Developer forums (C::B DEVELOPMENT STRICTLY!) > CodeCompletion redesign
inspiration
abductee:
well, hello!
after using one of the recent nightly builds of codeblocks, i might conclude there seems to be a god after all. but anyway, the topic is code-completion. i've been using a very neat plugin for the last couple of years called "Visual assist". imho it is the best you cen aget at the moment in terms of usuability and so on. i myself have been using it since like 1999 or 2000? dunno. around the visual studio 5/6 days anyway. my point is:
nobody needds to reinvent the wheel. this tool has a usuability that rocks( i tested it even on some older linux guys and they liked it :) but it is only available for M$ Visual Studio. when i recently switched to linux and saw all the IDEs available, it took me some times to realize that all those IDEs see syntax highlighting and code completion as two seperate features. ( which was really kinda like shocking... ) anyway, check it out: www.wholetomato.com. a free trial is available there. and they have lots of cool descriptions on their webpage. i would really really really like to see a similar feature in codeblocks, and wold be willing do do some testing. so what do you guys think?
TDragon:
Think about what? I agree, a similar feature in Code::Blocks would be beyond excellent. Just take a gander around the other threads in this forum, however, to see precisely how difficult creating such a tool really is.
rickg22:
Dear Abductee:
Yes, there's no need to reinvent the wheel. However, you just said it, they have a *FREE TRIAL*. Nothing guarantees that it will remain free.
Code::Blocks is an IDE licensed with the GPL, it means it's "Free (as in freedom) Software". This is why I like it. Anybody can make changes to it and contribute. Let's assume that we make Visual Assist a default part of C::B. And then the Visual Assist guys stop licensing it. We would end up with a crippled IDE. Therefore, we need to ensure that for C::B to remain usable, all the software it depends on must be redistributed and modified freely (for more info, check out http://www.fsf.org/ about software freedom). So, yes, there IS a need to reinvent the wheel. Because some of the wheels out there are patented and/or license-restricted. We need a wheel that EVERYBODY can use.
Now, If you're suggesting to make a visualassist plugin to make it work with Code::Blocks, you're welcome to do so. (just be careful with the licensing). Or why not ask the Visual Assist guys to make a C::B plugin? That would be neat! :)
LRN:
Yeah...abductee is very...ignorant about free/nonfree software etc.
But.
--- Quote ---all those IDEs see syntax highlighting and code completion as two seperate features
--- End quote ---
He got a point.
C::B code completion looks good at the moment, however syntax highlighting is not so good in comparison with VAX.
Thing is, VAX utilizes language parser (same parser that is used for code completion, as far as i understand) for syntax highlighting. This enables it, for example, to highlight function names, variable names and macros in different color. Technically they ALL are identifiers, but since language parser knows the difference, syntax highlighter knows it too. I don't know for sure, but i think that spellchecking in function names (underlines wrong identifiers with red wavy line) works on top of that parser too.
If only my forum-search skills does not fail me, current code completion redesign plan does not have anything to to with syntax highlighting, thus this particular reinventing of a wheel will not be 100% successful, and guys like abductee will continue to whine about Linux/X-platform/FreeSoftware IDEs being dull and ugly. At least i will :)
raph:
Codeblocks uses scintilla as editor component.
Scintilla takes care about syntax highlighting.
You may want to post a feature request there.
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