[new feature] Show me the code

Erel · Nov 14, 2019

One of the expectations from the IDE is to bring the relevant information to the developer.

It is nice that the IDE shows you the subs signatures and comments however it is even nicer if it will allow you to see the subs code without needing to jump back and forth:

alwaysbusy · Nov 14, 2019

THAT is a fantastic new feature!

AnandGupta · Nov 14, 2019

WOW ! WOW !!
Never thought that can be possible !!!

Thanks a lot

Regards,

Anand

FrostCodes · Nov 14, 2019

I don't know if it's me or it's me only. @Erel I see this as maybe a problem, I develop libraries a lot and a lot of times, I wouldn't like the people using my libraries to be able to see my code. Does this feature apply to libraries? if yes, shouldn't there be a way to disable it before you compile your library?

LucaMs · Nov 14, 2019

FrostCodes said:
Does this feature apply to libraries?

Your libraries (like all the others) are not B4A code sources but java code, so don't worry.

FrostCodes · Nov 14, 2019

LucaMs said:
Your libraries (like all the others) are not B4A code sources but java code, so don't worry.

Yes, I guess so, I think I misunderstood the feature but now I have a better understanding of it!

rraswisak · Nov 15, 2019

Impressive feature...

this will cut of search in forum how to use the syntax, like it!

alwaysbusy · Nov 15, 2019

Maybe just a quick suggestion...

A text box to search in the popup text. Here is a mockup:

Erel · Nov 15, 2019

LucaMs said:
Your libraries (like all the others) are not B4A code sources but java code, so don't worry.

That's true, including in the case of b4xlibs.

alwaysbusy said:
A text box to search in the popup text. Here is a mockup:

Maybe in a future version...

AnandGupta · Nov 15, 2019

Just to be clear.

Our own code, in service / code etc. module, will show code
.bas library added from forum, will show code
.bxlib library added from forum, will show code
.jar library added from forum, will NOT show code

Right ?

Regards,

Anand

klaus · Nov 15, 2019

AnandGupta said:
3. .bxlib library added from forum, will show code

I understand Erels answer the other way, that b4xlib code will not be shown.

Cableguy · Nov 15, 2019

AnandGupta said:
Just to be clear.

Our own code, in service / code etc. module, will show code

.bas library added from forum, will show code

.bxlib library added from forum, will show code

.jar library added from forum, will NOT show code

Right ?

Regards,

Anand

I would erase the "from the forum" part, as it is not conditioned by where it came from, but by the type.

B4x libs are a set of modules/files and are quite unlike "standard" libs.
Bas files are code modules/classes.
These two, plus the "in project code" should be visible by the new feature...

Erel · Nov 15, 2019

Cableguy said:
B4x libs are a set of modules/files and are quite unlike "standard" libs.

I don't see it like this. b4xlibs are very similar to natively written libs. Just kept in a different structure that allows them to be cross platform.

To make things clear: it will NOT show code from b4xlibs.

AnandGupta · Nov 15, 2019

Erel said:
To make things clear: it will NOT show code from b4xlibs.

Well it is good for library writers who will not want their codes to be seen, for obvious reason. At least not easily.

But then the feature is less useful to beginners like me who need/like to study the code of others library, while using the 'said' library function. Looking at our own codes is not very useful, to me at least.

Though this feature is very much useful to masters who have tons of code and make libraries, and need to refer to a 'said' function code.

Hoping, this will become useful to me in few years, when I have substantial codes

Regards,

Anand

Sandman · Nov 15, 2019

Erel said:
it will NOT show code from b4xlibs

For me this is the correct approach.

I'm not making libs for other people, but I do use them quite a bit for myself. And once I'm done with a library I consider it pretty much a "black box" where I (in my main project, where I use the libraries) don't care about the inner workings of them. This is also a good approach as it helps me be disciplined on how I design my libraries - if I need to constantly peek inside it to use it correctly, I would probably consider it poorly designed and constructed. (This mindset can be compared to the official libraries, which we all use without knowing what Erel made in them. They are well designed, we just use them, and life is good.)

alwaysbusy · Nov 15, 2019

@Sandman I agree. I do the same, bundling code into .b4xlibs and considering them to be a 'closed set' of code. No need to be able to see the source code of that while using them. So for me, correct approach too!

Jorge M A · Nov 15, 2019

Wow! A very powerful addition in favor of RAD!

I would only allow me to make one suggestion:
That the appearance of the SUB code was "on demand", that is, by selecting the full name of the SUB, and pressing ALT+F12 (Peek Definition), so that the behavior would be standard with other IDEs, and avoid that the sudden display of the code could be obstructive or distracting.

Thank you very much @Erel!

AnandGupta · Nov 15, 2019

Sandman said:
This mindset can be compared to the official libraries, which we all use without knowing what Erel made in them. They are well designed, we just use them, and life is good.

I agree on this context.
But many a times we the beginners are suggested "b4xlibs is a zip file, open it and make changes in .bas and zip it back", search the forum for it.

So for us it will be of immense help if it was supported. For masters here who make libraries it is ok for them but for learners it would have helped. Anyway when Erel is making this feature he will decide what is good for us and what is not. I leave on him.

Regards,

Anand

OliverA · Nov 15, 2019

AnandGupta said:
But many a times we the beginners are suggested "b4xlibs is a zip file, open it and make changes in .bas and zip it back", search the forum for it.

I think it gets a little bit complicated with b4xlibs. It is up to the author of the lib if you are allowed to look at/copy/modify the source (example @Star-Dust, who is providing b4xlibs with the understanding that people do not look at/copy/modify the code). Therefore, b4xlibs should be treated like regular libraries.

AnandGupta said:
But then the feature is less useful to beginners like me who need/like to study the code of others library, while using the 'said' library function. Looking at our own codes is not very useful, to me at least.

For those libraries that allow you to look at the code, you could, for studying purposes, unpack the libraries and include the relevant .bas files in your project. This may seem like an extra step, but remember, at least you are looking at basic code. For java libraries, whose source is available online, you pretty much need to know some Java to become familiar with the internal workings of them. Plus the code viewing (proposed here) would never integrate as well as the unpacked b4xlib.

klaus · Nov 15, 2019

AnandGupta said:
But many a times we the beginners are suggested "b4xlibs is a zip file, open it and make changes in .bas and zip it back", search the forum for it.

I don't agree with this!
In my opinion, you have never been suggested, as a beginner, to modify a b4xlib and rezip it!
And this will deal to problems, because when the developer updates the library, your modifications will NOT be included. Which means that you need to look what changes were made and update your version.
But, it can be interesting to study what has been done and how in a b4xlib. I have done it to study some b4xlibs from Erel.

[new feature] Show me the code

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