project/Options (although there will be some options that I will not allow to be changed due to the structure of the designer.)

Now working on the code for getting those option changes to the compiler/linker.

23,400+ lines of code

LarryMc

[Blue Steel]

I wonder how many likes of code this would have taken in C++ or other languages

[LarryMc]

I wonder how many likes of code this would have taken in C++ or other languages

From what I have seen (I don't like the cryptic nature of C-type languages) if would have taken 3-4 times as much code.

If it was left to me to write it in a non-BASIC type language it would never have been started.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

completed the code for modifying project options after a project is created.

Will now go back to the code editor preferences and modify to support preprocessor color choice.

Also did some temp code cleanup resulting in an overall change of about -50 lines.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Now starting on option that allows user to add an existing iwb file containing common support routines that a user may use from project to project.
Will keep the user from having to create a non-form code file, opening the file with the common code, copying the code and pasting into the new non-form file(which is the currently available method.)

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

*iwb and *.eba non project files can now be added to an existing designer project.

Now will look into adding *.o,*.obj,*.lib, and *.asm files to existing project.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Well, I guess I'm over my 'bad hair' day.

It seems I can't NOT work on the designer; I enjoy it too much.
Also, I think there are aspects of it that, in my opinion, are just too neat to not finish it.

Besides, I always have the option to NOT sell it to anyone I choose (although I would hate to do that.)

So, for those who care, it is back in development.

BTW, thanks for all the kind words, both public and private.

LarryMc

[Blue Steel]

and don't forget those of us who understand and kept quiet, not pushing you in any direction
I for one knew it would be hard for you to give up on your baby I knew you'd be back working on it sometime .. lol

[AdrianFox]

 

[LarryMc]

Thanks guys.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Well, after all the hacking we've lost a couple of updates.
I've completed all the coding for adding an existing iwb file to an existing project.
This is intended to allow a user to have a source file that contains subroutines they like to use from project to project and easily add that file to a new project.

I've also completed the code that allows a user to add .o, .obj, .asm, and .lib files to an existing project for the same reason.

In all cases, a copy is made of the file to be added(regardless of where it is located) and placed in the current project's folder.  That's to facilitate backup and restore functions.

Currently working on the message handler dialog.
The goal is to allow the user to add new custom messages (or existing MS messages that have not been incorporated into IWBasic) to each of the object types (windows,dialogs,and each of the control types).  The user will also enter the root message handler name for the added message.  The assigned value will be automatically assigned for custom messages and for added MS messages the user will enter the value.

This code will allow a user to add all desired messages when adding a custom control of their design.

When I have finished this module I will use similiar coding for adding custom styles.

23,830+ lines of code currently

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Just completed the code for adding user defined messages/notifications to windows/controls.
Automatically adds SETID definitions and OnMsg/OnControl definitions and subroutines.

Will now start working same scheme for user defined styles.

23,900+ lines of code


LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Finished code for adding/deleting custom styles.
Required a lot of double checking to prevent duplicate definition errors with different values.

24,760+ lines of code

I think I'll change pace a little bit and now work on the MessageBox Editor tool I've had in mind to add for a while now.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

I've got the GUI portion of my messagebox tool worked out.

Now to write the code generation part.
It will take care of 'IF' structure if the user picks a 2 button option and a SELECT/CASE stucture if a 3 button option is selected.

### will be used to identify a placehokder for the user to insert any desired variable (I'll take care of the "+ and +" around it.

The user may enter multiple lines of text and that number of lines will appear in the generated code.

When the save button is pressed the generated code will be copied to the clipboard.
The user can then move to the desired location in a source file and ctrl-v or right-click paste the code into their program.


LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Finished the MessageBox Builder tool.

I added a preview so that the user can see how the spacing will look.

mb1.jpg shows where I created a button for testing on a form.
          It also shows the MB Builder open and my desired entries.

mb2.jpg shows the result of pressing the "preview"button in the builder.
          This is exactly as it will appear in the final application.
If I like the result then I click save to save the generated code to the clipboard.

mb3.jpg shows the button click routine I added when I added the test button to the form.

To add the code I place the mouse caret at the beginning of the line I want the code to precede.
In this case the line with Return FALSE in it.

I either ctrl-v or right-click/paste to insert the code.

mb4.jpg shows the result of the pasting; ready for the user to enter their custom coding.

NOTE:  If you use the buider more than once in a sub or at the local global level you will have to delete the int declaration for some of the msgret variable; or after you paste it you can change it to whatever varaiable name you want.

25,000+ lines of code.

Now I've got to figure out what to work on next.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Just finished the dialog/window for adding up to 22 custom controls configurations to the designer.
Also finished the page that allows the user to configure the default size, color, and fonts for any added custom controls.

Note: I must admit that my messagebox builder worked great while adding the error checking to the above two pages.

Now comes the tougher part; integrating the new controls into the overall drag and drop scheme along with the existing controls' code generation scheme.

When I get through with that then I will start cleanup (making sure I've gotten rid of all registery references and have then in ini files; working on the installer; and the required rework of the help file.  Almost forgot, I still have some custom images to build for the designers menus.

"All I like is finishing..."

Lines of code - 26,600+

[LarryMc]

Completed the code to support integration of a custom control into the designer.
There are slots available for 22 user defined custom controls.

While checking my ToDo list I noticed I haven't adopted the code for find first, next,last and previous.  Nor have I adopted the code for "find in help"

So I'll be working on those two "search" related modules now.

Lines of code - 27,300+

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Completed the code for find, find first, find next, find last and find previous while viewing a source file.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Completed the code for "find in help" which will search for a keyword in all the help files in the iwbdev/help folder.

Lines of code - 27,600+

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Decided to work on menu icons for a while.
Got 13 more added.

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

Finished with what I'm doing with the menu icons for the designer itself; 47 icons in all

Got the skelton of the new helpfile about 60% set up.
ALL the screen shots that were in the old help file are outdated now so I have a lot of screen capturing to do. That's why it was necessary to get the menu icons done.

Most of the existing verbage in the old help file is reuseable but there is a lot that needs to be added.

As I go through redoing each section in the help file I will be testing everything I put in writing.
So, I'll be doing cleanup/bug fixing along the way.

LarryMc